METHOD AND APPARATUS TO BLOCK FAST-SPREADING COMPUTER WORMS THAT USE DNS MX RECORD QUERIES

Parameters of DNS transactions associated with DNS MX record queries, which may be performed by mass-mailing worms from a host computer system, are detected at a DNS proxy and collected. An outbound SMTP transaction, such as an e-mail message, received at an SMTP proxy is stalled at the SMTP proxy and a determination is made whether malicious code activity is detected on the host computer system by correlating the parameters associated with the DNS MX record queries and the e-mail message. In one embodiment, above a specified threshold rate of DNS MX record queries to resolve SMTP server IP addresses, followed by the use of a resolved SMTP server IP address to send the e-mail message, an assumption is made that the e-mail message is generated by a worm, such as a mass-mailing worm, and protective action is taken thus preventing propagation of the worm, or other malicious code, via the outbound e-mail message.