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Re: @debian.org email forwarding and SPF



On Thursday, May 20, 2004 10:03 AM, Isaac To <kkto@csis.hku.hk> wrote:

>>>>>> "Adam" == Adam D Barratt
>>>>>> <highvol-debian-devel@adam-barratt.org.uk> writes:
>
>     Adam> It's not stopping the mail because it's spam - it's
>     stopping the Adam> mail because the sender address is provably
>     false. What happens Adam> when the virus starts sending mail
>     claiming to be from Adam> <validuser>@debian.org? It sails
> straight through the SPF check...
>
> That's not the case.  If the spam is not really sent from a computer
> that the SPF record of debian.org approves, no matter whether the
> user-id is valid the mail will not be delivered successfully.

Mea culpa. I obviously confused it with one of the other myriad sender
checking schemes. As such, I'll shut up now.

>     Adam> ("SPF stops spam" is a roughly equivalent argument to
>     "blocking Adam> executables stops viruses" - it's both inaccurate
>     and confusing Adam> cause and effect).
>
> I think if all viruses are executables, then the statement "blocking
> executables stops viruses" is a correct statement; and if "most"
> viruses are executable the statement is not too wrong either.

Blocking executables stops viruses, but it also stops things that *aren't*
viruses. That was the point I was attempting (and possibly failing) to make.
Likewise, SPF also potentially blocks/breaks/prohibits things that aren't
spam (as you described much more eruditely in the paragraph I've snipped).

Regards,

Adam



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