Synology: Hide RBL license key in MailPlus Server rejections

When you add an RBL host with a license key in the hostname to your Synology MailPlus Server configuration. Such as the excellent Abusix Combined list. The key is reported to the attacker in the SMTP rejection message. You don’t want to share that private credential with anyone, let alone a rogue entity.

To apply this tweak to non-Synology systems change the steps and paths to your installation. It should work for all Postfix integrations.

1. How to
2. Rewriting the rejection message
3. Reload postfix
4. Checking the result

How to

To remove the key from the rejection message you have to tell Postfix to rewrite the hostname of the RBL server.

cd '/volume1/@appconf/MailPlus-Server/customize/postfix'

cd '/volume1/@appconf/MailPlus-Server/customize/postfix'

sudo nano main.cf

sudo nano main.cf

Add this line at the bottom:

postscreen_dnsbl_reply_map = hash:/volume1/@appconf/MailPlus-Server/customize/postfix/dnsbl_reply_map

postscreen_dnsbl_reply_map = hash:/volume1/@appconf/MailPlus-Server/customize/postfix/dnsbl_reply_map

Save the file by CTRL X, hit Y and [enter]

Do the same to the template file that is used for automatic generation of the config files:

sudo nano '/volume1/@appstore/MailPlus-Server/etc/template/main.template'

sudo nano '/volume1/@appstore/MailPlus-Server/etc/template/main.template'

Again at the bottom add this line:

postscreen_dnsbl_reply_map = hash:/volume1/@appconf/MailPlus-Server/customize/postfix/dnsbl_reply_map

postscreen_dnsbl_reply_map = hash:/volume1/@appconf/MailPlus-Server/customize/postfix/dnsbl_reply_map

Save it by pressing CTRL X, hit Y and [enter]

Rewriting the rejection message

Now we need to tell Postfix how to rewrite those hostname mentions in the errors.

sudo nano '/volume1/@appconf/MailPlus-Server/customize/postfix/dnsbl_reply_map'

sudo nano '/volume1/@appconf/MailPlus-Server/customize/postfix/dnsbl_reply_map'

Copy-paste the following code.

Replace [key] with the license key you want to hide. Or use/add different RBL servers.

# Remove license key from RBL message
#
# http://www.postfix.org/postconf.5.html#postscreen_dnsbl_reply_map
#
# listname              new name
# secret.abusix.zone    abusix.zone

[key].combined.mail.abusix.zone       combined.mail.abusix.zone
[key].exploit.mail.abusix.zone       exploit.mail.abusix.zone
[key].black.mail.abusix.zone         black.mail.abusix.zone

# Remove license key from RBL message
#
# http://www.postfix.org/postconf.5.html#postscreen_dnsbl_reply_map
#
# listname              new name
# secret.abusix.zone    abusix.zone

[key].combined.mail.abusix.zone       combined.mail.abusix.zone
[key].exploit.mail.abusix.zone       exploit.mail.abusix.zone
[key].black.mail.abusix.zone         black.mail.abusix.zone

Reload postfix

Tell Postfix to generate the hashfile with the instructions. You have to re-run this command each time you change the dnsbl_reply_map file.

sudo /var/packages/MailPlus-Server/target/sbin/postmap dnsbl_reply_map

sudo /var/packages/MailPlus-Server/target/sbin/postmap dnsbl_reply_map

And finally restart the MailPlus Server from the UI to get it working. This is the most reliable way to get it done, because the shell commands such as ‘synopkg’ and ‘start-stop-status’ don’t always touch all associated processes.

1. In DSM go to Package Center
2. If on desktop go to Installed packages
3. Stop MailPlus (webmail) and then Synology MailPlus Server, wait for it to complete.
4. Now start Synology MailPlus Server and then the MailPlus (webmail) package.

Checking the result

Wait for a spammer to contact your system. Shouldn’t take long on a public mailserver.

1. Go to DSM > MailPlus Server > Auditing
2. Open one of the blocked dnsbl entries

In the details you should find the reason for the rejection as they received it, with your license key removed.