Re: [exim] smtp_accept_max

On Tue, 7 Dec 2004, Nigel Metheringham wrote:

| On Tue, 2004-12-07 at 14:59 +0000, Peter Bowyer wrote:
| > Chris Edwards <chris@???> wrote:
| >
| > > - It opens ridiculous numbers of parallel connections. We have
| > > observed over 170 connects in a *single second*.
| >
| > qmail, perhaps?
|
| Unlikely - qmail may throw stuff at a stupid rate, but it doesn't throw
| away things that get a 4xx on connect. Sounds very much like fully
| fledged spamware.
|
| It appears to be Lyris (judging from the SMTP banner on that server) - I
| find it hard to believe that Lyris is that broken.

Yup it's lyris which is (or can be) that broken. ISTR once downloading
the lyris manual and finding the "retry yes/no" tickbox...

The other part of the story is it's our management who subscribed our
staff to this list en-mass. However, those who actually get the stuff
would be quite happy not to, as the actual content is next-to-useless.
Another "spam" mail to delete every day. But, since the University is
paying good money for this, we are expected to make sure it gets thru
reliably, even if that means opening us up to all manner of service denial
attacks etc.

(OK, we could make smtp_accept_max_per_host an expansion keyed on IP, and
specifically allow this one company to deny us service. But we're acting
on behalf of our users and conveniently overlooking that option...)