[cobalt-users] Sudden e-mail tests sent to root

[alan@xxxxxxxxx]

Hi,
As the list is up ;) I thought I'd ask this.

I have received 6 mails this morning, all sent to root from
the mailer-daemon ...

<message body >
This is a test email sent to test Buffer Overflow Alert
messaging.  This message
only tests email connectivity for alerts.
</message body>

Then I get returned mail transcripts from all the 'users' it
tried to contact ...

<message body >
The original message was received at Tue, 21 Jan 2003 01:16:28
GMT
from root@localhost

   ----- The following addresses had permanent fatal errors ---
--
10(wheel)
    (reason: 550 5.1.1 User unknown)
6(disk)
    (reason: 550 5.1.1 User unknown)
5(tty)
    (reason: 550 5.1.1 User unknown)
4(adm)
    (reason: 550 5.1.1 User unknown)
3(sys)
    (reason: 550 5.1.1 User unknown)
2(daemon)
    (reason: 550 5.1.1 User unknown)
1(bin)
    (reason: 550 5.1.1 User unknown)
uid=0(root) gid=0(root) groups=0(root)
    (reason: 550 5.1.1 User unknown)

   ----- Transcript of session follows -----
550 5.1.1 10(wheel)... User unknown
550 5.1.1 6(disk)... User unknown
550 5.1.1 5(tty)... User unknown
550 5.1.1 4(adm)... User unknown
550 5.1.1 3(sys)... User unknown
550 5.1.1 2(daemon)... User unknown
550 5.1.1 1(bin)... User unknown
550 5.1.1 uid=0(root) gid=0(root) groups=0(root)... User
unknown
</message body>

Attached to each returned mail message is this ...

<message body>
Reporting-MTA: dns; ns.datapin.co.uk
Arrival-Date: Tue, 21 Jan 2003 01:16:28 GMT

Final-Recipient: RFC822; 10@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Action: failed
Status: 5.1.1
Diagnostic-Code: X-Unix; 550 5.1.1 User unknown
Last-Attempt-Date: Tue, 21 Jan 2003 01:16:29 GMT

Final-Recipient: RFC822; 6@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Action: failed
Status: 5.1.1
Diagnostic-Code: X-Unix; 550 5.1.1 User unknown
Last-Attempt-Date: Tue, 21 Jan 2003 01:16:29 GMT

Final-Recipient: RFC822; 5@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Action: failed
Status: 5.1.1
Diagnostic-Code: X-Unix; 550 5.1.1 User unknown
Last-Attempt-Date: Tue, 21 Jan 2003 01:16:29 GMT

Final-Recipient: RFC822; 4@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Action: failed
Status: 5.1.1
Diagnostic-Code: X-Unix; 550 5.1.1 User unknown
Last-Attempt-Date: Tue, 21 Jan 2003 01:16:29 GMT

Final-Recipient: RFC822; 3@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Action: failed
Status: 5.1.1
Diagnostic-Code: X-Unix; 550 5.1.1 User unknown
Last-Attempt-Date: Tue, 21 Jan 2003 01:16:29 GMT

Final-Recipient: RFC822; 2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Action: failed
Status: 5.1.1
Diagnostic-Code: X-Unix; 550 5.1.1 User unknown
Last-Attempt-Date: Tue, 21 Jan 2003 01:16:29 GMT

Final-Recipient: RFC822; 1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Action: failed
Status: 5.1.1
Diagnostic-Code: X-Unix; 550 5.1.1 User unknown
Last-Attempt-Date: Tue, 21 Jan 2003 01:16:29 GMT

Final-Recipient: RFC822; uid=0.gid=0.groups=0@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Action: failed
Status: 5.1.1
Diagnostic-Code: X-Unix; 550 5.1.1 User unknown
Last-Attempt-Date: Tue, 21 Jan 2003 01:16:29 GMT

</message body>

Is this a legitimate mailing test by the machine, and if so,
why is this the first time I have received such a message in 3
years on this box ?
BTW, all the 6 messages are the same, and the original message
was repeated too.

regards

Alan