The dots do matter: how to scam a Gmail user

Re:The dots do matter: how to scam a Gmail user by stordoff on Saturday April 07, 2018 @04:37PM (#16782801)

Doesn't that support what Google is doing? Google is the host specified in the domain, and they are interpreting the local-part to refer to the same mailbox if they only differ by dots.

The RFC also notes that the local-part MAY be case-sensitive (i.e. it's up to the host).

Edit: the host SHOULD ignore case: "a host that expects to receive mail SHOULD avoid defining mailboxes where [...] Local-part is case-sensitive".

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Re:The dots do matter: how to scam a Gmail user by djur on Saturday April 07, 2018 @05:36PM (#16783139)

It does. The relevant RFC says they don't have to matter and that senders shouldn't assume they do or don't. That means that both Google and Netflix are following the standard. The problem isn't with either company's compliance with the RFC, but that's not saying a lot. A mail provider could legally ignore all vowels in mailbox names.

(Similarly, although the RFC does say hosts shouldn't have case-sensitive local-parts, it doesn't say that senders can assume that local-parts are case-insensitive.)

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