How To Block Spam Before It Enters The Server (Postfix)

Do you like HowtoForge? Please consider supporting us by becoming a subscriber.
Submitted by falko (Contact Author) (Forums) on Mon, 2007-06-04 16:25. :: Anti-Spam/Virus | Postfix

How To Block Spam Before It Enters The Server (Postfix)

Version 1.0
Author: Falko Timme <ft [at] falkotimme [dot] com>
Last edited 05/31/2007

The last few weeks have seen a dramatic increase in spam (once again). Estimates say that spam makes now up for 80 - 90% of all emails, and many mail servers have difficulties in managing the additional load caused by the latest spam, and spam filters such as SpamAssassin do not recognize large parts of that spam as they did before. Fortunately, we can block a big amount of that spam at the MTA level, for example by using blacklists, running tests on the sender and recipient domains, etc. An additional benefit of doing this is that it lowers the load on the mail servers because the (resource-hungry) spamfilters have to look at less emails.

I do not issue any guarantee that this will work for you!

 

1 Preliminary Note

This is just a quick guide showing you how you can configure Postfix (2.x and 1.x) to block spam before entering the server. It's more or less self-explanatory. However, after applying this to your own mail server, you should check the mail log to make sure that no legitmate mails are blocked.

You should also take a look at this guide: http://www.howtoforge.com/virtual_postfix_antispam

And this category: http://www.howtoforge.com/taxonomy_menu/1/78/24 has some more great anti-spam solutions.

 

2 Postfix 2.x

Open /etc/postfix/main.cf and place the following lines in it (replacing the respective settings if they exist):

vi /etc/postfix/main.cf

[...]
smtpd_helo_required = yes
disable_vrfy_command = yes
strict_rfc821_envelopes = yes
invalid_hostname_reject_code = 554
multi_recipient_bounce_reject_code = 554
non_fqdn_reject_code = 554
relay_domains_reject_code = 554
unknown_address_reject_code = 554
unknown_client_reject_code = 554
unknown_hostname_reject_code = 554
unknown_local_recipient_reject_code = 554
unknown_relay_recipient_reject_code = 554
unknown_sender_reject_code = 554
unknown_virtual_alias_reject_code = 554
unknown_virtual_mailbox_reject_code = 554
unverified_recipient_reject_code = 554
unverified_sender_reject_code = 554

smtpd_recipient_restrictions =
            reject_invalid_hostname,
            reject_unknown_recipient_domain,
            reject_unauth_pipelining,
            permit_mynetworks,
            permit_sasl_authenticated,
            reject_unauth_destination,
            reject_rbl_client multi.uribl.com,
            reject_rbl_client dsn.rfc-ignorant.org,
            reject_rbl_client dul.dnsbl.sorbs.net,
            reject_rbl_client list.dsbl.org,
            reject_rbl_client sbl-xbl.spamhaus.org,
            reject_rbl_client bl.spamcop.net,
            reject_rbl_client dnsbl.sorbs.net,
            reject_rbl_client cbl.abuseat.org,
            reject_rbl_client ix.dnsbl.manitu.net,
            reject_rbl_client combined.rbl.msrbl.net,
            reject_rbl_client rabl.nuclearelephant.com,
            permit
[...]

Restart Postfix afterwards:

/etc/init.d/postfix restart

 

3 Postfix 1.x

Open /etc/postfix/main.cf and place the following lines in it (replacing the respective settings if they exist):

vi /etc/postfix/main.cf

[...]
smtpd_helo_required = yes
disable_vrfy_command = yes
strict_rfc821_envelopes = yes
invalid_hostname_reject_code = 554
multi_recipient_bounce_reject_code = 554
non_fqdn_reject_code = 554
relay_domains_reject_code = 554
unknown_address_reject_code = 554
unknown_client_reject_code = 554
unknown_hostname_reject_code = 554
unknown_local_recipient_reject_code = 554
unknown_relay_recipient_reject_code = 554
unknown_sender_reject_code = 554
unknown_virtual_alias_reject_code = 554
unknown_virtual_mailbox_reject_code = 554
unverified_recipient_reject_code = 554
unverified_sender_reject_code = 554

maps_rbl_domains =
            multi.uribl.com,
            dsn.rfc-ignorant.org,
            dul.dnsbl.sorbs.net,
            list.dsbl.org,
            sbl-xbl.spamhaus.org,
            bl.spamcop.net,
            dnsbl.sorbs.net,
            cbl.abuseat.org,
            ix.dnsbl.manitu.net,
            combined.rbl.msrbl.net,
            rabl.nuclearelephant.com

smtpd_recipient_restrictions =
            permit_sasl_authenticated,
            permit_mynetworks,
            reject_invalid_hostname,
            reject_non_fqdn_hostname,
            reject_non_fqdn_sender,
            reject_unknown_sender_domain,
            reject_unknown_recipient_domain,
            reject_maps_rbl,
            check_relay_domains
[...]

