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Today I was sending bulk messages, with an FROM address and an ReplyTo address from my virtual server.

75% of the bounces where from my server by the following email

mailer-daemon@vwp*****.webpack.hosteurope.de

25% of the bounces where from strange emails like this:

postmaster@sodifrance.onmicrosoft.com

postmaster@explomin.local

postmaster@lego.com

I understand from the wiki article that

A bounce message or just "bounce" is an automated message from a mail system, informing the sender of a previous message that that message had not been delivered

but why are 75% from my own virtual server? I didn't send anything to an email address from my virtual server.

Also, all bounce mail were addressed to the message given in FORM and they all ignored my ReplyTo field. Shoulnd't bounce messages usually use the ReplyTo field?

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  • You can check the SMTP log for your mail server to view the transactions that are occurring, however as As Nandia indicated below, you likely have a virus or malware on your server and should scan it. – dan♦ Sep 18 '18 at 0:59
  • @dan why you think that I have a malware? The bounces came from the bulk mail that I was sending out and the bounces where all actual addresses that I tried to send to. – Adam Sep 18 '18 at 7:42
  • Based on the descriptions in your question: 75% of the bounces where from my server and 25% of the bounces where from strange emails. If the bounces came from your server and "strange emails", you likely have a virus or malware sending them. Again, you can check the transactions in your mail server logs to have a better idea of what occurred. Scanning your server would be wise too. – dan♦ Sep 18 '18 at 8:13
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When you get a MAILER-DAEMON@whatevercompany.com message in your inbox, the server at that company is informing you that it is returning your message because of some failure. The "to" email address may no longer be valid, or there may be a problem routing the message to the appropriate mail server.

In your case, there might be some malicious codes making your email server to behave like this. Get a complete scan of your server and find/fix the culprit.

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  • Hey you are certainly right why one gets bounce message. But my question was rather why did I get bounce mails from my server, and not from the server that I was sending to. Sorry if my question was confusing. I don't think that it is a malicious code because I was sending a bulk emails on purpose and the bounce messages were reasonable. – Adam Sep 17 '18 at 22:00
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I asked my Server Provider and I got this message:

but why are 75% from my own virtual server? I didn't send anything to an email address from my virtual server.

When one sends a message to a mail client at he denies the SMTP-Dialog from the beginning, than the bounce will be generated from my server domain.

If the message was first accepted by the mail server, but then denied for another reason (wrong redirecting, full mailbox, etc.) then I will get a bounce from the mail server I was sending to.

Also, all bounce mail were addressed to the message given in FORM and they all ignored my ReplyTo field. Shoulnd't bounce messages usually use the ReplyTo field?

He answered, that the ReplyTo-Header is not used for bounces. According to RFC-Standard, the mail should go back to a specified "ReturnPath" and if not specified to the FROM address.

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