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Ken Sallot wrote:
> > From: Joel Markwell {ATL} <73700.2054@co*.co*>
> > Message-ID: <960104061519_73700.2054_FHR56-1@Co*.CO*>
> > Message-Id: <199601040301.WAA10078@du*.co*.co*>
> > From: Joel Markwell {ATL} <73700.2054@co*.co*>
> And look at the "received from" line again. Look, it's comming from
> compuserve as well!
> I really do not think we have a problem with someone faking a post
> here. All of the fake posts have been easily traceable to a domain by
> the headers.
Ken, it is a known "feature" of the internet SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer
Protocol) that most
mail servers will accept outgoing mail from ANY mail client. As long as the
message is
properly formatted, the mail server will take it and send it on it's way. The
person with
the mail client (e.g. a PC with any of the popular mailers or web browsers) can
set ANYTHING
they want in the "from:" field.
Even worse, most mail servers (such as mail.compuserve.com) will accept ANY
outbound mail
from ANYONE. This message that I'm typing RIGHT NOW is being written while I am
dialed into
my regular Internet provider - but I have set up my mail software to route all
OUTBOUND mail
to mail.compuserve.com. The CompuServe outbound mail server (like most others)
will NOT
require a user id or logon or password so virtually EVERYONE can send
"CompuServe"
orginating messages with ANYTHING they want in the UserId. In essence, this
message right
now is a "fake" - my IP is currently on the NIS.NET subnet - but I'm posting it
through
MAIL.COMPUSERVE.COM. Except I'm faking the from: field to my show my very own
CompuServe
ID...
That is a know security issue on the Internet. Not just is the CONTENT of you
mail subject
to hacking, but more importantly, in many cases there is NO way to
"authenticate" the send
of a message. That's why conducting business on the Internet has been attempted
carefully -
one could order $100,000 worth of goods in SOMEONE ELSES name.
I hope my message will help you to look at the matter of fake mails with
different eyes.
Best Regards
Andy Schmidt [NJ]
http://OurWorld.CompuServe.com/Homepages/Andy_Schmidt/
AOL: ASchmidt1 * GENIE: A.Schmidt1 * MSN: Andy_Schmidt
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