what the heck do i do now?

Mon Feb 5 02:36:10 UTC 2007

>>>>> "Warren" == Warren Kumari <warren at kumari.net> writes:

 Warren> Sure, but if we could all agree that 127.255.255.255 (or
 Warren> something) means that the BL has been shutdown then in the
 Warren> future this sort of issue could be mitigated.

You don't need to agree on something - it's already possible to apply
automated checks to a DNSBL that detect all known methods of shutting
it down.

Applying these same checks in configuration tools would also prevent
users specifying things which are not live DNSBLs, thus avoiding a
lot of excess query load on nameservers that just happen to serve
domains that have been mistaken for DNSBLs.

The algorithm is very simple:

  - if 1.0.0.127.dnsbl.example. is not NXDOMAIN, this is a hard failure.
  - if 2.0.0.127.dnsbl.example. is NXDOMAIN or SERVFAIL, or lacks an
    A record, or has an A record which is not 127.x.x.x, then this is a
    soft failure.
  - otherwise the test passes.

DNSBLs that soft-fail should be removed from use but continue to be
tested regularly, and at least optionally added back automatically if
they pass within a reasonable period (days, say) of failing - after
that they should be treated as hard failures and removed completely.

 Warren> Yes, this doesn't fix Paul's problem (or anyone who setup a
 Warren> blacklist before this is standardized) and there is no way to
 Warren> enforce this, but it is bunch better than not doing
 Warren> anything...

It has been possible all along, so why aren't people doing it already?

-- 
Andrew, Supernews
http://www.supernews.com