SORBS database outs email aliasing (forwarding) for IEEE members

The blind use of SORBS database by local ISPs can destroy the usefulness of
email aliasing (forwarding) addresses.

As of 10/31, assorted spam reports looking at the IP addresses forwarding
email reported that IP number 140.98.193.10 (for engine.ieee.org) has been
forwarding too much SPAM and SORBS (http://www.sorbs.net) added them to their
blacklist database.

Many ISPs blindly use this database to reject all email coming from
blacklisted IP addresses, sending back the cryptic message
" (reason: 553 sorry, your mailserver [140.98.193.10] is rejected by See
http://www.sorbs.net)"

Note that IP address is not the mailserver address of the sender, but the
address used by the IEEE to forward. For example an IEEE member might give
out the address myname@ieee.org, and the email will be forwarded to
myname@localisp.com.

After using the same local ISP and the same ieee.org email address for almost
a decade, I have just discovered that 5 days of email has not come and that I
can no longer use both.

Re: SORBS database outs email aliasing (forwarding) for IEEE members

reply@this.newsgroup.com writes:

> The blind use of SORBS database by local ISPs can destroy the
> usefulness of email aliasing (forwarding) addresses.

IMHO good *modern* RBL deployment should allow users override default
settings set by the postmaster.

> As of 10/31, assorted spam reports looking at the IP addresses forwarding
> email reported that IP number 140.98.193.10 (for engine.ieee.org) has been
> forwarding too much SPAM and SORBS (http://www.sorbs.net) added them to their
> blacklist database.
>
> Many ISPs blindly use this database to reject all email coming from
> blacklisted IP addresses, sending back the cryptic message
> " (reason: 553 sorry, your mailserver [140.98.193.10] is rejected by See
> http://www.sorbs.net)"
>
> Note that IP address is not the mailserver address of the sender, but the
> address used by the IEEE to forward. For example an IEEE member might give
> out the address myname@ieee.org, and the email will be forwarded to
> myname@localisp.com.
>
> After using the same local ISP and the same ieee.org email address for almost
> a decade, I have just discovered that 5 days of email has not come and that I
> can no longer use both.

Has IEEE issued any statement about the incident?

--
[en: Andrew] Andrzej Adam Filip : anfi@priv.onet.pl : anfi@xl.wp.pl
http://anfi.homeunix.net/ Netcraft Site Rank: 480265
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing
-- Edmund Burke (1729-1797)

Re: SORBS database outs email aliasing (forwarding) for IEEE members

On 05 Nov 2005 20:15:29 +0100, Andrzej Adam Filip wrote:

|reply@this.newsgroup.com writes:
|
|> The blind use of SORBS database by local ISPs can destroy the
|> usefulness of email aliasing (forwarding) addresses.
|
|IMHO good *modern* RBL deployment should allow users override default
|settings set by the postmaster.
|
|> As of 10/31, assorted spam reports looking at the IP addresses forwarding
|> email reported that IP number 140.98.193.10 (for engine.ieee.org) has been
|> forwarding too much SPAM and SORBS (http://www.sorbs.net) added them to their
|> blacklist database.
|>
|> Many ISPs blindly use this database to reject all email coming from
|> blacklisted IP addresses, sending back the cryptic message
|> " (reason: 553 sorry, your mailserver [140.98.193.10] is rejected by See
|> http://www.sorbs.net)"
|>
|> Note that IP address is not the mailserver address of the sender, but the
|> address used by the IEEE to forward. For example an IEEE member might give
|> out the address myname@ieee.org, and the email will be forwarded to
|> myname@localisp.com.
|>
|> After using the same local ISP and the same ieee.org email address for almost
|> a decade, I have just discovered that 5 days of email has not come and that I
|> can no longer use both.
|
|Has IEEE issued any statement about the incident?

I agree with your thoughts on override. I've asked ISP if any way to
whitelist a particular server, or drop all my email from SORBS comparison or
rewrite their algorithm to test for original mail sender's IP number. They
probably won't read it till next week.

I've seen no mention of any IEEE statement, have today sent to two of their
addresses the pertinent information, including copy of this usenet posting.
They probably won't read it until next week.