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Providing a valid key will trigger an automated process to configure this plugin.

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Configuring Spamhaus DQS

First, ensure the tenant’s local.cf file is correctly configured. Using Expert Editor, in the activeguard/core/startup_cfg/spamass/local.cf file, make sure that:
  • skip_uribl_checks is set to 0 to enable the URIDNSBL plugin
  • skip_rbl_checks is set to 0 to enable the Realtime Blackhole List checks
  • the dns_query_restriction list does not contain the value spamhaus.net but it does contain spamhaus.org
Please also make sure that the trusted MTAs in Spamassassin are configured correctly in local.cf. Some keys are Hash Blocklist (HBL) enabled, some are not. Where to write the key depends on whether the key is HBL enabled and whether you want to use this feature. Therefore, configure Spamhaus either with or without HBL as described below.

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Using Spamhaus DQS with HBL

  1. Using Expert Editor, create a new file at activeguard/core/startup_cfg/spamass/spamhaus_hbl_license.txt.
  2. Populate it with your key and only your key.

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Using Spamhaus DQS without HBL

  1. Using Expert Editor, create a new file at activeguard/core/startup_cfg/spamass/spamhaus_license.txt.
  2. Populate it with your key and only your key.

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Triggering the configuration script

After you have completed the steps above, click Publish. Then restart the ag_core container, because the Spamhaus files under activeguard/core/startup_cfg/ require an MTA restart:
and check the stdout log of core (either use Loki or the command line docker compose logs core) for the line containing the message Spamassassin DQS config successfully linted. This indicates that the configuration files have been successfully written to the Spamassassin configuration directory and are valid. The communication runs via DNS, therefore you don’t have to change your firewall config.

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Testing

  1. Run the Spamhaus Blocklist Tester (BLT).
  2. Under Data Query Service Test, enter your DQS key, and for the Test Type select Both, then enter a guarded email address for your tenant to which you have access and permission to use. The tests will display as failed in the BLT itself, as they are successfully delivered to the tenant’s mailserver, but are filtered out later by xorlab Security Platform. The BLT cannot know this.
  3. The mailbox will receive several emails from test@unlisted.blt.spamhaus.net:
    • If the key supplied is HBL-enabled, these should all be quarantined and tagged as #blacklistedexternal.
    • If the key is not HBL-enabled, these should all be quarantined and tagged as #blacklistedexternal except those with hbl in the subject; for example, BLT DQS Content Test Email (19843:248226:hbl-dqs-body-cc-wallet).

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Disabling Spamhaus

You should disable Spamhaus when its license expires to avoid any issues:
  1. Remove the license file—either spamhaus_hbl_license.txt or spamhaus_license.txt—from activeguard/core/startup_cfg/spamass/ in Expert Editor.
  2. While in Expert Editor, open activeguard/core/startup_cfg/spamass/local.cf and set skip_rbl_checks and skip_uribl_checks to 1.
  3. Click Publish, then restart the container: