GNU bug report logs - #35682
27.0.50; Weird failure to authenticate in smtpmail

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Message #5 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Stefan Monnier <monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca>
To: bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org
Subject: 27.0.50; Weird failure to authenticate in smtpmail
Date: Fri, 10 May 2019 19:26:42 -0400

Package: Emacs
Version: 27.0.50


Recently my SMTP server was updated and I started to get authentication
errors when sending email.  More specifically, when sending from
message-mode, I get the following error:

    Debugger entered--Lisp error: (error "Sending failed: 453 4.7.1 <monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca>: Sender address rejected: not logged in")
      signal(error ("Sending failed: 453 4.7.1 <monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca>: Sender address rejected: not logged in"))
      error("Sending failed: 453 4.7.1 <monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca>: Sender address rejected: not logged in")
      smtpmail-send-it()
      message-smtpmail-send-it()
      message-multi-smtp-send-mail()
      message-send-mail(nil)
      message-send-via-mail(nil)
      message-send(nil)
      message-send-and-exit(nil)
      funcall-interactively(message-send-and-exit nil)
      call-interactively(message-send-and-exit nil nil)
      command-execute(message-send-and-exit)

My smtpmail-related settings are:

    (setq send-mail-function #'smtpmail-send-it)
    (setq smtpmail-smtp-service 587)
    (setq smtpmail-smtp-server <mailserver>)
    (setq smtpmail-smtp-user "monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca")

and until recently this worked fine, prompting me for a password and
authenticating with it.  But now, I don't get prompted for a password
any more.

I can work around the problem with the patch below, but I have no idea
what other undesired effects it should have.  Apparently the code
catches the error 530 and treats it as a request to perform
authentication, so maybe the origin of the problem is that the mail
server now returns 453 instead of 530?  Should Emacs handle 453 like it
handles 530?  Should I report the problem to my SMTP admin instead?


        Stefan



In GNU Emacs 27.0.50 (build 1, x86_64-pc-linux-gnu, X toolkit, Xaw3d scroll bars)
 of 2019-05-08 built on pastel
Repository revision: e8754776a6d9cef4b28c3f0ad8320669656500d9
Repository branch: work
Windowing system distributor 'The X.Org Foundation', version 11.0.11902000
System Description: Debian GNU/Linux 9 (stretch)

Recent messages:
Saving file /home/monnier/src/emacs/elpa/packages/haskell-tng/test/haskell-tng-syntax-test.el...
Wrote /home/monnier/src/emacs/elpa/packages/haskell-tng/test/haskell-tng-syntax-test.el
Saving file /home/monnier/src/emacs/elpa/packages/haskell-tng/test/haskell-tng-syntax-test.el...
Wrote /home/monnier/src/emacs/elpa/packages/haskell-tng/test/haskell-tng-syntax-test.el
Mark saved where search started
Finding changes in /home/monnier/src/elisp/haskell-tng.el/...done
Warning: hide-sublevels is obsolete!
Mark set [3 times]
Saved text until "eftest haskell-tng-syntax-file-tests ()
"

Configured using:
 'configure -C --enable-checking --with-modules --enable-check-lisp-object-type
 'CFLAGS=-Wall -g3 -Og -Wno-pointer-sign'
 PKG_CONFIG_PATH=/home/monnier/lib/pkgconfig'

Configured features:
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FREETYPE XFT ZLIB TOOLKIT_SCROLL_BARS LUCID X11 XDBE XIM MODULES THREADS
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Important settings:
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  locale-coding-system: utf-8-unix

Major mode: InactiveMinibuffer

Minor modes in effect:
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Load-path shadows:
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/home/monnier/src/emacs/elpa/packages/ada-mode/ada-stmt hides /home/monnier/src/emacs/work/lisp/progmodes/ada-stmt
/home/monnier/src/emacs/elpa/packages/ada-mode/ada-mode hides /home/monnier/src/emacs/work/lisp/progmodes/ada-mode
/home/monnier/src/emacs/elpa/packages/ada-mode/ada-xref hides /home/monnier/src/emacs/work/lisp/progmodes/ada-xref
/home/monnier/src/emacs/elpa/packages/hyperbole/set hides /home/monnier/src/emacs/work/lisp/emacs-lisp/set
/home/monnier/src/emacs/elpa/packages/crisp/crisp hides /home/monnier/src/emacs/work/lisp/obsolete/crisp
/home/monnier/src/emacs/elpa/packages/landmark/landmark hides /home/monnier/src/emacs/work/lisp/obsolete/landmark

Features:
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Memory information:
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Message #8 received at 35682 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Robert Pluim <rpluim <at> gmail.com>
To: Stefan Monnier <monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca>
Cc: 35682 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#35682: 27.0.50; Weird failure to authenticate in smtpmail
Date: Sat, 11 May 2019 12:16:09 +0200

>>>>> On Fri, 10 May 2019 19:26:42 -0400, Stefan Monnier <monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca> said:

