On Sat, Dec 10, 2022 at 7:42 PM Michael Deutschmann <[email protected]>
wrote:

> It's a bit annoying that after almost two weeks, the only responses in
> this thread have been about this side issue, with my main point
> unaddressed.
>

As I read your original post, it was about DKIM+DMARC being an anti-forgery
tool, not an anti-spam tool.  While that may be true, what's being
discussed is the replay attack involving DKIM irrespective of DMARC.

DKIM's not an anti-forgery tool by itself.  The domain in the "d" tag
doesn't have to be the same as the domain in the From field for a signature
to be valid.  The problem being brought to this community is that replay --
which in 2011 we didn't think would be a big deal -- has apparently become
a problem.  The focus is dealing with this in DKIM, if possible,
irrespective of how it might impact DMARC.

Since the focus of your original post seemed to be at a level above where
DKIM does its work, I thought it was unrelated to the problem being
discussed.


> If your configuration is not Baka, then you have nothing to fear from the
> replay attack.   The replay attack only allows an attacker to pretend to
> *continue* to own an e-mail address they just lost; it never lets them
> impersonate someone who already has a good reputation.
>

Pop culture references aside, I don't follow this.  If I send a piece of
spam from this account to another, it will be signed by Gmail (assuming
their filters pass it).  Then from that other account I can spray it to as
many recipients as I want so long as the only thing I change is the
envelope.  The signature remains intact, and its delivery to those domains
checking such things will be predicated on the validity of that signature.
I haven't "lost" my email address; I can repeat this attack as many times
as I want.  And I (via Gmail) have a globally good reputation.  This is the
concern that I understand is being discussed.

If you are Baka but apply a downscore for blind-carbon-copy of
> equal-or-greater magnitude than your Baka upscore, you are also immune to
> the replay attack.  But you will still be wide open to other spammers.
>

First, if this is the advice verifiers/receivers should be applying, then
it would be a good idea to write it down someplace so it can be found.  I
don't know that this has been done yet.  Has it?

Second, how would one establish "magnitude" given that the final recipient
has no idea what the original envelope looked like?

-MSK
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