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The TxRep - Reputation Plugin

Introduction

TxRep was designed as an enhanced replacement of the
AutoWhiteList plugin

TxRep, just like AWL, tracks scores of messages previously received, and adjusts the current message score, either by boosting messages from senders who send ham or penalizing senders who have sent spam previously. This not only treats some senders as if they were whitelisted but also treats spammers as if they were blacklisted. Each message from a particular sender adjusts the historical total score which can change them from a spammer if they send non-spam messages. Senders who are considered non-spammers can become treated as spammers if they send messages which appear to be spam. Simpler told TxRep is a score averaging system. It keeps track of the historical average of a sender, and pushes any subsequent mail towards that average.

The most important difference of TxRep in comparison with AWL is its ability to learn. It can be trained by sa-learn, it has also the auto-learn ability, and old messages can be re-learned anytime to adjust historical records after a revision of rules. There are more differences, though. Below, there is a brief list of feature introduced by TxRep to work around some shortcomings of AWL:

  1. Improved scoring algorithm 2. Learning 3. Auto-Learning 4. Re-learning 5. Record Aging 6. Blacklisting and Whitelisting 7. Complex Sender Identification 8. Message Tracking 9. Dual User and Global Storages 10. Outbound Whitelisting

More details are available on the TxRep POD page.

How Does It Work?

The algorithm works using a local database of entries. Each entry has a key formed by the identificator, and optionally the IP address it originated at, and the DKIM signature. It contains a TOTAL score of messages and a COUNT of messages. The MEAN score is TOTAL/COUNT. Each sender is identified by several IDs: the From email address in combination with the originating IP block, the standalone From email address (without any IP), the domain name of the From address, the full IP address, and the HELO name. Each of these ID types has a configurable weight factor when calculating the overall sender's reputation. The overall txrep_factor can be adjusted in the configuration to adjust the impact of the reputation, which may be useful when starting off.

How do I whitelist/blacklist someone?

Utility

TxRep uses the same storage handler as its predecessor AWL, therefor TxRep DB format backend files can be examined, pruned, and manipulated with the same tools as at AWL:

See also the AWL page for some more details

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