Robert
Fri Aug 08 12:37:42 CDT 2003
If you look closely you will see that I corrected myself (To: vs. From:) in
a follow-up message shortly after posting. Your original query mentions
nothing about DNS. You clearly state that you received a message appearing
to come from a "non-existent" account in your domain, and you are wondering
if you've been hacked. How is that a DNS issue?
It is a "weakness: in the SMTP protocol. The protocol specifies a mechanism
for ensuring delivery of mail, including verification of a recipient's
e-mail address, but it does not provide for verification of the source
e-mail address. In fact the protocol doesn't provide for any verification
of the source except for the IP address of the sever "at the last node".
You'll find that information in the "Received:" header. And even with that
you can only be sure, at first glance, that the last "Received:" header is
reliable. Spammers often add fake headers to obscure the source and route.
So, again I exhort you to study up on the protocols.
BTW: I do administer an Exchange 2000 machine. Not that it has any
relevance at this point.
Oh yeah, Tracker say you need to format and reinstall. :-)
"J" <J@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:052201c35d27$fbfc9cd0$a101280a@phx.gbl...
> I can see that you're not and Exchange Admin. Perhaps you
> should actually know what you're talking about before you
> anwser questions. It's not the TO: headers I am concerned
> about, of course you can put anything in the TO: header,
> this is true for spam. But you have misunderstood my
> question. I am talking about a DNS issue.I am not naive
> I would not take advice from someone advice that does not
> know the fundamentals of DNS a just run with it, without
> quailfying the information. But thanks for the responds.
>
> >-----Original Message-----
> >Go to
http://www.rfc-editor.org and read up on SMTP.
> You'll find out that
> >anyone can use "anything" in the "To:" header of an e-
> mail message. You
> >need to rethink the idea that you're in control of a
> server when you don't
> >know the fundamentals.
> >
> >What if some clueless idiot, like Tracker, comes along
> and says "yes, you've
> >been hacked" over something stupid like this? What if
> said idiot tells you
> >to format and reinstall? Do you realize that anyone and
> everyone can offer
> >you advice in a newsgroup like this? Don't rely on help
> from dubious sources
> >to help you skate through.
> >
> ><jocelynunderwood@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> >news:044501c35c44$3fe13080$a301280a@phx.gbl...
> >> At my job I recieved an mysterious email from a person
> >> that has the same email address as I do? For example my
> >> email adress Jlynn@nwood.com I recieved and email from
> >> Friend@nwood.com. I am the exchange admin and I didnt
> not
> >> setup an account like this and there is not one on the
> >> server. How can this be? I havre microsoft exchange
> server
> >> 2000 and
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Jlynn
> >
> >
> >.
> >
