zimbra custom spamassassin rules

Introduction

Email is the backbone of modern communication, but spam can disrupt productivity and pose security risks. Zimbra, a leading open-source collaboration suite, integrates SpamAssassin to help users manage email effectively. By creating custom SpamAssassin rules, administrators can enhance spam filtering, ensuring emails reach their intended destination. This guide delves into how to set up and optimize Zimbra custom SpamAssassin rules, leveraging insights from [HEmail is the backbone of modern communication, but spam can disrupt productivity and pose security risks. Zimbra, a leading open-source collaboration suite, integrates SpamAssassin to help users manage email effectively. By creating custom SpamAssassin rules, administrators can enhance spam filtering, ensuring emails reach their intended destination. This guide delves into how to set up and optimize Zimbra custom SpamAssassin rules, leveraging insights from Hữu Phan’s guide.

Why Use Zimbra Custom SpamAssassin Rules?

Custom SpamAssassin rules allow greater control over spam detection by tailoring filters to specific organizational needs. Benefits include:

  • Improved spam detection accuracy.

  • Minimized false positives.

  • Enhanced security by blocking phishing attempts.

  • Tailored filtering for niche business requirements.

How to prevent spam on zimbra. To use zimbra spamassassin filter. To backlist and whitelist all email from address or domain. To spam-check mail incoming email to system your email or To spam-check internal mail. To use zimbra 8.6 and later, The commands as below running on zimbra MTA. 

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Setting Up Zimbra Custom SpamAssassin Rules

Enabling SpamAssassin rule updates
su - zimbra
zmlocalconfig -e antispam_enable_rule_updates=true
zmlocalconfig -e antispam_enable_restarts=true
zmlocalconfig -e antispam_enable_rule_compilation=true
zmamavisdctl restart
zmmtactl restart
To check and configure zimbra Spam Subject Tag, zimbra Spam Tag Percent, zimbra Spam Kill Percent attribute.
zmprov gcf zimbraSpamSubjectTag
zmprov gcf zimbraSpamTagPercent
zmprov gcf zimbraSpamKillPercent

zmprov mcf zimbraSpamSubjectTag ***SPAM***
zmprov mcf zimbraSpamKillPercent 50
zmprov mcf zimbraSpamTagPercent 25
To configure spamassassin rule
To spamassassin rule on base subject filter "OH_YEAH"
vim /opt/zimbra/data/spamassassin/localrules/huupv.cf
The content for spamassassin rule as below
header HUUPV_SPAM Subject =~ /OH_YEAH/i
describe HUUPV_SPAM Subject contains OH_YEAH it is spam
score HUUPV_SPAM 40.0
How to check spam-check internal mail
To backup amavisd.conf.in file before it's changed
cp /opt/zimbra/conf/amavisd.conf.in /opt/zimbra/conf/amavisd.conf.in.bk
To edit amavisd.conf.in file
vim /opt/zimbra/conf/amavisd.conf.in
The content as below
$policy_bank{'ORIGINATING'} = {  # mail supposedly originating from our users
  originating => 1,  # declare that mail was submitted by our smtp client
  allow_disclaimers => %%binary VAR:zimbraDomainMandatoryMailSignatureEnabled%%,  # enables disclaimer insertion if available
  # notify administrator of locally originating malware
  virus_admin_maps => ['@@av_notify_user@@'],
  spam_admin_maps  => ['@@av_notify_user@@'],
  warnbadhsender   => 0,
  bypass_spam_checks_maps   => [0], # don't spam-check internal mail
  # forward to a smtpd service providing DKIM signing service
%%uncomment SERVICE:opendkim%%  forward_method => 'smtp:[%%zimbraLocalBindAddress%%]:10030',
  # force MTA conversion to 7-bit (e.g. before DKIM signing)
  smtpd_discard_ehlo_keywords => ['8BITMIME'],
  bypass_banned_checks_maps => [0],  # allow sending any file names and types
  terminate_dsn_on_notify_success => 0,  # don't remove NOTIFY=SUCCESS option
};
You changed bypass_spam_checks_maps   => [0] to spam-check internal mail.

For example, To prevent spam with url contains http or https in body

body    HUU_RULE    m{http(s)?://(?:[a-z]+[0-9]+\.)*}
describe    HUU_RULE    http and https contains as spam
score       HUU_RULE    40

FAQ Section

1. What is the purpose of SpamAssassin in Zimbra?

SpamAssassin filters emails to identify spam using a scoring system and customizable rules.

2. Where can I find more SpamAssassin rule examples?

Refer to Hữu Phan guide and SpamAssassin’s official documentation.

3. Can I create rules for specific users?

Yes, user-specific rules can be defined in .spamassassin/user_prefs.

4. How do I monitor SpamAssassin’s performance?

Analyze logs in /var/log/maillog or check scores in email headers.

5. Are there risks to using overly aggressive rules?

Over-aggressive rules can lead to false positives, blocking legitimate emails. Test thoroughly before deployment.

External Links

zimbra custom spamassassin rules


Conclusion

Custom SpamAssassin rules in Zimbra provide unmatched flexibility in combating spam. By following the steps outlined in this guide, administrators can create precise filters tailored to organizational needs, enhancing email security and efficiency. Ready to optimize your email filtering? Dive into Zimbra custom SpamAssassin rules today and take control of your inbox.

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