[CLUE-Tech] Bounced virus mail

[Charles Oriez]

At 10:32 AM 8/25/2003 -0600, Dale K. Hawkins wrote:


>I realize that this might be a kind of stupid question, but I am
>getting many (10s if not a 100 already) of bounced messages concerning
>the various virii running around the Internet.  AFIK, I am not capable
>of sending any microsoft virus.  I use Linux exclusively and my
>external email port is firewalled.
>
>So, is this normal given the nature of these virii?
>

most viruses use forged addresses in the reply-to, so this is normal.

The added annoyance factor are the idiot firewall administrators who bounce 
instead of quietly deleting, knowing[1] that the virus bounce messages are 
going to forged addresses, sometimes without the viral package 
deleted.  There is a proposal floating around one of the anti-spam news 
groups to create a new dnsbl to block traffic of this sort.

[1] I say "knowing" advisedly.  The alternative explanation is that some 
companies have systems administrators working for them who shouldn't be 
permitted near anything that carries an electrical charge, for fear they'll 
do damage.



charles oriez          coriez at oriez.org
39  34' 34.4"N / 105 00' 06.3"W
**
"You want us to hit delete.  A blocking list is basically a diesel delete
key.  A blocking list is the bulk delete response to unwanted bulk email.
When we use a blocking list, we are hitting delete, as you ask us to
do.  Why do you object?"  -- David Canzi