Reply to topic  [ 14 posts ] 
Exchange Distribution List Question 
Author Message
I haven't seen my friends in so long
User avatar

Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2009 6:37 am
Posts: 6954
Location: Peebo
Reply with quote
Any Microsoft Exchange experts on here?
Like many places we use Outlook/Exchange where I work. Just recently a new distribution list has been set up for a group of us to use for something.
No, I can see a list of members of the distribution list. Thing is, the e-mails to the DL seem to be going to additional people who don't show up in the list of Members visible in the Outlook address book or if you expand the list when the DL is in the To: field in an e-mail message.

This distribution list is meant to be confidential so I'm rather concerned that messages being sent using it are going to hidden additional recipients.
I've been googling how this would be achieved but I don't really know what I'm looking for. So, any Exchange experts able to shed any light on what's going on here?

_________________
When they put teeth in your mouth, they spoiled a perfectly good bum.
-Billy Connolly (to a heckler)


Tue Feb 07, 2017 4:46 pm
Profile
What's a life?
User avatar

Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 8:25 pm
Posts: 10691
Location: Bramsche
Reply with quote
Theoretically not possible.

If they aren't appearing in the DL, then they won't receive the email. They have to be in the To, Cc or Bcc field to receive a copy.

Either somebody is sending them on or they are adding them to the Bcc field.

_________________
"Do you know what this is? Hmm? No, I can see you do not. You have that vacant look in your eyes, which says hold my head to your ear, you will hear the sea!" - Londo Molari

Executive Producer No Agenda Show 246


Tue Feb 07, 2017 6:56 pm
Profile ICQ
What's a life?
User avatar

Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 7:26 pm
Posts: 17040
Reply with quote
Agreed. Most likely BCC which won't show in the headers of the email (that's the point) or someone has an inbox rule maybe to send them on to the 'third party'. There's outside possibility one of the people sending email to the list has a corrupted contact that may be making wonkey things happen - are all the emails that end up in the wrong place coming from one particular sender, or is it any email in the list?

I'd suggest using the Exchange message tracking feature 'backwards' - for one of the people who received it but shouldn't have. Basically get an example email, and 'track' in their mailbox for any email with that subject. That will tell you who sent it to them and therefore you have to check for inbox rules etc. It depends on what version of exchange it is exactly what else you can get & that's probably going to be something you'll need to do some powershell tinkering to get to.

If the person that sent it to them was the original sender of the email... As Dave says, theoretically impossible, but in that case I'd delete the dist list and rebuild it. It is a manually managed list or a dynamically generated one based on an AD group/context etc?


Tue Feb 07, 2017 7:07 pm
Profile
I haven't seen my friends in so long
User avatar

Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2009 6:37 am
Posts: 6954
Location: Peebo
Reply with quote
Thanks for the info guys.
Unfortunately I don't have any access to the servers to find out whats going on (I don't work in IT).

The distribution list in question is for use by the employee reps on the staff council. Someone noticed that a message to the list also appeared to get delivered to a manager who isn't part of the group (and whose name doesn't appear in the DL).
The concern is that IT have added something to the DL or some sort of server rule that distributes messages that should be confidential to the Reps to managers as well.

_________________
When they put teeth in your mouth, they spoiled a perfectly good bum.
-Billy Connolly (to a heckler)


Wed Feb 08, 2017 9:46 am
Profile
What's a life?
User avatar

Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 8:25 pm
Posts: 10691
Location: Bramsche
Reply with quote
It could be done with mailbox rules. But that means one of the other recipients has a rules set up that forwards the message to the manager - either all messages or specific headers, senders etc.

He could do that or IT could do it in the background, but would find themselves on dodgy ground if they did. If it is done at the request of a manager, he could find himself in hot water as well. Not sure on UK DP law, but certainly here, it would be illegal and the manager and the person in IT who did the redirect would be candidates for dismisal or prosecution.

But if the name isn't appearing in the list, then it doesn't have anything to do with the list.

_________________
"Do you know what this is? Hmm? No, I can see you do not. You have that vacant look in your eyes, which says hold my head to your ear, you will hear the sea!" - Londo Molari

Executive Producer No Agenda Show 246


Wed Feb 08, 2017 11:27 am
Profile ICQ
Site Admin
User avatar

Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 5:53 pm
Posts: 8603
Location: location, location
Reply with quote
Could be transport rules or journalling at an exchange level.
or mailbox permissions.

There's so many ways to do it, you just need server access to find it out.

_________________
Support X404, use our Amazon link
Get your X404 tat here
jonlumb wrote:
I've only ever done it with a chicken so far, but if required I wouldn't have any problems doing it with other animals at all.


