Re: [squid-users] Re: Open & abused proxy list(s); appeal for instructions on how to close problems

On Feb 20, 5:05pm, Squid Support (Henrik Nordstrom) wrote:
> On Wednesday 20 February 2002 19:04, Allen Smith wrote:
>
> > Ah. I just got an email from someone claiming that Squid could not
> > be abused to send spam; you'll be getting a copy of my response.
>
> Squid can very easily be abused to send spam unless one has the
> proper safetyguards installed in squid.conf.

Indeed.

> The Squid configuration as shipped with Squid has several rules to
> prevent spamming and similar abuse of the proxy. These rules very
> effectively stops this kind of abuse.
>
> If the administrator for one reason or another selects to not have
> these rules installed he is shooting himself in the foot in many ways:
>
> a) The service will quicly be abused by email spammers

Yes, increasingly commonly.

> b) Abused by foreign users needing an open proxy to bypass various
> laws or restrictions.

What makes this an abuse problem? That's one reason I might _want_ to run
an open proxy, at least for connecting to port 80... and it isn't only
foreign users who might need this, at least for the US. And, unless we're
talking about webmail et al, what relation does this have to spam limiting
rules?

> c) Abused by hackers as a jump-gate to attack others systems,
> leaving the heat at the proxy administrator or his company.

True.

> d) And a whole set of similar abuses
>
> In fact, the spam relaying is probably one of the least important
> problem,

Tell that to AT&T WorldNet - see
http://www.internetnews.com/isp-news/article/0,,8_976831,00.html. Spam is,
as RFG has put it, an Internet infrastructure attack.

 but perhaps the most visible to others as a single spammer
> tends to reach a rather wide audience..

Indeed. That's what makes it one of the most important problems.

        -Allen

-- 
Allen Smith			http://cesario.rutgers.edu/easmith/
September 11, 2001		A Day That Shall Live In Infamy II
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Benjamin Franklin