topic Re: How to change MAIL FROM: in VMS mail? in Operating System - OpenVMS

How to change MAIL FROM: in VMS mail?

Tony Schroeder — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 11:47:21 GMT

I have some processes that send text messages to my cell phone if certain things happen. Recently, my cell carrier started refusing the e-mail becauase the mail is coming from 'msys.domain.com', where domain.com = our real company name, and msys = our VMS machine name. I can use a /substitute_domain command in SMTP config to use our real domain name, but then our VMS machine tries to send it right back into VMS mail and not out to the STMP server. Is there any way to 'spoof' the MAIL FROM: in VMS mail?

Re: How to change MAIL FROM: in VMS mail?

Andy Bustamante — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 12:26:18 GMT

Which TCPIP product are you using? Assuming HP's TCPIP are you using /subst=(hidden,name=xxx.domain.com)?

You should also check the file SYS$SYSROOT:[TCPIP$SMTP]TCPIP$SMTP_LOCAL_ALIASES.TXT . Any host listed here will configure smtp to deliver mail locally. That is if host1.mydomain.com and host2.mydomain.com are listed in this file, the VMS system will attempt to handle mail to user at either domain. You'll need to send mail to user@host3.mydomain.com.

Welcome to VMS forums,

Andy

Re: How to change MAIL FROM: in VMS mail?

Tony Schroeder — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 12:55:43 GMT

I am using the native TCP/IP in VMS. I don't have an aliases file. What is the '/subst' command? Is that available in VMS?

Re: How to change MAIL FROM: in VMS mail?

Andy Bustamante — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 13:10:02 GMT

Excuse me, /subst is short for /substitute_domain under TCPIP.

Are you sending mail to a different domain than the VMS system is configured for? Use

$ TCPIP SHOW CONFIG NAME

Andy

Re: How to change MAIL FROM: in VMS mail?

Peter Zeiszler — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 18:12:13 GMT

"tcpip show config name" shows the bind name.
If you want to replace it with something else you do:
set config smtp/SUBSTITUTE_DOMAIN="(whatever you want)"

Re: How to change MAIL FROM: in VMS mail?

Peter Zeiszler — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 18:13:26 GMT

Sorry -- it should be :
tcpip set config smtp /SUBSTITUTE_DOMAIN="(whatever you want)"

Re: How to change MAIL FROM: in VMS mail?

Volker Halle — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 07:03:50 GMT

Tony,

the activate changes done with TCPIP SET CONF SMTP, you need to stop and (re)start the SMTP service. This is best done using the @SYS$MANAGER:TCPIP$CONFIG menue (-> Client -> SMTP).

Volker.

Re: How to change MAIL FROM: in VMS mail?

Dirk Bogaerts — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 10:24:32 GMT

Tony,

I've a similar problem and I use the logical TCPIP$SMTP_FROM to make the Mail-FROM comply with company rules :
DEFINE/PROCES TCPIP$SMTP_FROM "xxxx.yyyyyy@zzzzzz.com"
MAIL /SUBJ="my_message" NL: "@MAIL.DIS"

Watch out for spam-filters which of course don't like mail-spoofing !

Hope this helps,
Dirk

Re: How to change MAIL FROM: in VMS mail?

John Gillings — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 18:12:11 GMT

Some sites consider TCPIP$SMTP_FROM to be a security risk. Consider:

$ DEFINE/PROC TCPIP$SMTP_FROM "the.boss@mycompany.com"
$ MAIL NL:/SUBJECT="You're fired" my.enemy@mycompany.com

True, this kind of abuse could be trivially traced back to the source, but that doesn't prevent the kind of damage that could be caused.

TCPIP Services has another logical name TCPIP$SMTP_PROHIBIT_USER_HEADERS which, if defined /SYSTEM/EXEC will prevent TCPIP$SMTP_FROM from working.

If you want to make all OpenVMS users have FROM addresses that conform with corporate policy, while preventing abuse of this feature, you could write a privileged image, executed at login time that works out the correct address for the user and defines a process logical name in EXEC mode with /NAME_ATTRIBUTES=NO_ALIAS.