exim error

[cyanide]

I'm wondering if anyone knows what this error means in exim_rejectlog

2005-06-22 15:01:38 1DlATi-00009k-IR H=someisp.com [xxx.xxx.xx.xx] F=<me@mydomain.com> rejected after DATA: syntax error in 'From:' header when scanning for sender: malformed address: <me@mydomain.com> may not follow me@mydomain in "me@mydomain <me@mydomain.com>"

This person is using me@mydomain in the From field

[chirpy]

It's failing because it's using an invalid format (i.e. breaks RFC rules) on the From: header record.

The sender is using:

me@mydomain <me@mydomain.com>

which is not a valid email addressing format. However, this is:

"me@mydomain" <me@mydomain.com>

Basically, sounds like either poor input checking or a bug in a script.

[AndyReed]

The problem could be either script related, and/or email interface. You need to provide more information to help you troubleshoot the problem.

[cyanide]

Thanks very much for the responses guys...

We've been doing tons of tweaking to narrow down the problem.

The user sending the email is on a Mac and using the email program that comes with it.
We have figured out the problem.

If he puts Anyname in the Name Section of his mail program (From field), then the email comes through, no problem. But if he puts his email address me@mydomain.com or me@mydomain (without the extension), then the email gets kicked back with the error above in the exim logs.

But, if I try to do the same thing from a PC running Outlook, the emails go through without issue as it normally does.

So, for some reason exim is not liking what this Mac Mail program is sending, particularly the @ sign

Any ideas how to rectify it from my end... maybe a way to stop syntax checking?

[chirpy]

No, you can't, it's a bug in the emailer. If you prefix the email address with any text the email address must appear between <> characters, if the prefix text contains an @ symbol the prefix text must be surrounded by double-quotes. You cannot get around that RFC requirement. If he's using a local email client which cannot format email addresses correctly, he'll have to try another one that does. The fault is not with exim here.

[dhecker]

Is there any change that this might apply?

http://www.exim.org/exim-html-4.50/d...Q_0.html#TOC87

[chirpy]

In that it is verifying the bug in that email client, yes. Though it doesn't appear that the directive is in the cPanel exim configuration.

[dhecker]

Jonathan,

Am I to understand that if the verify = header_syntax check was removed/turned off then it would have allowed the malformed e-mails to pass through?

I looked at exim.conf but I didn't see that setting. If there IS a way to turn off the syntax checking, I would probably do it.

I understand that this isn't caused by Exim but since these clients are able to get e-mail through to [virtually] everyone except those on my server, they aren't concerned with the cause and simply want the e-mail to go through..

thanks, Dave

[chirpy]

I would say yes, but I didn't find that option in cPanel's /etc/exim.conf so it's not there to be turned off.

[dgbaker]

We've actually started seeing similar with boxtrapper. We have one person that any e-mail they send, whether through outlook or webmail from any account in their domain, to anyone that has boxtrapper enabled the e-mail gets discarded.

Discarding malformed message from sender: due to invalid From: header (<name@domains.com>)

and

Discarding malformed message from sender: due to invalid From: header ("Name" <name@domains.com>)


In this case it has nothing to do with the clients mail program, as even using webmail the issue comes up.

Still have not found a way to correct this either.

[gmarton]

Hi,
Same problem here, everything was working fine then I started using a domain that starts with a number.
I tried the same email client with 2 different accounts, only the one starting with a number was discarded.
running WHM 10.8.0 cPanel 10.8.1-S31 upgrading to RELEASE now. Tried webmail was discarded as well.

Tried a few client accounts, looks like no client of mine with boxtrapper enabled received any of my emails

[gmarton]

Well upgrading did not fix, but now I know that it is definetely the domain!
All I did was changed the email address, left everything alse the same and the email was received.

Does Boxtrapper have a problem certain domains?