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SMTP Relay Issue

Hi,

We have an issue where we have a business application that sends emails via a SMTP relay (Microsoft IIS) .
Authentication is set to "Anonymous Access", Relay Restrictions set to a list of servers that is allowed to Relay From.

So two things, one, we now want to deploy this app to all users thick clients, which means we either need to lift the restriction or find another authentication mechanism. I personally dont want to open up all internal subnets to be able to relay, especially if a malware begins spamming.
What are my other options? Ideally, I would like to allow all internal subnects to relay but place a service account username and password in the app (which we can do as the app is internally developed) which only that account has rights to relay. Can I do this?

I don't want to use Integrated AD authentication or Exchange Authentication as an malware can just pass the user credentials the user has already logged into their thick clients with.

Or is there a better solution that I should look at? What is the best practice around this?

Thanks in advance.

LesterClayton

Writing in an authentication method into your application would be a good choice. The default permisisons of Exchange is to allow any users to relay, provided they authenticate - no additional relay connector needs to be created to use this. The issue you may run into is that the user may attempt to send mail on behalf of somebody other than himself, in which case you do require an anonymous relay. If your solution permits, try the following:

Set up a standard exchange user with a generic name, like "No Reply", and set their e-mail address to "noreply@yourcompany.domain". Note the username and password for authentication

Make your application connect to the Exchange server on SMTP Port (usually 25)

Make your application negotiate TLS encryption

Make your application log in as the No Reply user

Send the e-mail from noreply@yourcompany.domain to whomever you want

If you are not able to build TLS into your application, then you can change your "Client Frontend" connector, and uncheck the box "Offer basic authentication only after starting TLS"

Daniel Garcia

ASKER

Hi Lester,

Thanks for your response. So instead of using a IIS SMTP virtual server you are suggesting that we create a new SMTP Receive connector on Exchange and setup Authentication as TLS only? In permission group, do I set up "Exchange users"?

Should I add a different IP to the receiver to minimise the chance of other exchange users being able to authenticate on this receiver? ( I am assuming that this setup also allow any exchange user to use this reciever to relay should they know the DNS/IP of the receiver?)

LesterClayton

You don't create a new SMTP receive connector - just use the Client Frontend one :) It's already set to accept basic authentication with TLS. No additional IP's needed either. You won't conflict with Outlook or anything else, you're just using what Exchange has provided to you out of the box. I've highlighted the one I would refer to (this is of course on one of my Exchange Servers).

NOTE: This is port 587 - not 25 as I originally said.

M A

Hi Daniel,
If it is internal to your network of Exchange no need additional settings to relay.
Please mention the Exchange version.

Thanks
MAS

Daniel Garcia

ASKER

Exchange 2013

Daniel Garcia

ASKER

thanks lester. But is it better in terms of security to have another receiver with a different IP? I am concerned about a SMTP auth attack using this receiver. I want my configuration to be apart from current config for if any future SMTP Auth attack occurs, my configuration won't be a factor in the investigation as traffic is diverted to a separate receiver with a different address. Or am I being to pendantic?

M A

Daniel,
Please run these command from a telnet client or Putty from your apps server and post the result.

Telnet <Exchange2013IP> 25
EHLO contoso.com
MAIL FROM: <email-configured-in-ur-apps>@youremaildomain.com
250 2.1.0 Sender OK
RCPT TO: daniel@youremaildomain.com

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LesterClayton

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Daniel Garcia

ASKER

Hi MAS,

220 credit-sydexch4.lan.creditcorp.com.au Microsoft ESMTP MAIL Service ready at
Mon, 22 Aug 2016 13:35:01 +1000
EHLO creditcorp.com.au
250-credit-sydexch4.lan.creditcorp.com.au Hello [172.21.10.6]
250-SIZE
250-PIPELINING
250-DSN
250-ENHANCEDSTATUSCODES
250-STARTTLS
250-AUTH NTLM
250-8BITMIME
250-BINARYMIME
250 CHUNKING
MAIL FROM: test@creditcorp.com.au
250 2.1.0 Sender OK
RCPT TO: dgarcia@creditcorp.com.au
250 2.1.5 Recipient OK

Daniel Garcia

ASKER

Thanks Lester. It appears there is no ideal solution that secures SMTP then.

SOLUTION

M A

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Daniel Garcia

ASKER

THanks guys you have cleared up for me what was an ambigious solution