From: Philip Hazel Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2005 10:51:15 +0000 (+0000) Subject: Created new doc file containing specs for the experimental features, X-Git-Tag: exim-4_50~45 X-Git-Url: https://vcs.fsf.org/?a=commitdiff_plain;h=ee161e8f78050649b638f03570ab7d328638daf1;p=exim.git Created new doc file containing specs for the experimental features, taken from Tom's original document. --- diff --git a/doc/doc-txt/experimental-spec.txt b/doc/doc-txt/experimental-spec.txt new file mode 100644 index 000000000..145fc42da --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/doc-txt/experimental-spec.txt @@ -0,0 +1,433 @@ +$Cambridge: exim/doc/doc-txt/experimental-spec.txt,v 1.1 2005/01/11 10:51:15 ph10 Exp $ + +From time to time, experimental features may be added to Exim. +While a feature is experimental, there will be a build-time +option whose name starts "EXPERIMENTAL_" that must be set in +order to include the feature. This file contains information +about experimenatal features, all of which are unstable and +liable to incompatibile change. + + +1. Brighmail AntiSpam (BMI) suppport +-------------------------------------------------------------- + +Brightmail AntiSpam is a commercial package. Please see +http://www.brightmail.com for more information on +the product. For the sake of clarity, we'll refer to it as +"BMI" from now on. + + +0) BMI concept and implementation overview + +In contrast to how spam-scanning with SpamAssassin is +implemented in exiscan-acl, BMI is more suited for per +-recipient scanning of messages. However, each messages is +scanned only once, but multiple "verdicts" for multiple +recipients can be returned from the BMI server. The exiscan +implementation passes the message to the BMI server just +before accepting it. It then adds the retrieved verdicts to +the messages header file in the spool. These verdicts can then +be queried in routers, where operation is per-recipient +instead of per-message. To use BMI, you need to take the +following steps: + + 1) Compile Exim with BMI support + 2) Set up main BMI options (top section of exim config file) + 3) Set up ACL control statement (ACL section of the config + file) + 4) Set up your routers to use BMI verdicts (routers section + of the config file). + 5) (Optional) Set up per-recipient opt-in information. + +These four steps are explained in more details below. + +1) Adding support for BMI at compile time + + To compile with BMI support, you need to link Exim against + the Brighmail client SDK, consisting of a library + (libbmiclient_single.so) and a header file (bmi_api.h). + You'll also need to explicitly set a flag in the Makefile to + include BMI support in the Exim binary. Both can be achieved + with these lines in Local/Makefile: + + EXPERIMENTAL_BRIGHTMAIL=yes + CFLAGS=-DBRIGHTMAIL -I/path/to/the/dir/with/the/includefile + EXTRALIBS_EXIM=-L/path/to/the/dir/with/the/library -lbmiclient_single + + If you use other CFLAGS or EXTRALIBS_EXIM settings then + merge the content of these lines with them. + + Note for BMI6.x users: You'll also have to add -lxml2_single + to the EXTRALIBS_EXIM line. Users of 5.5x do not need to do + this. + + You should also include the location of + libbmiclient_single.so in your dynamic linker configuration + file (usually /etc/ld.so.conf) and run "ldconfig" + afterwards, or else the produced Exim binary will not be + able to find the library file. + + +2) Setting up BMI support in the exim main configuration + + To enable BMI support in the main exim configuration, you + should set the path to the main BMI configuration file with + the "bmi_config_file" option, like this: + + bmi_config_file = /opt/brightmail/etc/brightmail.cfg + + This must go into section 1 of exims configuration file (You + can put it right on top). If you omit this option, it + defaults to /opt/brightmail/etc/brightmail.cfg. + + Note for BMI6.x users: This file is in XML format in V6.xx + and its name is /opt/brightmail/etc/bmiconfig.xml. So BMI + 6.x users MUST set the bmi_config_file option. + + +3) Set up ACL control statement + + To optimize performance, it makes sense only to process + messages coming from remote, untrusted sources with the BMI + server. To set up a messages for processing by the BMI + server, you MUST set the "bmi_run" control statement in any + ACL for an incoming message. You will typically do this in + an "accept" block in the "acl_check_rcpt" ACL. You should + use the "accept" block(s) that accept messages from remote + servers for your own domain(s). Here is an example that uses + the "accept" blocks from exims default configuration file: + + + accept domains = +local_domains + endpass + verify = recipient + control = bmi_run + + accept domains = +relay_to_domains + endpass + verify = recipient + control = bmi_run + + If bmi_run is not set in any ACL during reception of the + message, it will NOT be passed to the BMI server. + + +4) Setting up routers to use BMI verdicts + + When a message has been run through the BMI server, one or + more "verdicts" are present. Different recipients can have + different verdicts. Each recipient is treated individually + during routing, so you can query the verdicts by recipient + at that stage. From Exims view, a verdict can have the + following outcomes: + + o deliver the message normally + o deliver the