Common methods of email bombing include:
Mass Email Sending: Attackers use automated tools to send a large volume of emails to a target inbox, overwhelming its storage capacity. For example, a script may generate thousands of emails with random content and flood the victim's mailbox.
Email Loops: This involves exploiting email server configurations to create an infinite loop of replies. For instance, if two email servers misconfigure auto-responders, they may continuously reply to each other, flooding both inboxes.
Attachment Bombing: Attackers send emails with extremely large attachments or multiple attachments to consume storage space. For example, a single email with a 50GB attachment can quickly fill up a user's mailbox.
List Bombing: Victims are subscribed to multiple mailing lists without consent, resulting in a flood of subscription confirmation emails and newsletters. For example, a form on a website may be manipulated to add a target email to dozens of mailing lists.
To mitigate such attacks, services like Tencent Cloud Anti-Spam can help filter malicious emails, while Tencent Cloud Email Service provides secure and scalable email solutions with built-in protection mechanisms.