From: Patrick May <pjm@spe.com>
Date: Thu, 18 Apr 1996 20:21:35 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: [Explanation] Re: "STOP SENDING ME THIS SHIT"
Message-ID: <199604180537.WAA01617@gulch.spe.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


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Perry E. Metzger writes:
 > "Adam Pingitore" writes:
 > >           I've got news for you all. This 'jerk' was spammed by some
 > >           ass out there. I've canceled by subscription so would you
 > >           all quit whining already. Sorry if I sent you people
 > >           inappropriate mail, but I just wasn't very happy getting
 > >           2000 e-mails a day.
[ Mr. Metzger's amusing flame elided. ]

     I run a small mailing list that has been subject to problems
similar to the recent spate of "unscrives".  Apparently there is a
list of mailing lists circulating the warez boards along with scripts
for spoofing subscription requests.  Over the past few months my list
has periodically received batches of bogus subscriptions for accounts
ranging from Fidonet sysops to Al Gore to random AOL users.  Email
from other mailing list admins indicates that these same accounts,
perhaps two hundred in all, were subscribed to several hundred lists.

     Crypto relevance:  This attack will be eliminated when more mail
agents support public key crypto and the mailing list software can be
modified to check signatures on subscription requests.

pjm

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