Re: [exim] How can I tell if my server is getting bombarded …

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Author: Mike Oliveri
Date:  
To: Tommy Butler
CC: exim-users
Subject: Re: [exim] How can I tell if my server is getting bombarded with spam?
If you watch your rejectlog, you should be able to see how much mail
is getting rejected and at least get an idea of how much mail your
server is bouncing. It might just be a matter of tweaking your
SpamAssassin bounce threshold. You might also want to be sure you
don't have any relaying open (relay_from_hosts), especially for hosts
not under your direct control.

Take care,
Mike Oliveri
www.mikeoliveri.com


On Tue, 14 Dec 2004 12:17:11 -0600, Tommy Butler <tommy@???> wrote:
> I sit and watch the /var/log/exim4/mainlog today and it is full, and I
> mean FULL of messages like these:
>
>     2004-12-14 12:04:28 1Ce1nJ-0002gD-5M == b12130528@???
>     R=dnslookup_relay_to_domains T=remote_smtp defer (-53): retry time
>     not reached for any host
>     2004-12-14 12:04:28 1CdwSM-0005g7-Q9 Message is frozen
>     2004-12-14 12:04:28 1Ce69H-0003CH-5W Message is frozen
>     2004-12-14 12:04:28 1Ce8Yo-0007dy-Gc Message is frozen
>     2004-12-14 12:04:28 1CeF9c-0007Kw-Qg Message is frozen
>     2004-12-14 12:04:28 1CdawL-0008LS-Ks Message is frozen
>     2004-12-14 12:04:28 1CdawT-0008NF-6n Message is frozen
>     2004-12-14 12:04:28 1CdhsU-0000IN-08 Message is frozen
>     2004-12-14 12:04:28 1Ce2ZC-0007Pp-14 Message is frozen
>     2004-12-14 12:04:28 1Cdybx-0002ra-C8 == n12130407@???
>     R=dnslookup_relay_to_domains T=remote_smtp defer (-53): retry time
>     not reached for any host
>     2004-12-14 12:04:28 1CdZLK-0003Lq-Vh Message is frozen
>     2004-12-14 12:04:28 1CdaWp-0007AJ-Q1 Message is frozen
>     2004-12-14 12:04:28 1Cdwxm-0007az-3c Message is frozen
>     2004-12-14 12:04:28 1Cdit3-0007Z7-OB Message is frozen
>     2004-12-14 12:04:28 1CdaX4-0007O7-1A Message is frozen
>     2004-12-14 12:04:28 1Ce1Dm-0001eN-SX Message is frozen
>     2004-12-14 12:04:28 1Ce1yl-0003KY-Et Message is frozen
>     2004-12-14 12:04:28 1CdYbg-0000Ah-Jk Message is frozen
>     2004-12-14 12:04:28 1Cd1GR-0005Rv-U5 == j12071758@???
>     R=dnslookup_relay_to_domains T=remote_smtp defer (-53): retry time
>     not reached for any host
>     2004-12-14 12:04:28 1Ce21Z-0003kd-VH Message is frozen
>     2004-12-14 12:04:28 1CdaFe-0003lW-4d Message is frozen
>     2004-12-14 12:04:28 1CdZLM-0003MA-5U Message is frozen
>     2004-12-14 12:04:34 1CeFWO-0000Mi-VY SMTP error from remote mailer
>     after MAIL FROM:<> SIZE=3007: host mx.east.cox.net [68.1.17.3]: 452
>     Message rejected
>     2004-12-14 12:04:39 1CeFWO-0000Mi-VY == evocablehound@???
>     R=dnslookup_relay_to_domains T=remote_smtp defer (0): SMTP error
>     from remote mailer after MAIL FROM:<> SIZE=3007: host
>     mx.west.cox.net [68.6.19.3]: 452 Message rejected
>     2004-12-14 12:04:39 1CdkAv-0002ob-CE Message is frozen

>
> ...And the messages pour in by the hundreds each minute. Thoudsands and
> thousands of strange email addresses appear that look very suspicious...
>
>     krush88@???
>     powerboilerplate@???
>     ljs98_2000@???
>     hystericallyscar@???
>     i12072102@???
>     y12071839@???
>     v12071322@???
>     r12130419@???
>     y12071756@???
>     scythescoulomb@???
>     scythescoulomb@???
>     i12130502@???
>     x12130357@???
>     populatingpolished@???
>     c12071458@???
>     x12130357@???
>     i12130310@???
>     c12071633@???
>     kuzru@???
>     kugtf@???
>     x12071425@???
>     ponycracks@???
>     mckj820@???
>     g12072308@???
>     ctipton@???
>     i12130305@???
>     leemyuree@???
>     hotterhosiery@???
>     humiliatesteat@???
>     midsectionscurry@???
>     hypothalamictempestuously@???
>     ...the list goes on and on and on and on.

>
> Are people trying to send seriously huge amounts of spam through my
> server? I've installed spampd and spamassasin. I'm running bastille,
> snort, psad, samhain, portsentry, clamav, tripwire, chkrootkit, all
> kinds of security tools. What is going on?
>
> --
> Tommy Butler
> tommy@??? <mailto:tommy@atrixnet.com>
> --
> ## List details at http://www.exim.org/mailman/listinfo/exim-users Exim details at http://www.exim.org/ ##
>