another config problem

Re: another config problem

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On 06/14/01 at 15:15, Bob Escher wrote:

> I am getting the below mesage from AOL
> and I can figure out what is wrong

Actually, the message is from pop.rsegroup.com

> Any help would be appreciated.
>
> Thanks
> Bob Escher
>
>
> The mail system on pop.RSEGROUP.COM encountered the following error:
> A message was not delivered because a loop was found in the Mail
> eXchanger record database (the MX loop condition). The destination
> host has an MX record that points to this host, but there is no
> account for the designated recipient.
> Here are a few possible solutions for clearing up this problem:
> - add the domain name to your list of Local Mail Domains
> if this mail server has complete authority over all
> mail accounts within that domain
> - return the mail since the address was invalid
> - fix the MX records in the DNS for the host in question
> and then resubmit the message
> - add an account or alias for the recipient on this machine
> and then resubmit the message
> If this machine should be handling all mail for the destination
> host, it should be added to the list of Local-Mail-Domains in
> the "system" configuration.
>
> Destination host: www.rsegroup.com
> The following recipients did not receive this message:
> <mailrelay%aol.net@www.rsegroup.com>
> Options for this mail message are:
> Action: [] (Delete,Return,Resubmit)
> Postmaster-Password: [] (Required for any action)
> The original mail envelope addresses are:
> User-From: SMTP<mailrelay@[156.46.244.20]>
> Recipient: [<mailrelay%aol.net@www.rsegroup.com>]

The recipient address is constructed such that the sender is trying to relay a
message through your pop.rsegroup.com server to an AOL account
(mailrelay@aol.net). It's a legitimate, although somewhat archaic, format for
e-mail addresses that need to be relayed through an intermediate server. It
can be exploited by spammers, though, so a lot of mail servers now block such
relays. It looks suspiciously like someone is testing your mail server to see
if it is vulnerable to the percent relay hack. It could either be a spammer
looking for open relays to rape, or it could be someone like MAPS testing your
server as a candidate for an open relay blacklist. Either way, your server
passed the test, sort of. It didn't relay the message because it didn't
recognize the '%' notation. Instead, it thinks 'mailrelay%aol.net' is supposed
to be a local account and is complaining that the account doesn't exist.

Christopher Bort | cbort@globalhomes.com
Webmaster, Global Homes | webmaster@globalhomes.com
<http://www.globalhomes.com/> | PGP public key available on request

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