Topic: Backscatter causing server slowdown?

[guest14620]

I appreciate all of your input on this.  It seems to have stopped, and I don't think it's got to do with anything that I've done.  I guess the botnet that was spoofing one of our email addresses has decided to move on (probably since the address has been added to most decent spam filters grrrr).  All the messages we were receiving were bounce backs, and I couldn't seem to get any decent header info from the original email in the bounce-back, which is a real pain in the ass.  So this issue doesn't really have anything to do with SME server at all, although I guess many mail server admins will experience similar issues throughout their administration roles.

[zatnikatel]

should have used tcpdump on port 25 to see were it was comming from

[mmccarn]

Here's a wikipedia article on backscatter spam that may explain what you saw: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backscatter_%28e-mail%29

One of my clients experienced a huge surge in backscatter of this sort a couple weeks ago, then it calmed down.

SME, by the way, does not send backscatter spam messages.  Email to unrecognized addresses is either rejected during the smtp conversation or delivered to a specified local mailbox for processing.

[CharlieBrady]

So this issue doesn't really have anything to do with SME server at all, ...

Please edit the subject of this thread. Thanks.

[purvis]

removed offending message by myself

[zatnikatel]

no knocking you or charlie but i don't think it was to nice saying that CharlieBrady was an ass every one on this site needs to play nice
i really can not see what he said is being an ass as he is a DEV on sme he does know what he is talking about

[cactus]

Charlie, are you a ass today or is that the way you always are.

I seriously suggest you watch you tone, you are talking to one of the core devs, who has excellent knowledge on SME Server and a lot off problems related to it.

Next time you decide to insult people again (in the forums, or anyone else) please consider how you would like it to be name-called. People in this forums most of the times are pretty willingly to help others and rarely, if not ever, have a need to revert to name calling. It also defeats the purpose of getting the help you desire...

I think Charlie is right in his replies to you, certainly as you have formulated you question and opinions on your problem way to strong (and made the wrong assumptoion), like Charlie said the frequency of the DNS lookups in your case are no-way near a denial-of-service attempt, stating so in the topic of your posts will raise panic and is bad publicity for this excellent product. Criticism is not bad, bud it should be based on evidence and proper facts, your assumption was seriously exaggerated and Charlie being concerned with his work asked you to make your topic title reflect the situation properly to not raise unneeded and unwanted havoc.

Behavior like this should result in some sort of disciplinary measures IMHO.

[cactus]

You'll probably help more people, or at least confuse fewer people, if you just post what you know, and not what you guess.

Who is left guessing and who is guessing wrong here? Please reread the topic from you rinitial post up to and including the explanation of what is a denial-of-service attack.

[purvis]

i felt insulted and decided to question ones attitude.
the remark was only in reference from this thread.
i have spent over 40 hours working to resolve the other issues i had that had nothing to do with this thread and have done as he suggested.
i purchased a in depth book on networking.
because somebody works hard and or is knowledgeable, does not entitle them to be rude, which i felt he was and i responded in kind.
 

[zatnikatel]

I seriously suggest you watch you tone, you are talking to one of the core devs, who has excellent knowledge on SME Server and a lot off problems related to it.


Behavior like this should result in some sort of disciplinary measures IMHO.

thanks for backing me up there is no reason for being rude in these forums no reason what so ever the dev's spend a lot of there own time on SME away from family and friends and they do an a really good job you will never see i bad word come out on my mouth about anyone on this site SME rocks no to ways about it

there are nicer way of saying things rather than calling some one an ass if you think they are rude you can go about it other ways than being rude yourself

[cactus]

i felt insulted and decided to question ones attitude.
the remark was only in reference from this thread.
i have spent over 40 hours working to resolve the other issues i had that had nothing to do with this thread and have done as he suggested.
i purchased a in depth book on networking.
because somebody works hard and or is knowledgeable, does not entitle them to be rude, which i felt he was and i responded in kind.
 

If your goal is to get information, pointers and want to be helped in order to solve your problem I think you should drop the eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth policy and do not let frustration get in the way. Perhaps an apology to Charlie would be in place.

If you feel insulted say so, open it for discussion and if th eintent was to insult you give the poster an opportunity to apologize or clear up the misunderstanding.

[zatnikatel]

i agree saying sorry to Charlie would be a good way to start

[purvis]

Charlie
I apologize to you for the use of the strong words i sent toward you.
i do not like the way you talked to me, specially when i was trying to give some kind of guidance to the poster.
i felt insulted the way you quoted me and made a remark to me that was uncalled for and in a single particular post.
i have seen many post here on this forum where people just speak their mind in harness, and that is what kind of a message i took it as and  i figured i would fire back.
paul





 

[mercyh]

Paul,

Thanks for taking the high road on this. I also appreciate the concern from everyone for keeping the forums clean. I know that Charlie often comes across as quite terse in his replies.

Whenever I see a person that writes code do this I try to think how I would say what they have to say in code and conclude that they may not mean it in the way that I may be taking it.

There are also people that do not suffer fools gladly. And I will be the first to say that I have given foolish and incorrect advice at times.