Re: [sitefinder-tech-discuss] A technical question

[Adam 'Starblazer' Romberg <lists@extremepcgaming.net>]

> It is my understanding that the MX query should become before the A query.
>
> We have talked about deploying a wildcard MX record with a target
> pointing to a non-existant name (e.g. does-not-exist.verisign.com).
> This should cause an NXDOMAIN.

This is deviating from the technical discussion here, but no system
administrator in their right mind would want all undelegated domains MX
records going to a VeriSign address, where you could 'possibly' add a host
there and harvest addresses, you've done it with the WHOIS database
before, who says you wont do it again.

Have you thought of the possibly a hacker/cracker (however you
want to phrase it) get into the root zone or sitefinders webserver and
then modify that to their liking.  Would verisign be willing to take the rap
for millions of infected hosts that got infected just because they
typed a web address wrong while Microsoft is making a patch?
You must remember, we are dealing with thousands upon thousands of
people who think that the internet is 'AOL and Time Warner'.

Now, has the root zone hack been a possibility before?  Yes.  Anyone could
have gotten in and added a wildcard, but thankfully it hasn't happened.
Noone in their right mind would take the rap for something that big, as
for it would be life with no parole if caught.  Doing a little bit of
research has shown that VeriSign subsidiaries have been defaced
previously.  Who says SiteFinder wont be?

> To clarify the point:  VeriSign talked to major providers of spam
> filtering services and was informed that they do not use a forward
> domain check.

Probably because most SMTP servers already include that as a feature, and
the redundancy is unneeded.


Thanks

-Adam

----------------------------------------------------
Adam 'Starblazer' Romberg     Appleton: 920-738-9032
System Administrator
ExtremePC LLC    -=-  http://www.extremepcgaming.net