Contents

Introduction

Block a Malicious or Problem Sender

Block a Sender via the GUI

Block a Sender via the CLI

Introduction

This document describes how to add a malicious IP address or domain name to your blocklist on a Cisco Email Security Appliance (ESA).

Block a Malicious or Problem Sender

The easiest way to block a sender is to add their IP address or domain name to the BLOCKED_LIST sender group within the ESA Host Access Table (HAT). The BLOCKED_LIST sender group uses the $BLOCKED mail flow policy, which has an access rule of REJECT.

Note: The IP address or the domain name is from the sending mail server. The IP address from the sending mail server can be captured from message tracking or in the mail logs, if not known.

Block a Sender via the GUI

Complete these steps in order to block a sender via the GUI:

1. Click Mail Policies.

2. Select HAT Overview.

3. If multiple listeners are configured on the ESA, ensure that the InboundMail listener is currently selected.

4. Select BLOCKED_LIST from the Sender Group column.

5. Click Add Sender....

6. Enter the IP address or domain name that you wish to block. These formats are allowed:

- IPv6 addresses, such as 2001:420:80:1::5

- IPv6 subnets, such as 2001:db8::/32

- IPv4 addresses, such as 10.1.1.0

- IPv4 subnets, such as 10.1.1.0/24 or 10.2.3.1

- IPv4 and IPv6 address ranges, such as 10.1.1.10-20, 10.1.1-5, or 2001::2-2001::10

- Hostnames, such as example.com

- Partial hostnames, such as .example.com

7. Click Submit after you have added your entries.

8. Click Commit Changes in order to complete the configuration changes.

Block a Sender via the CLI

Here is an example that shows how to block a sender by domain name and IP address via the CLI:

myesa.local> listenerconfig

Currently configured listeners:

1. Bidirectional (on Management, 192.168.1.x) SMTP TCP Port 25 Public

Choose the operation you want to perform:

- NEW - Create a new listener.

- EDIT - Modify a listener.

- DELETE - Remove a listener.

- SETUP - Change global settings.

[]> edit

Enter the name or number of the listener you wish to edit.

[]> 1

Name: Bidirectional

Type: Public

Interface: Management (192.168.1.x/24) TCP Port 25

Protocol: SMTP

Default Domain: example.com

Max Concurrent Connections: 50 (TCP Queue: 50)

Domain Map: Disabled

TLS: No

SMTP Authentication: Disabled

Bounce Profile: Default

Use SenderBase For Reputation Filters and IP Profiling: Yes

Footer: None

Heading: None

SMTP Call-Ahead: Disabled

LDAP: Off

Choose the operation you want to perform:

- NAME - Change the name of the listener.

- INTERFACE - Change the interface.

- CERTIFICATE - Choose the certificate.

- LIMITS - Change the injection limits.

- SETUP - Configure general options.

- HOSTACCESS - Modify the Host Access Table.

- RCPTACCESS - Modify the Recipient Access Table.

- BOUNCECONFIG - Choose the bounce profile to use for messages injected on this

listener.

- MASQUERADE - Configure the Domain Masquerading Table.

- DOMAINMAP - Configure domain mappings.

- LDAPACCEPT - Configure an LDAP query to determine whether a recipient address

should be accepted or bounced/dropped.

- LDAPGROUP - Configure an LDAP query to determine whether a sender or recipient

is in a specified group.

[]> hostaccess

Default Policy Parameters

==========================

Maximum Message Size: 10M

Maximum Number Of Concurrent Connections From A Single IP: 10

Maximum Number Of Messages Per Connection: 10

Maximum Number Of Recipients Per Message: 50

Directory Harvest Attack Prevention: Enabled

Maximum Number Of Invalid Recipients Per Hour: 25

Maximum Number Of Recipients Per Hour: Disabled

Maximum Number of Recipients per Envelope Sender: Disabled

Use SenderBase for Flow Control: Yes

Allow TLS Connections: No

Allow SMTP Authentication: No

Require TLS To Offer SMTP authentication: No

DKIM/DomainKeys Signing Enabled: No

DKIM Verification Enabled: No

S/MIME Public Key Harvesting Enabled: Yes

S/MIME Decryption/Verification Enabled: Yes

SPF/SIDF Verification Enabled: Yes

Conformance Level: SIDF compatible

Downgrade PRA verification: No

Do HELO test: Yes

SMTP actions:

For HELO Identity: Accept

For MAIL FROM Identity: Accept

For PRA Identity: Accept

Verification timeout: 40

DMARC Verification Enabled: No

Envelope Sender DNS Verification Enabled: No

Domain Exception Table Enabled: Yes

There are currently 6 policies defined.

There are currently 7 sender groups.

Choose the operation you want to perform:

- NEW - Create a new entry.

- EDIT - Modify an entry.

- DELETE - Remove an entry.

- MOVE - Move an entry.

- DEFAULT - Set the defaults.

- PRINT - Display the table.

- IMPORT - Import a table from a file.

- EXPORT - Export the table to a file.

- RESET - Remove senders and set policies to system default.

[]> edit

1. Edit Sender Group

2. Edit Policy

[1]> 1

Currently configured HAT sender groups:

1. ALLOWSPOOF

2. MY_INBOUND_RELAY

3. WHITELIST (My trusted senders have no anti-spam scanning or rate limiting)

4. BLOCKED_LIST (Spammers are rejected)

5. SUSPECTLIST (Suspicious senders are throttled)

6. UNKNOWNLIST (Reviewed but undecided, continue normal acceptance)

7. (no name, first host = ALL) (Everyone else)

Enter the sender group number or name you wish to edit.

[]> 4

Choose the operation you want to perform:

- NEW - Add a new host.

- DELETE - Remove a host.

- POLICY - Change the policy settings and options.

- PRINT - Display the current definition.

- RENAME - Rename this sender group.

[]> new

Enter the senders to add to this sender group. A sender group entry can be

any of the following:

- an IP address

- a CIDR address such as 10.1.1.0/24 or 2001::0/64

- an IP range such as 10.1.1.10-20, 10.1.1-5 or 2001:db8::1-2001:db8::10.

- an IP subnet such as 10.2.3.

- a hostname such as crm.example.com

- a partial hostname such as .example.com

- a range of SenderBase Reputation Scores in the form SBRS[7.5:10.0]

- a SenderBase Network Owner ID in the form SBO:12345

- a remote blocklist query in the form dnslist[query.blocklist.example]

Separate multiple entries with commas.

[]> badhost.example.org, 10.1.1.10

Note: Remember to commit any and all changes that are made from the main CLI.