MX Linux Forum

Hi Folks,

Can something better be used instead of Spamhaus or can a "flag" be set for known registered users so that, if they happen to be connected to the Internet on an IP address that has been blacklisted by Spamhaus, can still submit posts?

I use a USB 3G Wirless Broadband Modem and the IP address can change from Logon to Logon.

Last night I couldn't respond to a post made by Stevo on a Topic that I started. That is totally ridiculous!!!

Logging off and logging on again didn't immediately resolve the issue and I had to get to bed and keep my fingers crossed that today I wouldn't have the same issue.

Thanks, Michael.

I use a 3g usb broadband too, and get that quite often, but there is a "form" of sorts, I just type ins a response " I don't know why this keeps happeninng", then below, there is another "box" it says very clear, "If you are not a spambot, do not enter text here" so I leave that blank, submit it, and get "whitelisted", so I can log in, and post if need be. All though it is a little annoying, it has never been much of a problem, just takes a few seconds longer. Never needed to disconnect and reconnect the broad band device, or logout and login.
It does happen so often, it has practically become a "routine" .

This happened to me more than a few times when I used a Virgin Mobile USB device (Sprint network). I have since changed providers and now things are better.

The Tramp

We do not use SpamHouse. StopForumSpam is tied into the forum software for registrations only. Once you have successfully registered it no longer has any affect. If you are having an issue it may be your ISP blocking.

We do not use SpamHouse.

Ok, I guess it has changed, I had noticed it has been sometime since this had happened to me, but just now,it did again, but now it says "project honey pot",.. still no big deal, disconnecting the broad band device, and re-connecting solved the problem, the IP changes when ever the device is re-started.

richb wrote:If you are having an issue it may be your ISP blocking.

How could my ISP be using Spamhaus that would cause a reference to appear on the forum page that the IP address, I was currently using, was blacklisted. That doesn't seem logical.

I've tried a quick search, as to whether StopForumSpam uses the blacklists provided by Spamhaus, but without luck.

GarryRicketson wrote:I use a 3g usb broadband too, and get that quite often, but there is a "form" of sorts, I just type ins a response " I don't know why this keeps happeninng", then below, there is another "box" it says very clear, "If you are not a spambot, do not enter text here" so I leave that blank, submit it, and get "whitelisted", so I can log in, and post if need be. All though it is a little annoying, it has never been much of a problem, just takes a few seconds longer. Never needed to disconnect and reconnect the broad band device, or logout and login.
It does happen so often, it has practically become a "routine" .

I don't recall seeing anything like that but I will look for it if this problem occurs again.

Many times you can remove yourself from the Spamhouse lists. If you search your IP address, you will find out how. Click on the links to the lists in the search results. Sometimes it's as simple as turning on SMTP authentication.
Henry

Utopia wrote:Many times you can remove yourself from the Spamhouse lists. If you search your IP address, you will find out how. Click on the links to the lists in the search results. Sometimes it's as simple as turning on SMTP authentication.
Henry

Hej Henry,

I don't have a Fixed IP address.

I know what SMTP is but what do you mean by "Sometimes it's as simple as turning on SMTP authentication."? Is this an option available via the search results of Spamhaus?

Thanks, MTB.

Is this an option available via the search results of Spamhaus

That's something you do in Thunderbird or whatever you use.
The search results will tell you what to do (if you click on the various lists your IP address is present in).
Here's an example:

Outbound Email Policy of The Spamhaus Project for this IP range:
This IP address range has been identified by Spamhaus as not meeting our policy for IP addresses permitted to deliver unauthenticated 'direct-to-mx' email to PBL users.
Important: If you are using any normal email software (such as Outlook, Entourage, Thunderbird, Apple Mail, etc.) and you are being blocked by this Spamhaus PBL listing when you try to send email, the reason is simply that you need to turn on "SMTP Authentication" in your email program settings. For help with SMTP Authentication or ways to quickly fix this problem...

Henry

Utopia wrote:

Is this an option available via the search results of Spamhaus

That's something you do in Thunderbird or whatever you use.
The search results will tell you what to do (if you click on the various lists your IP address is present in).
Here's an example:

Outbound Email Policy of The Spamhaus Project for this IP range:
This IP address range has been identified by Spamhaus as not meeting our policy for IP addresses permitted to deliver unauthenticated 'direct-to-mx' email to PBL users.
Important: If you are using any normal email software (such as Outlook, Entourage, Thunderbird, Apple Mail, etc.) and you are being blocked by this Spamhaus PBL listing when you try to send email, the reason is simply that you need to turn on "SMTP Authentication" in your email program settings. For help with SMTP Authentication or ways to quickly fix this problem...

Henry

I was posting via the forum web page.

Are you inferring that Thunderbird can be used to reply to forum posts?

I was posting via the forum web page.

Hmm..,
Was only relating what Spamhouse said without thinking.Their fixes seems to be email related. Have you gone through all other existing lists? Very difficult to get your IP address whitelisted without a fixed IP address. Have to think about it.
Henry

One more thing to try is http://cbl.abuseat.org/lookup.cgi
If you enter your IP address there, you will get very detailed information about what's wrong.
Henry

Utopia wrote:One more thing to try is http://cbl.abuseat.org/lookup.cgi
If you enter your IP address there, you will get very detailed information about what's wrong.
Henry

The following is the initial output for my current IP address which I've replaced with xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx. Not good.

IP Address xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx is listed in the CBL. It shows signs of being infected with a spam sending trojan, malicious link or some other form of botnet.

It was last detected at 2015-06-07 16:00 GMT (+/- 30 minutes), approximately 8 days, 5 hours ago.

