Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!mp.cs.niu.edu!rickert From: rickert@mp.cs.niu.edu (Neil Rickert) Newsgroups: comp.mail.sendmail Subject: Re: User setting From: address in sendmail input Message-ID: <1991Jun20.023913.6589@mp.cs.niu.edu> Date: 20 Jun 91 02:39:13 GMT References: Organization: Northern Illinois University Lines: 30 In article fwp1@CC.MsState.Edu (Frank Peters) writes: >A user just noticed that he can put any from address into the From: >header of a file and pipe it to /usr/lib/sendmail and have that address >appear in the From field of the delivered message. The unix From header >has the correct address (if it is present). What is the big deal? This is supposed to be part of the design. The intention (if you look at RFC822) is that the 'From:' header is supposed to reflect the author of the message. The SMTP envelope address, or in its absence, the 'Sender:' header, are supposed to reflect the identity of the person who transmitted the message. What is the difference between this and ordinary paper mail. There you can put any address you like, but the post office postmark will reflect where it was really sent from. One perfectly reasonable use might be that you are moving to a new address, so you put your new email address on the 'From:' header, while the Unix 'From ' line contains the SMTP address reflecting where the message really originated. -- =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= Neil W. Rickert, Computer Science Northern Illinois Univ. DeKalb, IL 60115 +1-815-753-6940