spamassassin 3.2.0 default setup detects legitimate email as spam

[jo...@fib.upc.edu]

Hi gurus,

Recently, I've upgraded to spamassassin 3.2.0 called from amavisd-new.
I've seen that this version is more agressive, and for example it detect 
as spam
a legitimate email with next score:

X-Spam-Status: Yes, score=4.884 tagged_above=-999 required=3.5
    tests=[MIME_BASE64_TEXT=2.796, RCVD_BAD_ID=2.088]

Is this correct?

I know that, perhaps, email was'nt sent correctly, but what can i do?

- increase required score until 6 or 7 for example?
- avoid these tests: MIME_BASE64_TEXT, RCVD_BAD_ID or
score with  lower punctuation
- other solutions,

Jordi Renye
Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya

Re: spamassassin 3.2.0 default setup detects legitimate email as spam

[mouss <mo...@netoyen.net>]

jordir@fib.upc.edu wrote:
> Hi gurus,
>
> Recently, I've upgraded to spamassassin 3.2.0 called from amavisd-new.
> I've seen that this version is more agressive, and for example it
> detect as spam
> a legitimate email with next score:
>
> X-Spam-Status: Yes, score=4.884 tagged_above=-999 required=3.5
>    tests=[MIME_BASE64_TEXT=2.796, RCVD_BAD_ID=2.088]
>

SA doesn't think this is spam (score < 5). _you_ decided it is spam.
Rule score are computed using the threshold of 5. Using another
threshold may work, but don't forget that the optimization problem that
the perceptron solves is not linear.

if a lot of spam is missed, don't lower the threshold. Instead, find out
if you can add rules to detect that spam.
> Is this correct?
>
> I know that, perhaps, email was'nt sent correctly, but what can i do?
>
> - increase required score until 6 or 7 for example?
> - avoid these tests: MIME_BASE64_TEXT, RCVD_BAD_ID or
> score with  lower punctuation

depends on how many legitimate mail you get that trigger these.
> - other solutions,
>

use Bayes and train on errors.

Re: spamassassin 3.2.0 default setup detects legitimate email as spam

[Richard Frovarp <ri...@sendit.nodak.edu>]

jordir@fib.upc.edu wrote:
> Hi gurus,
>
> Recently, I've upgraded to spamassassin 3.2.0 called from amavisd-new.
> I've seen that this version is more agressive, and for example it 
> detect as spam
> a legitimate email with next score:
>
> X-Spam-Status: Yes, score=4.884 tagged_above=-999 required=3.5
>    tests=[MIME_BASE64_TEXT=2.796, RCVD_BAD_ID=2.088]
>
> Is this correct?
>
> I know that, perhaps, email was'nt sent correctly, but what can i do?
>
> - increase required score until 6 or 7 for example?
> - avoid these tests: MIME_BASE64_TEXT, RCVD_BAD_ID or
> score with  lower punctuation
> - other solutions,
>
> Jordi Renye
> Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya
>
>
>
The score that SA 3.2 is tuned for is 5.0. So given that score, the 
message wouldn't have been caught, but definitely close. 3.5 is probably 
too low.