Wed Feb 08, 2017 11:39 am
Profile WWW
What's a life?
User avatar

Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 7:26 pm
Posts: 17040
Reply with quote
Indeed. without access to at least the server logs and the Exchange configuration, you're pretty much on a hiding to nothing.


Wed Feb 08, 2017 2:17 pm
Profile
I haven't seen my friends in so long
User avatar

Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2009 7:55 am
Posts: 7935
Location: Manchester.
Reply with quote
Does anybody who is not in the distribution list have any rights to the mailbox of someone who is in the list? If so, wouldn't they be able to see emails sent to the DL?

That's what I'd be checking, using the Exchange Admin Center, (yes, American spelling)

Or am I talking BS... again?

_________________
okenobi wrote:
John's hot. No denying it. But he's hardly Karen now, is he ;)

John Vella BSc (Hons), PGCE - Still the official forum prankster and crude remarker :P
Sorry :roll:
I'll behave now.
Promise ;)


Wed Feb 08, 2017 2:37 pm
Profile WWW
What's a life?
User avatar

Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 7:26 pm
Posts: 17040
Reply with quote
John_Vella wrote:
Does anybody who is not in the distribution list have any rights to the mailbox of someone who is in the list? If so, wouldn't they be able to see emails sent to the DL?

It's possible, but it would generally be rather obvious if they were seeing it that way rather than it actually being delivered to the wrong person. I wouldn't expect people to get the two things confused.

John_Vella wrote:
That's what I'd be checking, using the Exchange Admin Center, (yes, American spelling)
Or am I talking BS... again?

Whether there's an Admin center or not depends on the version of Exchange they're running. Believe me, there are some very old setups still going out there :lol:


Wed Feb 08, 2017 6:36 pm
Profile
I haven't seen my friends in so long
User avatar

Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2009 7:55 am
Posts: 7935
Location: Manchester.
Reply with quote
Depending on how many people are in the distribution list, I still think it's worth checking their mail account settings to make sure that nobody has access to their mailbox that shouldn't.

_________________
okenobi wrote:
John's hot. No denying it. But he's hardly Karen now, is he ;)

John Vella BSc (Hons), PGCE - Still the official forum prankster and crude remarker :P
Sorry :roll:
I'll behave now.
Promise ;)


Thu Feb 09, 2017 6:48 pm
Profile WWW
Doesn't have much of a life

Joined: Sat Apr 25, 2009 6:50 am
Posts: 1911
Reply with quote
Log into your OWA > options > groups and see if you can remove and then re-add yourself.
The guy may have been in the group at the time that email went, but then taken himself out once he 'realised his mistake'.


Thu Feb 09, 2017 11:06 pm
Profile
I haven't seen my friends in so long
User avatar

Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2009 6:37 am
Posts: 6954
Location: Peebo
Reply with quote
Mystery solved!

The e-mail poped up on the managers screen because they were viewing a Web-Ex meeting and the person organising it (who is on the distribution list) received the e-mail and the notification popped up on their screen (so the e-mail notification appeared on the shared screen).

Phew.

Thanks for all the responses guys.

_________________
When they put teeth in your mouth, they spoiled a perfectly good bum.
-Billy Connolly (to a heckler)


Fri Feb 10, 2017 10:50 am
Profile
I haven't seen my friends in so long
User avatar

Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2009 7:55 am
Posts: 7935
Location: Manchester.
Reply with quote
We had a tech rep from another company in earlier this week, demo'ing some kit, using his laptop, connected to the big screen.

He received an email notification pop up balloon, (we think it was from a friend of his) with something along the lines of "click this link, it may be interesting"

A few moments later, a second balloon appeared, from the same "friend" with these words... "Oh, and lick my balls"

:lol:

_________________
okenobi wrote:
John's hot. No denying it. But he's hardly Karen now, is he ;)

John Vella BSc (Hons), PGCE - Still the official forum prankster and crude remarker :P
Sorry :roll:
I'll behave now.
Promise ;)


Fri Feb 10, 2017 11:06 am
Profile WWW
What's a life?
User avatar

Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 7:26 pm
Posts: 17040
Reply with quote
davrosG5 wrote:
Mystery solved!
The e-mail poped up on the managers screen because they were viewing a Web-Ex meeting and the person organising it (who is on the distribution list) received the e-mail and the notification popped up on their screen (so the e-mail notification appeared on the shared screen).

Oh My God.


Fri Feb 10, 2017 3:05 pm
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Reply to topic   [ 14 posts ] 

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 13 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
cron
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
Designed by ST Software.