message to an alternate location + o do not deliver the message + + To query the verdict for a recipient, the implementation + offers the following tools: + + + - Boolean router preconditions. These can be used in any + router. For a simple implementation of BMI, these may be + all that you need. The following preconditions are + available: + + o bmi_deliver_default + + This precondition is TRUE if the verdict for the + recipient is to deliver the message normally. If the + message has not been processed by the BMI server, this + variable defaults to TRUE. + + o bmi_deliver_alternate + + This precondition is TRUE if the verdict for the + recipient is to deliver the message to an alternate + location. You can get the location string from the + $bmi_alt_location expansion variable if you need it. See + further below. If the message has not been processed by + the BMI server, this variable defaults to FALSE. + + o bmi_dont_deliver + + This precondition is TRUE if the verdict for the + recipient is NOT to deliver the message to the + recipient. You will typically use this precondition in a + top-level blackhole router, like this: + + # don't deliver messages handled by the BMI server + bmi_blackhole: + driver = redirect + bmi_dont_deliver + data = :blackhole: + + This router should be on top of all others, so messages + that should not be delivered do not reach other routers + at all. If the message has not been processed by + the BMI server, this variable defaults to FALSE. + + + - A list router precondition to query if rules "fired" on + the message for the recipient. Its name is "bmi_rule". You + use it by passing it a colon-separated list of rule + numbers. You can use this condition to route messages that + matched specific rules. Here is an example: + + # special router for BMI rule #5, #8 and #11 + bmi_rule_redirect: + driver = redirect + bmi_rule = 5:8:11 + data = postmaster@mydomain.com + + + - Expansion variables. Several expansion variables are set + during routing. You can use them in custom router + conditions, for example. The following variables are + available: + + o $bmi_base64_verdict + + This variable will contain the BASE64 encoded verdict + for the recipient being routed. You can use it to add a + header to messages for tracking purposes, for example: + + localuser: + driver = accept + check_local_user + headers_add = X-Brightmail-Verdict: $bmi_base64_verdict + transport = local_delivery + + If there is no verdict available for the recipient being + routed, this variable contains the empty string. + + o $bmi_base64_tracker_verdict + + This variable will contain a BASE64 encoded subset of + the verdict information concerning the "rules" that + fired on the message. You can add this string to a + header, commonly named "X-Brightmail-Tracker". Example: + + localuser: + driver = accept + check_local_user + headers_add = X-Brightmail-Tracker: $bmi_base64_tracker_verdict + transport = local_delivery + + If there is no verdict available for the recipient being + routed, this variable contains the empty string. + + o $bmi_alt_location + + If the verdict is to redirect the message to an + alternate location, this variable will contain the + alternate location string returned by the BMI server. In + its default configuration, this is a header-like string + that can be added to the message with "headers_add". If + there is no verdict available for the recipient being + routed, or if the message is to be delivered normally, + this variable contains the empty string. + + o $bmi_deliver + + This is an additional integer variable that can be used + to query if the message should be delivered at all. You + should use router preconditions instead if possible. + + $bmi_deliver is '0': the message should NOT be delivered. + $bmi_deliver is '1': the message should be delivered. + + + IMPORTANT NOTE: Verdict inheritance. + The message is passed to the BMI server during message + reception, using the target addresses from the RCPT TO: + commands in the SMTP transaction. If recipients get expanded + or re-written (for example by aliasing), the new address(es) + inherit the verdict from the original address. This means + that verdicts also apply to all "child" addresses generated + from top-level addresses that were sent to the BMI server. + + +5) Using per-recipient opt-in information (Optional) + + The BMI server features multiple scanning "profiles" for + individual recipients. These are usually stored in a LDAP + server and are queried by the BMI server itself. However, + you can also pass opt-in data for each recipient from the + MTA to the BMI server. This is particularly useful if you + already look up recipient data in exim anyway (which can + also be stored in a SQL database or other source). This + implementation enables you to pass opt-in data to the BMI + server in the RCPT ACL. This works by setting the + 'bmi_optin' modifier in a block of that ACL. If should be + set to a list of comma-separated strings that identify the + features which the BMI server should use for that particular + recipient. Ideally, you would use the 'bmi_optin' modifier + in the same ACL block where you set the 'bmi_run' control + flag. Here is an example that will pull opt-in data for each + recipient from a flat file called + '/etc/exim/bmi_optin_data'. + + The file format: + + user1@mydomain.com: : + user2@thatdomain.com: + + + The example: + + accept domains = +relay_to_domains + endpass + verify = recipient + bmi_optin = ${lookup{$local_part@$domain}lsearch{/etc/exim/bmi_optin_data}} + control = bmi_run + + Of course, you can also use any other lookup method that + exim supports, including LDAP, Postgres, MySQL, Oracle etc., + as long as the result is a list of colon-separated opt-in + strings. + + For a list of available opt-in strings, please contact your + Brightmail representative. + + + + +2. Sender Policy Framework (SPF) support +-------------------------------------------------------------- + +To learn more about SPF, visit http://spf.pobox.com. This +document does not explain the SPF fundamentals, you should +read and understand the implications of deploying SPF on your +system before doing so. + +SPF support is added via the libspf2 library. Visit + + http://www.libspf2.org/ + +to obtain a copy, then compile and install it. By default, +this will put headers in /usr/local/include and the static +library in /usr/local/lib. + +To compile exim with SPF support, set these additional flags in +Local/Makefile: + +EXPERIMENTAL_SPF=yes +CFLAGS=-DSPF -I/usr/local/include +EXTRALIBS_EXIM=-L/usr/local/lib -lspf2 + +This assumes that the libspf2 files are installed in +their default locations. + +You can now run SPF checks in incoming SMTP by using the "spf" +ACL condition in either the MAIL, RCPT or DATA ACLs. When +using it in the RCPT ACL, you can make the checks dependend on +the RCPT address (or domain), so you can check SPF records +only for certain target domains. This gives you the +possibility to opt-out certain customers that do not want +their mail to be subject to SPF checking. + +The spf condition takes a list of strings on its right-hand +side. These strings describe the outcome of the SPF check for +which the spf condition should succeed. Valid strings are: + + o pass The SPF check passed, the sending host + is positively verified by SPF. + o fail The SPF check failed, the sending host + is NOT allowed to send mail for the domain + in the envelope-from address. + o softfail The SPF check failed, but the queried + domain can't absolutely confirm that this + is a forgery. + o none The queried domain does not publish SPF + records. + o neutral The SPF check returned a "neutral" state. + This means the queried domain has published + a SPF record, but wants to allow outside + servers to send mail under its domain as well. + o err_perm This indicates a syntax error in the SPF + record of the queried domain. This should be + treated like "none". + o err_temp This indicates a temporary error during all + processing, including exim's SPF processing. + You may defer messages when this occurs. + +You can prefix each string with an exclamation mark to invert +is meaning, for example "!fail" will match all results but +"fail". The string list is evaluated left-to-right, in a +short-circuit fashion. When a string matches the outcome of +the SPF check, the condition succeeds. If none of the listed +strings matches the outcome of the SPF check, the condition +fails. + +Here is a simple example to fail forgery attempts from domains +that publish SPF records: + +/* ----------------- +deny message = $sender_host_address is not allowed to send mail from $sender_address_domain + spf = fail +--------------------- */ + +You can also give special treatment to specific domains: + +/* ----------------- +deny message = AOL sender, but not from AOL-approved relay. + sender_domains = aol.com + spf = fail:neutral +--------------------- */ + +Explanation: AOL publishes SPF records, but is liberal and +still allows non-approved relays to send mail from aol.com. +This will result in a "neutral" state, while mail from genuine +AOL servers will result in "pass". The example above takes +this into account and treats "neutral" like "fail", but only +for aol.com. Please note that this violates the SPF draft. + +When the spf condition has run, it sets up several expansion +variables. + + $spf_header_comment + This contains a human-readable string describing the outcome + of the SPF check. You can add it to a custom header or use + it for logging purposes. + + $spf_received + This contains a complete SPF-Received: header that can be + added to the message. Please note that according to the SPF + draft, this header must be added at the top of the header + list. Please see section 10 on how you can do this. + + $spf_result + This contains the outcome of the SPF check in string form, + one of pass, fail, softfail, none, neutral, err_perm or + err_temp. + + $spf_smtp_comment + This contains a string that can be used in a SMTP response + to the calling party. Useful for "fail". + + + +3. SRS (Sender Rewriting Scheme) Support +-------------------------------------------------------------- + +Exiscan currently includes SRS support via Miles Wilton's +libsrs_alt library. The current version of the supported +library is 0.5. + +In order to use SRS, you must get a copy of libsrs_alt from + +http://srs.mirtol.com/ + +Unpack the tarball, then refer to MTAs/README.EXIM +to proceed. You need to set + +EXPERIMENTAL_SRS=yes + +in your Local/Makefile. + + +-------------------------------------------------------------- +End of file +--------------------------------------------------------------