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I am finding emails being sent from my windows computer to my server from an unknown source. This is causing my servers firewall to block my IP and I cannot access my server. These emails are sent out ever 5 minutes. I can whitelist my IP with the firewall but when my IP changes we are back to being blocked.
Does anyone have any idea of what could be sending mail every 5 minutes to my server?
What email program are you using?
Do you have the same problem if you access/login your email server directly from the Internet using your browser?
Is your IP being blocked/blacklisted by other websites you access?
I would start by running several different malware removal programs – Malwarebytes Free, SuperAntiSpyware Free, any other of your choice, as well as a conplete scan with your main A/V program.
Are you using a VPN?
VPNs are used to hide IP addresses, and because of this, they get used for nefarious reasons. When that happens, the Internet community blacklists the IP. The blacklisted IPs are then blocked by firewalls and anti-spam software. If you are using a VPN, try this:
To find out what your IP address is, use whatsmyipaddress.com and click on “My IP” at the top.
Copy that IP address into these websites to see the status of your IP address:
If all of the emails are to the same address and regular intervals I would start thinking some automated program on your machine might be the issue. As an example we have antivirus programs set to email us issues on multiple machines. One machine had an old setting in it and when the a/v expired started sending emails every 30 minutes or so.
Whitelisting the IP may be convenient but doesn’t solve the issue. Check task scheduler and look through settings for programs installed on your machine. Maybe set the old address back up so you can receive the emails and you may get a clue as to what is doing it. From your description it doesn’t sound like malware sending spam. You’re probably getting your IP blocked due to sending limits or possibly a bad password/setting failing logon to your server. You can also go through your startup list and disable programs to help narrow it down.
Maybe help, maybe not –
Take a stroll through the Task Scheduler forest? Is there something triggered every 5 minutes?
Wireshark may help you see what’s going on. https://www.wireshark.org/
Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher
I do not use Outlook. I use Thunderbird. I have shut down Thunderbird and still get the emails.
The problem continues. Still trying to figure out Wireshark
In Wireshark you need to monitor outgoing IMAP connections, but you already know it’s the laptop so this is of little value.
I would use Resource Monitor to see what apps are using network bandwidth.
In RM, TCP Connections, there is a Remote Port column. Look in there for port 143, or the IP of your mail server. Port 143 is the default IMAP port.
cheers, Paul
Just wanted to let everyone know. The problem is solved. By the process of elimination I shut down one by one programs that I always have running and found that a calendar, database program I have used for years was trying to check mail every 5 minutes. Why it suddenly started this I don’t know. The program is Chaos Intellect. It has a part that will do email but I never really used it. I apparently tried it and put in an old email address years ago but never used it and never had a problem until a few weeks ago.
Anyway thanks to all that tried to help. I really appreciate it!
Roger
Glad you got it figured out. I remember using Chaos software many years ago. I remember it as being very useful. Not sure why we stopped using it.
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