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GSLC · Question #119

Which of the following features is used to generate spam on the Internet by spammers and worms?

The correct answer is B. SMTP relay. SMTP relay is the mechanism exploited by spammers and worms to distribute bulk email across the Internet. Open or misconfigured SMTP relays allow unauthorized parties to route large volumes of email through third-party servers.

Security Architecture & Engineering

Question

Which of the following features is used to generate spam on the Internet by spammers and worms?

Options

  • AAutoFill
  • BSMTP relay
  • CServer Message Block (SMB) signing
  • DAutoComplete

How the community answered

(57 responses)
  • A
    4% (2)
  • B
    93% (53)
  • C
    2% (1)
  • D
    2% (1)

Why each option

SMTP relay is the mechanism exploited by spammers and worms to distribute bulk email across the Internet. Open or misconfigured SMTP relays allow unauthorized parties to route large volumes of email through third-party servers.

AAutoFill

AutoFill is a browser feature that populates form fields with saved data and has no role in email transmission or spam generation.

BSMTP relayCorrect

SMTP relay is exploited by spammers and worms because it allows email messages to be forwarded through intermediate mail servers. When an SMTP server is configured as an open relay, anyone can use it to send email to any destination, enabling mass spam distribution while obscuring the true origin of the messages.

CServer Message Block (SMB) signing

SMB signing is a network security feature that authenticates Server Message Block communications to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks, and is entirely unrelated to email or spam.

DAutoComplete

AutoComplete is a browser or application UI feature that suggests previously entered text and plays no part in generating or distributing spam email.

Concept tested: SMTP open relay exploitation for spam distribution

Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/mail-flow-best-practices/how-to-configure-iis-for-relay-with-office-365

Topics

#SMTP relay#spam#email security#open relay abuse

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