SpamBlocker2.1.1 released

[jlasman]

Note that SpamBlocker version 2.1.1 is a recommended update even for those of you have already installed SpamBlocker2.1.

SpamBlocker version 2.1.1 has been released. It offers a completely reworked and optimized set of blocklists, and a fix (which you may or may not already have on your server) to help with plaintext authorization when using certain email clients.

While SpamBlocker version 2.1.1 is not mandatory, it's strongly suggested, since it removes a nonworking blocklist and will fix authentication issues for some clients.

SpamBlocker version 2.1.1 requires the latest version of exim.pl.

SpamBlocker version 2.1.1 is currently only delivered for mbox-based systems. However the exim.conf.dovecot.patch file available dated 15-December-2005 WILL affect a conversion to Dovecot/Maildir, so be sure to use it to patch /etc/exim.conf if you're using SpamBlocker2.1.1 with a Maildir directory structure.

Remember that the SpamBlocker version 2.1.1 file you down load will not include your changes to point senders of emails detected as false positives to your whitelist page; be sure to search and replace for all instances of example.com before installing the file.

SpamBlocker version 2.1.1 may be found here:
http://files.directadmin.com/services/exim.conf
and also at:
http://www.nobaloney.net/downloads/spamblocker/DirectAdminSpamBlocker2/SpamBlocker.exim.conf.2.1.1-release
The latest exim.pl file may be gotten using one of these commands from the shell on your server:
wget http://files.directadmin.com/services/exim.pl
or:
wget http://www.nobaloney.net/downloads/spamblocker/DirectAdminSpamBlocker2/exim.pl
Note that if you download into the same directory where they already exist they'll be renamed with a .# extension where the # is replaced by a number. So you may have to mv or cp them onto the right filename.

Jeff

[jca]

Seems to be working great, activated spamassassin and added clamav also with no problem so far. Test mails worked awesome.

Thanks

Jose

[jlasman]

Glad to hear it's working. The update is now available for Maildir as well as for mbox; I've edited a paragraph above to read:

SpamBlocker version 2.1.1 is currently only delivered for mbox-based systems. However the exim.conf.dovecot.patch file available dated 15-December-2005 WILL affect a conversion to Dovecot/Maildir, so be sure to use it to patch /etc/exim.conf if you're using SpamBlocker2.1.1 with a Maildir directory structure.

Jeff

[BadBlock]

I am a new DA user and hear about this SpamBlocker for the first time, so I am confused for I understand nothing. Where can I learn more about SpamBlocker, how it works and how to install and manage it?

[tristan]

I am a new DA user and hear about this SpamBlocker for the first time, so I am confused for I understand nothing. Where can I learn more about SpamBlocker, how it works and how to install and manage it?

Maybe this will help you:

http://www.nobaloney.net/downloads/spamblocker/DirectAdmin/ReadMe.SpamBlocker.exim.conf.2.1.1.txt

[voxxitdesigns]

When are we going to get an update to version 3? :)

[jlasman]

I am a new DA user and hear about this SpamBlocker for the first time, so I am confused for I understand nothing. Where can I learn more about SpamBlocker, how it works and how to install and manage it?
What tristan neglected to tell you was that SpamBlocker is included with DirectAdmin. You should still update to 2.2.1 unless you installed within the last day or so and already have it.

Jeff

[jlasman]

When are we going to get an update to version 3? :)
When it's ready ;) .

I brought out SpamBlocker2.1.1 because I'm still working on SpamBlocker3.

Jeff

[tristan]

What tristan neglected to tell you was that SpamBlocker is included with DirectAdmin.

I'm deeply sorry mister Jeff, I will never let it happen again, please forgive me for my inaccuracy.

[uguronur]

hi,

I did everything about spam blocker step by step, how to jlasman explain..But I dont know what did I wrong or what did I missing, cause my all emails totally blocked..some one can help me about configure please..

regards..

[jlasman]

Did you follow the instructions concerning the files you were supposed to create? Did you check their ownership and permissions?

Are you incoming emails being blocked? Or emails you send out?

Do you see any errors in the /var/log/exim/mainlog file?

Jeff

[fluid]

ok im just confused here. i downloaded exim.conf, and exim.pl, placed them first in /etc...then figured that directadmin would likely have their own exim configuration files...so i looked in the directadmin directory and found the two files in question...i replaced those with the ones i had downloaded before, and restarted exim from the command line (and again from directadmin after the text emails failed to be blocked)...

its still not working. what am i missing here? id really love to get this working...

[fluid]

if it is of any help in getting this working, i am using exim 4.67 on a debian woody installation...the package is da_exim-4.67.deb

can someone help me figure this out please? it really love to get the spamhaus and other spam blocking resources working on my server...

[jlasman]

I don't know where you got the files. I don't know what you copied over what.

So I really can't respond.

Where did you get those exim.conf and exim.pl files? The ones from the DirectAdmin website and the ones from my website, should be the same. And they should be the latest ones.

Jeff

[Dennis]

Hey Jeff,

Thanks for the spamblocker update. Been using it from day one :)

I have noticed that the spamblocker uses more sites to get the potential spamservers. No problem with that, but we in The Netherlands have one other problem. Major ISP's have decided to shut down port 25 and people at that ISP can only mail through the ISP's SMTP. Because of this many customers at that ISP mail through 5 or 6 email servers. Which means a lot of email through or better....from that server. If someone decides to put one of those servers on the blacklist (e.g. SpamCannibal) the majority of those people cannot email to the servers running Spamblocker on it. I know there is a whitelist.....but is that the only way? Also I have to wait and see if one of my clients cannot send email or maybe even recieve.

