Quickie mail.python.org status

[Skip Montanaro]

(Posted via Google so some fraction of the c.l.py community sees
it.

I noticed that python-related mail has been at best trickling in today,
so took a quick peek at mail.python.org. Since 4am today exim has
rejected over 15,000 messages because they contained executable
attachments or suspicious (sobig-style) subjects. I'm sure that's nothing
compared to sites like SourceForge or AOL, but it conspires to keep
useful mail from flowing through that machine.

They said it was going to be bad after everyone returned from the long
holiday and late-summer vacations. I guess they were right...

Skip

 

[Michael Hudson]

(Posted via Google so some fraction of the c.l.py community sees
it.

I noticed that python-related mail has been at best trickling in today,
so took a quick peek at mail.python.org. Since 4am today exim has
rejected over 15,000 messages because they contained executable
attachments or suspicious (sobig-style) subjects. I'm sure that's nothing
compared to sites like SourceForge or AOL, but it conspires to keep
useful mail from flowing through that machine.

What happened to the firewall hack? I didn't think exim was supposed
to be *seeing* the sobig stuff...

Cheers,
mwh

 

[Skip Montanaro]

Francois> I do not understand why the bad guys would have programmed
Francois> such a deadline within their code, but I still wish this
Francois> deadline story is true!

The speculation I've read is that the author was paid (or is going to be
paid) by spammers. The virus will propagate (and relay spam?) until the
agreed upon deadline.

Skip

 

[Aahz]

On the other hand, I've read somewhere (on the Symantec site, I think), t=
hat
at least some varieties of the virus will turn themselves off on Septembe=
r
9'th. I do not understand why the bad guys would have programmed such a
deadline within their code, but I still wish this deadline story is true!

Actually, the date is Sept 10, and the presumption is that SoBig.G will
be released on Sept 11....