This IP is infected (or NATting for a computer that is infected) with the kelihos spambot. In other words, it's participating in a botnet.

If you simply remove the listing without ensuring that the infection is removed (or the NAT secured), it will probably relist again.

I think that intelligent captchas are probably the better way to manage these problems.

Ho hum.

Midsommarsdag is not far away.

What's on the menu?
Potatis och köttbullar
Jordgubbar
Malmö '81

Have a good time and put on some ABBA for me.

What's on the menu?
Potatis och köttbullar

Will probably have some "sill och potatis". And play some ABBA on special request.
Henry

Utopia wrote:Will probably have some "sill och potatis".

sill - I think I remember that too now, kind of raw?

kind of raw

Pickled, don't think you can eat it raw. Very traditional at Midsummer.
Henry

I've tried a quick search, as to whether StopForumSpam uses the blacklists provided by Spamhaus, but without luck.

We don't use any black lists from Spamhaus, at SFS (stop forum spam),
As far as this:

I think that intelligent captchas are probably the better way to manage these problems.

This is one that is sort of new, but seems to work very well against "spambots",
https://www.funcaptcha.com/
humans can solve it, but then if they do post some sort of "spam", they are caught, and get added to the "data base", if the forum admins want to submit them. We use "funcaptcha" at SFS and I use it on one of my own sites.
This forum seems to be pretty good, I have not seen any spam here, so I think you all have it pretty well covered.
But I also use a php script "ZBBLOCK" on my website and forums, it works very well, if set up correctly, and does have a method for contacting admin, if someone finds they are blocked, then the person or even the ISP can be "whitelisted". The problem is , when it is a problem ISP, that is to say any ISP that is known to be used by mostly spammers, and other "undesirables", well if it gets "white listed" that kind of "open the door", but since most of them (Spammers) are not really human, but bots, a good captcha does stop them.

GarryRicketson wrote:

We do not use SpamHouse.

Ok, I guess it has changed, I had noticed it has been sometime since this had happened to me, but just now,it did again, but now it says "project honey pot",.. still no big deal, disconnecting the broad band device, and re-connecting solved the problem, the IP changes when ever the device is re-started.

This forum never used SpamHouse. And since I did not have the details the ISP thing was just a guess. Nevertheless the forum is not blocking you. We use captchas that are very effective. Captchas pertain to initial registration. There is no automatic blocking on this forum once you are registered. Manual intervention by moderators is required to block an IP address, and that is only done for cause.

Nevertheless the forum is not blocking you.

OOPs!, my mistake, I didn't mention this, and you are right, it is not the forum, it is : http://www.mepiscommunity.org/mx when I have gotten the "blacklist" message, My "book marks" take me there first, then I select the forum, under the "support" button,...sorry about that, now I probabley did a good job of cpnfusing everyone, including my self,..but you are right, it isn't the forum.

We use Project Honeypot on mepiscommunity.org - the website.

Once again I got stung by Spamhaus.

Your IP 190.113.210.34 has been blocked because it is blacklisted. For details please see http://www.spamhaus.org/query/bl?ip=190.113.210.34.

Whoever is in charge of administering this Forum, please whitelist my account.

Thank you, Michael.

cuscotravelservices wrote:Once again I got stung by Spamhaus.

Your IP 190.113.210.34 has been blocked because it is blacklisted. For details please see http://www.spamhaus.org/query/bl?ip=190.113.210.34.

Whoever is in charge of administering this Forum, please whitelist my account.

Thank you, Michael.

Did you read the page? Here is what it says:

Ref: PBL1554566

190.113.210.0/23 is listed on the Policy Block List (PBL)


Outbound Email Policy of The Spamhaus Project for this IP range:

This IP address range has been identified by Spamhaus as not meeting our policy for IP addresses permitted to deliver unauthenticated 'direct-to-mx' email to PBL users.

Important: If you are using any normal email software (such as Outlook, Entourage, Thunderbird, Apple Mail, etc.) and you are being blocked by this Spamhaus PBL listing when you try to send email, the reason is simply that you need to turn on "SMTP Authentication" in your email program settings. For help with SMTP Authentication or ways to quickly fix this problem click here.

Once again I will state that the Forum does not use Spamhaus and has no control over their policies. Therefore there is no whitelisting this Forum can do.

Jerry3904 wrote:Did you read the page? Here is what it says:

Ref: PBL1554566

190.113.210.0/23 is listed on the Policy Block List (PBL)

Outbound Email Policy of The Spamhaus Project for this IP range:

This IP address range has been identified by Spamhaus as not meeting our policy for IP addresses permitted to deliver unauthenticated 'direct-to-mx' email to PBL users.

Important: If you are using any normal email software (such as Outlook, Entourage, Thunderbird, Apple Mail, etc.) and you are being blocked by this Spamhaus PBL listing when you try to send email, the reason is simply that you need to turn on "SMTP Authentication" in your email program settings. For help with SMTP Authentication or ways to quickly fix this problem click here.

I wasn't trying to send an email. I was trying to post a new topic via the forum web page.

richb wrote:Once again I will state that the Forum does not use Spamhaus and has no control over their policies.

If that is the case then why was the message, I quoted, displayed on the forum page when I attempted to post a new topic?

cuscotravelservices wrote:

richb wrote:Once again I will state that the Forum does not use Spamhaus and has no control over their policies.

If that is the case then why was the message, I quoted, displayed on the forum page when I attempted to post a new topic?

Web search suggests they work with ISPs, so you might check with yours.

Suggest you read your own earlier post:

This IP is infected (or NATting for a computer that is infected) with the kelihos spambot. In other words, it's participating in a botnet.

Until this is fixed there will be problems.
Henry