Question

SPF policy not working

Asked by: Network_Padawan

Hi,

I installed SPF as per the following instructions http://www.howtoforge.com/postfix_spf

Once implemented, I signed up to hoaxmail to spoof an address and see if it works. I basically had the envelope header say I was billgates@microsoft.com and send to my email account via my smtp gw (which has spf installed).

ok, ive installed SPF on my Mail Gateway (its a centos box)

I signed up to hoaxmail.com to test the SPF, here are the results...

Aug 26 11:51:49 corpmail postfix/policy-spf[19798]: : Policy action=PREPEND Received-SPF: none (coffeealaturka.com: No applicable sender policy available) receiver=unknown; identity=mailfrom; envelope-from="insidersec29@coffeealaturka.com"; helo=GYKKXIYUD; client-ip=189.217.90.101
Aug 26 11:51:49 corpmail postfix/smtpd[19796]: 2CE163E701A4: client=unknown[189.217.90.101]

Aug 26 11:51:50 corpmail postfix/cleanup[19804]: 2CE163E701A4: message-id=<000d01ca25ef$b9159010$6400a8c0@insidersec29>

Aug 26 11:51:50 corpmail postfix/qmgr[19525]: 2CE163E701A4: from=<insidersec29@coffeealaturka.com>, size=2989, nrcpt=4 (queue active)

Aug 26 11:51:50 corpmail postfix/smtpd[19796]: disconnect from unknown[189.217.90.101]

Aug 26 11:51:54 corpmail postfix/smtp[19806]: 0B50B3E700CD: to=<dgarcia@exchange.uwc.com.au>, orig_to=<dgarcia@globalgossip.net>, relay=10.152.0.104[10.152.0.104]:25, delay=11, delays=2.2/0/0.05/9.1, dsn=2.6.0, status=sent (250 2.6.0 <E1Mg7fk-0003VP-QA@c.sparkleshosting.co.uk> Queued mail for delivery)

What am I missing?

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Asked On
2009-08-25 at 19:05:04ID24681922
Tags

spf

,

spam

Topics

Email Servers

,

Email Software

,

Anti-Spam Email Software

Participating Experts
2
Points
500
Comments
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Answers

 

by: bevhostPosted on 2009-08-25 at 20:18:20ID: 25184197

I believe that it maybe working as prescribed.
coffeealaturka.com has no SPF record
microsoft.com has an SPF record but it is in test mode (ie it ends with ~all [not -all])

 

by: Network_PadawanPosted on 2009-08-25 at 21:31:38ID: 25184450

hi bevhost, i see what you are saying.

2 easy questions, difference between ~ and - all, and, Do you know a way I can test it then to ensure its working?

 

by: KeremEPosted on 2009-08-25 at 23:35:24ID: 25184869

BTW according to the log snippet your from line seems to be insidersec29@coffeealaturka.com. Then you must have included ainto the mail envelope only but the sender seems to be your email not billgates@microsoft.com.

If you want to test it just telnet to your e-mail server:

- telnet your.mail.gateway.com 25
- Wait for the initial Greeting.
- type: "ehlo microsoft.com"
- Wait for Ehlo greeting message.
- type "Mail from: <billgates@microsoft.com>"
- wait for the rsponse
- type "rcpt to: <dgarcia@globalgossp.net>
- wiat for the response
- enter "data"
- Wait for teh resposne
- Enter "Subject: SPF Try-out"
- Hit enter
- type "." Enter
- type quit

Here's a sample output gotten from the site with the same method.

Cheers,
K.

 

# nslookup
> set type=MX
> globalgossip.net
Server:         10.0.0.3
Address:        10.0.0.3#53
 
Non-authoritative answer:
globalgossip.net        mail exchanger = 10 corp-mail-1.uwc.com.au.
globalgossip.net        mail exchanger = 65535 postoffice.telstra.net.
 
Authoritative answers can be found from:
globalgossip.net        nameserver = ns1.telstra.net.
globalgossip.net        nameserver = udns1.ultradns.net.
globalgossip.net        nameserver = udns2.ultradns.net.
udns1.ultradns.net      internet address = 204.69.234.1
udns2.ultradns.net      internet address = 204.74.101.1
> 
 
# telnet corp-mail-1.uwc.com.au 25
Trying 203.38.180.201...
Connected to corp-mail-1.uwc.com.au (203.38.180.201).
Escape character is '^]'.
220 *********************************
ehlo microsoft.com
250-corpmail.uwc.com.au
250-PIPELINING
250-SIZE 10240000
250-VRFY
250-ETRN
250-ENHANCEDSTATUSCODES
250-8BITMIME
250 DSN
mail from: <billgates@microsoft.com>
250 2.1.0 Ok
rcpt to: <dgarcia@globalgossip.net>
250 2.1.5 Ok
DATA
354 End data with <CR><LF>.<CR><LF>
Subject: Test
 
Mail Body.
 
