Understanding Local Aliases

Oct 13, 2025 by vinooalluri.com 82 views

Introduction

Postfix is a popular open-source mail transfer agent (MTA) that provides a robust and secure way to manage email communication. However, with the increasing number of spam emails, it's essential to implement measures to block or disable such unwanted messages. One common technique used by spammers is to use local aliases as the "From:" address in their emails. In this article, we'll explore how to block or disable incoming mails with "From:" addresses matching local aliases defined in /etc/aliases.

Understanding Local Aliases

Local aliases are defined in the /etc/aliases file and are used to redirect email messages to specific users or groups. For example, if you have an alias admin defined as admin: root, any email sent to admin will be delivered to the root user. Spammers often use these local aliases as the "From:" address in their spam emails to make them appear legitimate.

Blocking Spam Mails with Local Aliases

To block or disable incoming mails with "From:" addresses matching local aliases, you can use the smtpd_recipient_restrictions parameter in the Postfix configuration file. Specifically, you can use the check_sender_access lookup table to check if the sender's address matches a local alias.

Step 1: Create a Lookup Table

Create a new file, e.g., /etc/postfix/aliases_lookup, with the following content:

# /etc/postfix/aliases_lookup
/^.*@/ REJECT

This file contains a single rule that rejects any email with a sender address that matches the local alias pattern.

Step 2: Update Postfix Configuration

Update the Postfix configuration file, /etc/postfix/main.cf, to include the check_sender_access lookup table:

# /etc/postfix/main.cf
smtpd_recipient_restrictions =
    ...
    check_sender_access hash:/etc/postfix/aliases_lookup,
    ...

This line tells Postfix to check the sender's address against the lookup table defined in /etc/postfix/aliases_lookup.

Step 3: Update the Lookup Table

Update the /etc/postfix/aliases_lookup file to include the local alias patterns:

# /etc/postfix/aliases_lookup
/^admin@/ REJECT
/^root@/ REJECT
/^user@/ REJECT

This file now contains rules that reject email with sender addresses matching the local aliases admin, root, and user.

Step 4: Reload Postfix Configuration

Reload the Postfix configuration to apply the changes:

# service postfix reload

Testing the Configuration

To test the configuration, send an email with a sender address matching one of the local aliases. For example:

# echo "Subject: Test email" | mail -r admin@localhost admin@localhost

Postfix should reject the email and return a rejection message.

Conclusion

Blocking spam mails with local aliases in Postfix is a simple yet effective way to reduce unwanted email traffic. By creating a lookup table and updating the Postfix configuration, you can easily reject email with sender addresses matching local aliases. This technique can be combined with other spam filtering methods to provide a robust and secure email infrastructure.

Additional Tips and Variations

To block email with sender addresses matching local aliases, you can also use the check_sender_access lookup table with a more specific pattern, such as ^admin@localhost$.
To reject email with sender addresses matching local aliases, you can use the reject action instead of REJECT.
To log rejected email, you can add a log action to the lookup table, such as log:info: rejected email from local alias.
To block email with sender addresses matching local aliases, you can also use the smtpd_sender_restrictions parameter instead of smtpd_recipient_restrictions.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues with the configuration, you can check the Postfix logs for errors or warnings. Additionally, you can use the postconf command to verify the Postfix configuration and check for any syntax errors.

References

Postfix documentation: https://www.postfix.org/documentation.html
Postfix lookup tables: https://www.postfix.org/lookup_table.5.html
Postfix recipient restrictions: https://www.postfix.org/postconf.5.html#smtpd_recipient_restrictions
Postfix :: disable/block mails with "From:" == local aliases - Q&A ====================================================================

Introduction

In our previous article, we discussed how to block or disable incoming mails with "From:" addresses matching local aliases defined in /etc/aliases. In this Q&A article, we'll address some common questions and provide additional information to help you implement this technique in your Postfix setup.

Q: What is the purpose of the `/etc/aliases` file?

A: The /etc/aliases file is used to define local aliases, which are used to redirect email messages to specific users or groups. For example, if you have an alias admin defined as admin: root, any email sent to admin will be delivered to the root user.

Q: How do I create a lookup table for blocking local aliases?

A: To create a lookup table, you can use a text editor to create a new file, e.g., /etc/postfix/aliases_lookup, with the following content:

# /etc/postfix/aliases_lookup
/^.*@/ REJECT

This file contains a single rule that rejects any email with a sender address that matches the local alias pattern.

Q: How do I update the Postfix configuration to use the lookup table?

A: To update the Postfix configuration, you can add the following line to the /etc/postfix/main.cf file:

# /etc/postfix/main.cf
smtpd_recipient_restrictions =
    ...
    check_sender_access hash:/etc/postfix/aliases_lookup,
    ...

This line tells Postfix to check the sender's address against the lookup table defined in /etc/postfix/aliases_lookup.

Q: How do I update the lookup table to include specific local aliases?

A: To update the lookup table, you can add rules that match the specific local aliases you want to block. For example:

# /etc/postfix/aliases_lookup
/^admin@/ REJECT
/^root@/ REJECT
/^user@/ REJECT

This file now contains rules that reject email with sender addresses matching the local aliases admin, root, and user.

Q: How do I reload the Postfix configuration to apply the changes?

A: To reload the Postfix configuration, you can use the following command:

# service postfix reload

Q: How do I test the configuration to ensure it's working correctly?

A: To test the configuration, you can send an email with a sender address matching one of the local aliases. For example:

# echo "Subject: Test email" | mail -r admin@localhost admin@localhost

Postfix should reject the email and return a rejection message.

Q: Can I use this technique to block email with sender addresses matching local aliases in other mail servers?

A: Yes, this technique can be used in other mail servers that support lookup tables, such as Sendmail and Exim.

Q: Are there any security considerations I should be aware of when implementing this technique?

A: Yes, when implementing this technique, you should be aware of the following security considerations:

Make sure to update the lookup table regularly to include new local aliases.
Use a secure method to update the lookup table, such as using a secure protocol like SSH.
Consider using a more specific pattern in the lookup table to avoid blocking legitimate email.

Q: Can I use this technique in conjunction with other spam filtering methods?

A: Yes, this technique can be used in conjunction with other spam filtering methods, such as Bayesian filtering and content filtering.

Conclusion

Additional Resources

Postfix documentation: https://www.postfix.org/documentation.html
Postfix lookup tables: https://www.postfix.org/lookup_table.5.html
Postfix recipient restrictions: https://www.postfix.org/postconf.5.html#smtpd_recipient_restrictions