Email Exploits?

I've just received an email from my web hosting service (unless it's
forged) containing a warning about email exploits. It claims that
many sites have been subject to an email exploit resulting in spam or
other forged messages originating from their domain. They claim the
problem is mainly due to hand-coded email scripts with names that
contain things like "contact" or "email". There's been no mention if
this is a PHP or Perl scripting problem or exactly what the problem is.

The email recommends a single site as the authorized source of email
scripts -- which is suspicious in itself -- and goes on to say that
they will be automatically renaming people's scripts if they are too
revealing: basically breaking people's sites.

This web hosting service has always been very reliable, and until now
has imposed very few restrictions. My experience has been good --
until the threat to rename people's scripts. Has anyone heard anything
about a rash of email exploits?

Where can I get more information on email exploits and defending my PHP
4 driven website against them?

Thanks in advance.

George Metesky,
New York

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