.
250 2.0.0 Ok: queued as CCA0C3E70147
QUIT
221 2.0.0 Bye
Connection closed by foreign host.
                                              
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by: KeremEPosted on 2009-08-25 at 23:37:23ID: 25184878

Here's how to check the SPF record of your site:

# nslookup 
> set type=TXT
> microsoft.com
Server:         10.0.0.3
Address:        10.0.0.3#53
 
Non-authoritative answer:
microsoft.com   text = "v=spf1 mx include:_spf-a.microsoft.com include:_spf-b.microsoft.com include:_spf-c.microsoft.com include:_spf-ssg-a.microsoft.com ip4:131.107.115.212 ip4:131.107.115.215 ip4:131.107.115.214 ip4:205.248.106.64 ip4:205.248.106.30 ip4:205.248.106.32 ~all"
 
Authoritative answers can be found from:
microsoft.com   nameserver = ns5.msft.net.
microsoft.com   nameserver = ns1.msft.net.
microsoft.com   nameserver = ns2.msft.net.
microsoft.com   nameserver = ns3.msft.net.
microsoft.com   nameserver = ns4.msft.net.
ns1.msft.net    internet address = 65.55.37.62
ns2.msft.net    internet address = 64.4.59.173
ns3.msft.net    internet address = 213.199.161.77
ns4.msft.net    internet address = 207.46.66.126
ns5.msft.net    internet address = 65.55.226.140# nslookup 
> set type=TXT
> microsoft.com
Server:         10.0.0.3
Address:        10.0.0.3#53
 
Non-authoritative answer:
microsoft.com   text = "v=spf1 mx include:_spf-a.microsoft.com include:_spf-b.microsoft.com include:_spf-c.microsoft.com include:_spf-ssg-a.microsoft.com ip4:131.107.115.212 ip4:131.107.115.215 ip4:131.107.115.214 ip4:205.248.106.64 ip4:205.248.106.30 ip4:205.248.106.32 ~all"
 
Authoritative answers can be found from:
microsoft.com   nameserver = ns5.msft.net.
microsoft.com   nameserver = ns1.msft.net.
microsoft.com   nameserver = ns2.msft.net.
microsoft.com   nameserver = ns3.msft.net.
microsoft.com   nameserver = ns4.msft.net.
ns1.msft.net    internet address = 65.55.37.62
ns2.msft.net    internet address = 64.4.59.173
ns3.msft.net    internet address = 213.199.161.77
ns4.msft.net    internet address = 207.46.66.126
ns5.msft.net    internet address = 65.55.226.140
                                              
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by: KeremEPosted on 2009-08-25 at 23:40:33ID: 25184894

Here's how to test an SPF record:

http://www.openspf.org/Tools

Here's a link to the Wiki article about SPF and -all ~all thing.

Cheers,
K.

 

by: KeremEPosted on 2009-08-25 at 23:40:53ID: 25184897

 

by: KeremEPosted on 2009-08-25 at 23:43:37ID: 25184907

BTW you don't have an SPF record at all:

# nslookup
> set type=TXT
> coffeealaturka.com
Server:         10.0.0.3
Address:        10.0.0.3#53

Non-authoritative answer:
*** Can't find coffeealaturka.com: No answer

Authoritative answers can be found from:
coffeealaturka.com
        origin = ns1.register-europe.com
        mail addr = hostmaster.register-europe.com
        serial = 1251268205
        refresh = 10800
        retry = 3600
        expire = 604800
        minimum = 86400

 

by: Network_PadawanPosted on 2009-08-25 at 23:44:12ID: 25184912

thanks kerem. The fact that the email you sent got through, doesnt that mean that spf in not working correctly? Either that or microsoft doesnt have spf setup on their smtp servers.

 

by: Network_PadawanPosted on 2009-08-25 at 23:47:52ID: 25184922

Ive tried to replicate what you did Kerem but got the following error after I telnet to the box

220 *********************************
ehlo microsoft.com
502 5.5.2 Error: command not recognized

Why is it that ehlo does not work for me?

 

by: KeremEPosted on 2009-08-26 at 00:45:16ID: 25185134

> thanks kerem. The fact that the email you sent got through, doesnt that mean that spf in not working
> correctly? Either that or microsoft doesnt have spf setup on their smtp servers.

In fact it all depends. Microsoft has an ~all record. Meaning that it should have been soft reset instead of rejected. You should check our logs to see what did SPF do to the mail.

> ehlo microsoft.com
> 502 5.5.2 Error: command not recognized

Sometimes when you delete a character it might not get deleted and stays there  although it doe not displayed like that try not to delete anything and directly type the text.

 

by: bevhostPosted on 2009-08-26 at 15:13:36ID: 25192826

I modified my copy of the SPF policy daemon.
I changed the response for SPF-SoftFail to make the mail get greylisted.

See attached code snippett.

greylist is one of my custom restriction classes....
eg (from main.cf)
smtpd_restriction_classes = greylist, score, throttle, spf
greylist = check_policy_service inet:203.202.201.200:11111
score    = check_policy_service inet:203.202.201.200:12525
throttle = check_policy_service inet:203.202.201.200:12345
spf      = check_policy_service unix:private/policy_spf


  if    ($result eq "pass")  { return "PERMIT"; }
  elsif ($result eq "fail")  { return "REJECT " . ($smtp_comment || $header_comment); }
  #elsif ($result eq "softfail")  { return "PREPEND SPF-Hold-SoftFail: " . ($smtp_comment || $header_comment); }
  #elsif ($result eq "neutral")  { return "PREPEND SPF-Hold-Neutral: " . ($smtp_comment || $header_comment); }
  elsif ($result eq "softfail")  { return "greylist"; }
  elsif ($result eq "neutral")  { return "greylist"; }
  elsif ($result eq "error") { return "450 temporary failure: $smtp_comment"; }
  else                       { return "FILTER spamassassin:scanner"; }
  # unknown, softfail, neutral and none all return DUNNO
                                              
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by: bevhostPosted on 2009-08-26 at 15:16:35ID: 25192849

I have a tool on my website you can use to check if an SPF record is working.

See
http://tools.bevhost.com/spf

 

by: bevhostPosted on 2009-08-26 at 15:20:39ID: 25192876

There is also a guess mechanism that you can turn on. Usually set to
a/24 mx/24 ~all

What this does is allow any computer in the same c class network as the senders servers to get an spf pass.

 

by: Network_PadawanPosted on 2009-09-03 at 21:25:49ID: 31620515

thanks bevhost. Sorry for the delay in assigning points.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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