DNSBL lookup

The check.dnsbl module implements checking of source IP and hostnames against a set of DNS-based Blackhole lists (DNSBLs).

Its configuration consists of module configuration directives and a set of blocks specifying lists to use and kind of lookups to perform on them.

check.dnsbl {
    debug no
    check_early no

    quarantine_threshold 1
    reject_threshold 1

    # Lists configuration example.
    dnsbl.example.org {
        client_ipv4 yes
        client_ipv6 no
        ehlo no
        mailfrom no
        score 1
    }
    hsrbl.example.org {
        client_ipv4 no
        client_ipv6 no
        ehlo yes
        mailfrom yes
        score 1
    }
}

Arguments

Arguments specify the list of IP-based BLs to use.

The following configurations are equivalent.

check {
    dnsbl dnsbl.example.org dnsbl2.example.org
}

check {
    dnsbl {
        dnsbl.example.org dnsbl2.example.org {
            client_ipv4 yes
            client_ipv6 no
            ehlo no
            mailfrom no
            score 1
        }
    }
}

Configuration directives

debug boolean

Default: global directive value

Enable verbose logging.

check_early boolean

Default: no

Check BLs before mail delivery starts and silently reject blacklisted clients.

For this to work correctly, check should not be used in source/destination pipeline block.

In particular, this means:

If you often get hit by spam attacks, it is recommended to enable this setting to save server resources.

quarantine_threshold integer

Default: 1

DNSBL score needed (equals-or-higher) to quarantine the message.

reject_threshold integer

Default: 9999

DNSBL score needed (equals-or-higher) to reject the message.

List configuration

dnsbl.example.org dnsbl.example.com {
    client_ipv4 yes
    client_ipv6 no
    ehlo no
    mailfrom no
    responses 127.0.0.1/24
    score 1
}

Directive name and arguments specify the actual DNS zone to query when checking the list. Using multiple arguments is equivalent to specifying the same configuration separately for each list.

client_ipv4 boolean

Default: yes

Whether to check address of the IPv4 clients against the list.

client_ipv6 boolean

Default: yes

Whether to check address of the IPv6 clients against the list.

ehlo boolean

Default: no

Whether to check hostname specified n the HELO/EHLO command against the list.

This works correctly only with domain-based DNSBLs.

mailfrom boolean

Default: no

Whether to check domain part of the MAIL FROM address against the list.

This works correctly only with domain-based DNSBLs.

responses cidr | ip...

Default: 127.0.0.1/24

IP networks (in CIDR notation) or addresses to permit in list lookup results. Addresses not matching any entry in this directives will be ignored.

score integer

Default: 1

Score value to add for the message if it is listed.

If sum of list scores is equals or higher than quarantine_threshold, the message will be quarantined.

If sum of list scores is equals or higher than rejected_threshold, the message will be rejected.

It is possible to specify a negative value to make list act like a whitelist and override results of other blocklists.