[Mimedefang] Mails with viruses

[Nels Lindquist]

On 21 Jan 2003 at 20:40, syn uw wrote:

> ...when I send a mail containing a virus (I am always using that
> eicar.com test virus) using Outlook from another box the mail doesn't
> get through and I get the error: 
 
[sample SMTP REJECT message]
 
> Which is fine ! That's great if the message isn't even accepted into my mail 
> server. Btw: is that always the case ?

The filter you're using performs action_bounce which rejects messages 
containing viruses (have a look at the code around line ~208 to see 
how/where this is done).  Other approaches are certainly possible, 
though. For example, we prefer to quarantine infected attachments and 
pass the remainder of the message to the recipient with a warning.

> But now I am also running a webmail application: the latest
> Horde/IMP.... When I try to send a test mail from the webmail client
> which contains a virus then I click on Send and get the following
> error message in the webmail client: 
> 
> There was an error sending your message: unable to send data
> 
> but now here is the strange thing happening, if I now try to click again on 
> Send the mail gets accepted, but luckily it gets quarantined.
> 
> Is that normal ??

It may well be client-specific behaviour your seeing.  IMP might not 
handle SMTP rejects from the local relay in the way you're expecting. 
 You might want to ask on the IMP mailing list--they'll certainly be 
able to tell you what's normal, and give you recommendations on 
configuring IMP and/or Sendmail to properly deal with rejects from 
the outgoing relay.

Have you tried with any other local clients, eg pine?

----
Nels Lindquist <*>
Information Systems Manager
Morningstar Air Express Inc.