Restart Postfix afterwards:

/etc/init.d/postfix restart

 

4 More Blacklists

You can find more DNS & RHS blackhole lists that you can add to your Postfix configuration here: http://spamlinks.net/filter-dnsbl-lists.htm

 

5 Links


Copyright © 2007 Falko Timme
All Rights Reserved.
add comment | view as pdf view as pdf | Display a printer-friendly version of this page. print |
Please do not use the comment function to ask for help! If you need help, please use our forum.
Comments will be published after administrator approval.
The following line should be
Submitted by gwa7 (registered user) on Fri, 2009-03-20 23:03.
The following line should be removed from the above main.cf:

reject_rbl_client list.dsbl.org

list.dsbl.org is no longer available.

For more info, see this web page:

http://dsbl.org/

Otherwise, the above guide has worked well for me.

Thanks,

Gary
reply | view as pdf view as pdf
consider also to use policyd-weight
Submitted by roadfox (registered user) on Tue, 2007-10-16 23:28.

rejecting senders with the above method is problematic, cause the reject decission is based on the first match of a single test, you should consider to implement:

 http://www.policyd-weight.org/

policyd-weight is calculating a score, based on different tests (HELO, MX, DNSBL, RHSBL) and only if the resulting score is passing a certain value the sender is rejected.

also policyd-weight is implementing a caching mechanism for the blacklist lookups

 

 

reply | view as pdf view as pdf
do not use rbl databases which doesn't exist..
Submitted by future (registered user) on Wed, 2007-06-06 00:27.

please, do not use non exist and old databases.

first, do not use relays.ordb.org. this service is down since 18 dec 2006. next, composite rbl database sbl-xbl.spamhaus.org is superseded by zen.spamhaus.org.

then i have quick check other proposed rbl databases if exists A dns record for them. unfortunately, only bl.spamcop.net, dnsbl.sorbs.net, cbl.abuseat.org and ix.dnsbl.manitu.net exists.

 

reply | view as pdf view as pdf
ix.dnsbl.manitu.net
Submitted by minskog (registered user) on Thu, 2007-06-07 16:25.

ix.dnsbl.manitu.net doesnt work  for me :?


Jun  7 17:05:48 server2 postfix/smtpd[23305]: warning: 195.32.73.212.ix.dnsbl.manitu.net: RBL lookup error: Host or domain name not found. Name service error for name=195.32.73.212.ix.dnsbl.manitu.net type=A: Host not found, try again


Jun  7 17:05:56 server2 postfix/smtpd[23522]: warning: 74.8.55.212.ix.dnsbl.manitu.net: RBL lookup error: Host or domain name not found. Name service error for name=74.8.55.212.ix.dnsbl.manitu.net type=A: Host not found, try again


Jun  7 17:07:31 server2 postfix/smtpd[23522]: warning: 175.92.249.66.ix.dnsbl.manitu.net: RBL lookup error: Host or domain name not found. Name service error for name=175.92.249.66.ix.dnsbl.manitu.net type=A: Host not found, try again


reply | view as pdf view as pdf
The above warnings are
Submitted by admin (registered user) on Fri, 2007-06-08 07:02.
The above warnings are normal for the ix.dnsbl.manitu.net list. They mean that the sender IP is not blacklisted.
reply | view as pdf view as pdf
Thanks for the info :)
Submitted by minskog (registered user) on Fri, 2007-06-08 10:35.
    Thanks for the info :)
reply | view as pdf view as pdf
Sponsored Links: Unified Communications: Thoughts, Strategies and Predictions
Join the discussion.
www.seamlessenterprise.com

IP Convergence
Integrate your wireless and wireline networks.
Learn how from the experts at Sprint.
www.seamlessenterprise.com

Wireless & Wireline Integration
Thoughts, strategies and solutions: join the discussion
www.seamlessenterprise.com

Unified Communications 2009
Join the Discussion. Now.
www.seamlessenterprise.com