A few days ago, I said (here):
Recently, someone subscribed each of the SVLUG mailing lists to a Sympa-software mailing list at a large mailing list site -- a rather bizarre thing to even attempt to do. I deferred action while wondering WTF someone was doing, then predictably the next time I posted to svlug@lists.svlug.org received an offlist notice that my 'posting' to the _other_ remote mailing list was being held for approval (because I wasn't subscribed to the remote Sympa list, only 'svlug@lists.svlug.org').
This clearly was not a tolerable situation, so I removed all of those subscriptions.
My guess is either mischief or some bizarre variety of user mishap.
Specifically, Sympa mailing list 'blocktogether@lists.riseup.net' got entered as a subscriber to each of the Mailman mailing lists at lists.svlug.org, a couple of weeks ago. Because I missed one when deleting those subscriptions, today I'm able to cite it as a specific example. (I just deleted that last one, too.)
According to https://lists.riseup.net/www/info/blocktogether, it's no longer an active mailing list. The successor mailing list, https://lists.riseup.net/www/info/blocktogether-help, says 'Block Together' is 'a Twitter API tool to help cope with harassment and abuse on Twitter' -- basically a crowdsourced blocklist.
Perhaps this was part of a low-level effort to monkeywrench Block Together by throwing other Internet traffic at it.
I'm a little mystified that the unknown agent was able to successfully complete creation of those subscriptions, because of the three-way handshake process required to acknowledge that a subscriber address really wants to carry out that subscription. That is, the only people able to receive confirmation mail to 'blocktogether@lists.riseup.net' are listadmins of that mailing list, who'd see the confirmation mail in the held-messages queue. Strange.
And I've seen some other signs lately that there may be holes in the three-way handshake process for some local LUG mailing lists.
----- Forwarded message from SYMPA sympa@lists.riseup.net -----
Date: Sat, 01 Apr 2017 13:02:10 +0000 From: SYMPA sympa@lists.riseup.net To: mailman-owner-owner@lists.svlug.org Subject: Message distribution: Authorization denied X-Mailer: Sympa 6.1.22
Your message for list 'blocktogether' (attached below) was rejected. You are not allowed to send this message for the following reason:
Message distribution for this list is restricted to list moderators.
For further information, please contact blocktogether-request@lists.riseup.net
Return-Path: mailman-owner-bounces+blocktogether=lists.riseup.net@lists.svlug.org X-Original-To: blocktogether@lists.riseup.net Delivered-To: blocktogether@lists.riseup.net Received: from mail.svlug.org (lists.svlug.org [71.19.144.13]) (using TLSv1 with cipher AES256-SHA (256/256 bits)) (Client did not present a certificate) by whimbrel.riseup.net (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 53D9FFF8B3 for blocktogether@lists.riseup.net; Sat, 1 Apr 2017 13:02:02 +0000 (UTC) Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1]:38865 helo=svlug.org) by mail.svlug.org with esmtp (Exim 4.44 #1) id 1cuIfC-0003gM-B7 for blocktogether@lists.riseup.net; Sat, 01 Apr 2017 05:01:54 -0800 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Subject: lists.svlug.org mailing list memberships reminder From: mailman-owner-owner@lists.svlug.org To: blocktogether@lists.riseup.net X-No-Archive: yes Message-ID: mailman.590.1491051603.12067.mailman-owner@lists.svlug.org Date: Sat, 01 Apr 2017 05:00:03 -0800 Precedence: bulk X-BeenThere: mailman-owner@lists.svlug.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.6b4 List-Id: <mailman-owner.lists.svlug.org> X-List-Administrivia: yes Sender: mailman-owner-bounces+blocktogether=lists.riseup.net@lists.svlug.org Errors-To: mailman-owner-bounces+blocktogether=lists.riseup.net@lists.svlug.org
This is a reminder, sent out once a month, about your lists.svlug.org mailing list memberships. It includes your subscription info and how to use it to change it or unsubscribe from a list.
You can visit the URLs to change your membership status or configuration, including unsubscribing, setting digest-style delivery or disabling delivery altogether (e.g., for a vacation), and so on.
In addition to the URL interfaces, you can also use email to make such changes. For more info, send a message to the '-request' address of the list (for example, mailman-owner-request@lists.svlug.org) containing just the word 'help' in the message body, and an email message will be sent to you with instructions.
If you have questions, problems, comments, etc, send them to mailman-owner-owner@lists.svlug.org. Thanks!
Passwords for blocktogether@lists.riseup.net:
List Password // URL ---- -------- smaug@lists.svlug.org agoxduho http://lists.svlug.org/lists/options/smaug/blocktogether%40lists.riseup.net
----- End forwarded message -----