SORBS.NET - email RBL issues
The email RBL service at sorbs.net seems to be having issues. Christopher alerted us to the issue yesterday around 4pm EST - his servers were blocking all inbound mail from google and yahoo based on the sorbs database. At the time we ran a few queries, it seemed to be more of a database problem than an actual blocklist entry. Since then it seems to have gotten worse, the main sorbs.net website is down as well.
Two points:
1/ Tactically, if you are using sorbs.net to filter your email, you probably will want to temporarily modify your configs until they are back and in good health
2/ Strategically, putting all your eggs in one basket for anything in IT is not great. Always architect core services so that they'll work if one component or another fails - everything breaks sometime, that's just life in IT. Personally, I don't put a lot of faith in RBL services, but if I do use them for a client, normally I'll configure several of them (or at least 2), or even better, use the input from the RBL as only one factor in the "is it spam?" question that we need to ask for every inbound email.
************** UPDATE ******************
It looks like this service was under a DDOS attack, they expect to be fully back in a few hours (as of 2:45-ish EST)
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=============== Rob VandenBrink Metafore ===================
Comments
/dad7732
Oct 7th 2010
1 decade ago
We have had reports that we have a database corruption, there is no evidence of that but to be safe we have emptied the DNS zone files and the rsync files until we can check the database for any possible errors. We expect this to be complete within 24 hours.
Michelle
Michelle @ SORBS
Oct 7th 2010
1 decade ago
Having multiple RBLs in use is fine, but if an RBL has problems in a way that causes incorrect rejections then it doesn't matter if you use just one, unless as said it is only one factor in the decision - but a lot of configs will reject if ANY RBL gives a rejection.
Doc
Oct 7th 2010
1 decade ago
We seem to be cleared for an hour by now, lets see if we get listed again if the zone files get filled up.
Horrible failure, thousands of mails have been rejected. Can't imagine what trouble this has brought to the big service systems like gmail, who have been affected as well.
Torsten
Oct 7th 2010
1 decade ago
Support Guy
Oct 7th 2010
1 decade ago
Scott
Oct 7th 2010
1 decade ago
Scott
Oct 7th 2010
1 decade ago
Michelle @ SORBS
Oct 7th 2010
1 decade ago
Database export still suspended whilst the problem is corrected.
I expect normal operations to resume within a few hours.
Michelle
Michelle @ SORBS
Oct 7th 2010
1 decade ago
chavez243
Oct 7th 2010
1 decade ago