So a warning to the people out there....Spamblocker is great!! But sometimes too good....in this case.

[jlandes]

You can ask your customers to use port 587, instead of 25. Then, using that port, they can send the mail directly through your server instead of your ISPs servers. Just a thought.

[jw00dy]

Glad to hear it's working. The update is now available for Maildir as well as for mbox; I've edited a paragraph above to read:

SpamBlocker version 2.1.1 is currently only delivered for mbox-based systems. However the exim.conf.dovecot.patch file available dated 15-December-2005 WILL affect a conversion to Dovecot/Maildir, so be sure to use it to patch /etc/exim.conf if you're using SpamBlocker2.1.1 with a Maildir directory structure.

Jeff
Jeff or anyone that knows...

How do we apply the exim.conf.dovecot.patch file?

[jlasman]

man patch is your friend. Use:
man patch
from your shell prompt for instructions.

Jeff

[jw00dy]

Thanks,

Got it working.

[skruf]

Hey,

In case someone needs this in the future:

cd /usr/local/directadmin/customapache
patch -p0 < exim.conf.dovecot.patch

David

[@how@]

Thanks, work fine.

Wael

[Demio]

Why should I choose this over SpamAssassin? Are there any advantages?

Thanks,
Carlos Lage

[GranTW]

You don't have to choose it over spam assassin. Both can be used at the same.

Grant

[jlasman]

You should find that using SpamBlocker will take a great load off your server, and then SpamAssassin will work more efficiently.

Jeff

[DAjonck]

SpamBlocker version 2.1.1 installed on the 7-7-2007, done all the things been write, update exim.pl, customise exim.conf file.
Just the last past weeks the spam is more than normal use, what could I be done wrong ? The first week the spam stopted but now I get complains about the spam. What must I do to stop the spam ?

[jlasman]

Most importantly make sure that the domain names (for whom people are complaining about spam) are listed in the /etc/virtual/use_rbl_domains file.

You might also want to tell your clients to configure SpamAssassin for your server; if you don't have it running be sure to install it first.

We're currently using the SpamBlocker3 beta; you might want to look into it; we've found that using both SpamBlocker3 beta and SpamAssassin we get less spam than ever before.

That all said, sometimes spam just happens. On the 'net itself, it increases many fold each year, and just holding our own isn't really easy.

Jeff

[DAjonck]

SpamAssassin is installed on a Threshold of 0.5 of al the complaining clients

/etc/virtual/use_rbl_domains file. I didn't do that, untill now, lets see what happend.


If it does't work. Than I want look in too the beta of SpamBlocker3.Wait just 24 h.

DAjonck

[jlasman]

If there wasn't anything in the /etc/virtual/use_rbl_domains file, then no domains on your system were using SpamBlocker features.

Be sure that the domains are listed in /etc/virtual/use_rbl_domains in the same format as they're listed in /etc/virtual/domains.

Jeff

[DAjonck]

Strange, I had installed an earlier version of SpamBlocker in may 2006. I had not any domain listed in /etc/virtual/use_rbl_domains file. In the beginning of May 2007 I get the first complains. Before I added the domains now in /etc/virtual/use_rbl_domains file I updated DA yesterday. The Spam was less now.

[DAjonck]

After my last post 9 days ago,
I had a lot of problems again with Spamblocker, together with Spamasessin.

The Clients get spam also now from my own server !
A lot of mail is not comming true, even when the are from normal users

[jlasman]

You don't give enough information to check.

Jeff

[DAjonck]

One of my client recived two mail of spam;
one of the headers

From: "Luisa Kaiser"@server.domain.XX
To: info@clientsdomain.XX
Subject: RE: Fast and cheap. This is true
Date: 26/08/07 07:35

server.domain.XX = my own server !
so my own server, send spam to my own clients ?????????

_______________________________

An other client, with a lot of email traffic has complains about mails are not coming true, the senders of the blocked mail recives a mail like:

There was a SMTP communication problem with the recipient's email
server. Please contact your system administrator.
<hpsmtp-eml20.kpnxchange.com #5.5.0 smtp;550-Email blocked by
SPAMCANNIBAL - to unblock see>

[jlasman]

Possibly, but probably not likely. The only way to know the paths the spam really take is to check the Recieved headers/ spammers munge the from, to, and other headers at their convenience, as none are required for delivery.

Jeff

[Daredevil]

Thank you for your continued support and contribution to this community Jeff.
Without you, and a select few others within the community Directadmin just wouldn't be the same.

[jlasman]

Thanks.

<blush>

Jeff

[icepick]

Hi Jeff,

I'm wondering if you have a small broken down version of exim.conf that would allow for dedicated scanning hosts, i.e.

INTERNET
/ \
MX1.domain MX2.domain
\ /
DIRECTADMIN

All mail sent to MX1 or MX2 check for relay_domain, then if passes this do a:
verify = recipient/defer_ok/callout=30s/callout_defer_ok
Which should check the directadmin server to see if the receipt is valid, if so accept the mail for scanning/spamming and if passes, send to the directadmin host.

Basically I have 400 domains on my directadmin server and the scanning is taking up all the load, I'd really like to be able to have front end servers to do the scanning and then forward to directadmin box which I'd add whitelist IP's of my 2 MX servers.

Let me know your thoughts.
Cheers
Barry

[jlasman]

I've not done this, and I won't unless (a) someone pays me for it or (b) I end up needing it myself.

There's no reason why you can't do it yourself ;) .

Jeff

[icepick]

Yep,

All done, did it yesterday, I now have a xen VM image which allows me to deploy additional MX spam/virus front end servers in less than 30 mins.

Thanks
Barry