    Stefan> Package: Emacs Version: 27.0.50


    Stefan> Recently my SMTP server was updated and I started to get
    Stefan> authentication errors when sending email.  More
    Stefan> specifically, when sending from message-mode, I get the
    Stefan> following error:

    Stefan>     Debugger entered--Lisp error: (error "Sending failed:
    Stefan> 453 4.7.1 <monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca>: Sender address
    Stefan> rejected: not logged in") signal(error ("Sending failed:
    Stefan> 453 4.7.1 <monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca>: Sender address
    Stefan> rejected: not logged in")) error("Sending failed: 453
    Stefan> 4.7.1 <monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca>: Sender address rejected:
    Stefan> not logged in") smtpmail-send-it()
    Stefan> message-smtpmail-send-it() message-multi-smtp-send-mail()
    Stefan> message-send-mail(nil) message-send-via-mail(nil)
    Stefan> message-send(nil) message-send-and-exit(nil)
    Stefan> funcall-interactively(message-send-and-exit nil)
    Stefan> call-interactively(message-send-and-exit nil nil)
    Stefan> command-execute(message-send-and-exit)

    Stefan> My smtpmail-related settings are:

    Stefan>     (setq send-mail-function #'smtpmail-send-it) (setq
    Stefan> smtpmail-smtp-service 587) (setq smtpmail-smtp-server
    Stefan> <mailserver>) (setq smtpmail-smtp-user
    Stefan> "monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca")

Iʼd encourage 465 rather than 587, but that might not work for you.

    Stefan> and until recently this worked fine, prompting me for a
    Stefan> password and authenticating with it.  But now, I don't get
    Stefan> prompted for a password any more.

    Stefan> I can work around the problem with the patch below, but I
    
ENOPATCH (but I can imagine what it looks like)

    Stefan> have no idea what other undesired effects it should have.
    Stefan> Apparently the code catches the error 530 and treats it as
    Stefan> a request to perform authentication, so maybe the origin
    Stefan> of the problem is that the mail server now returns 453
    Stefan> instead of 530?  Should Emacs handle 453 like it handles
    Stefan> 530?  Should I report the problem to my SMTP admin
    Stefan> instead?

Talk to your SMTP admin, they've messed something up. 453 is basically
'go away, Iʼm not accepting messages'. 530 is 'go away, you haven't
authenticated yourself'.

Iʼm assuming you donʼt have an authinfo entry for this user? If I
remember correctly, when you do have such an entry (including a
passwordless one) smtpmail.el will proactively authenticate, rather
than wait for a rejection. (see smtpmail-try-auth-methods)

Robert

Message #11 received at 35682 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Stefan Monnier <monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca>
To: 35682 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#35682: 27.0.50; Weird failure to authenticate in smtpmail
Date: Sat, 11 May 2019 09:12:40 -0400

>     Stefan>     (setq send-mail-function #'smtpmail-send-it) (setq
>     Stefan> smtpmail-smtp-service 587) (setq smtpmail-smtp-server
>     Stefan> <mailserver>) (setq smtpmail-smtp-user
>     Stefan> "monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca")
> Iʼd encourage 465 rather than 587, but that might not work for you.

Indeed, 465 doesn't work here.

>     Stefan> I can work around the problem with the patch below, but I
> ENOPATCH (but I can imagine what it looks like)

Duh.  See below.

> Talk to your SMTP admin, they've messed something up. 453 is basically
> 'go away, Iʼm not accepting messages'. 530 is 'go away, you haven't
> authenticated yourself'.

Yet the text they return says pretty much what you describe of 530.

> Iʼm assuming you donʼt have an authinfo entry for this user?

Indeed.

> If I remember correctly, when you do have such an entry (including
> a passwordless one) smtpmail.el will proactively authenticate, rather
> than wait for a rejection. (see smtpmail-try-auth-methods)

Shouldn't smtpmail.el also proactively authenticate when
smtpmail-smtp-user is set?


        Stefan


diff --git a/lisp/mail/smtpmail.el b/lisp/mail/smtpmail.el
index a79e3db52d..8bb8cb8fad 100644
--- a/lisp/mail/smtpmail.el
+++ b/lisp/mail/smtpmail.el
@@ -336,7 +336,11 @@ smtpmail-send-it
 	      (if (not (null smtpmail-recipient-address-list))
 		  (when (setq result
 			      (smtpmail-via-smtp
-			       smtpmail-recipient-address-list tembuf))
+			       smtpmail-recipient-address-list tembuf
+                               ;; FIXME: It looks like I need this setting
+                               ;; otherwise my SMTP server signals a 453 error
+                               ;; because I'm not authenticated.
+                               t))      ;ask-for-password
 		    (error "Sending failed: %s" result))
 		(error "Sending failed; no recipients"))
 	    (let* ((file-data

Message #14 received at 35682 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Robert Pluim <rpluim <at> gmail.com>
To: Stefan Monnier <monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca>
Cc: 35682 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#35682: 27.0.50; Weird failure to authenticate in smtpmail
Date: Sat, 11 May 2019 16:47:09 +0200

>>>>> On Sat, 11 May 2019 09:12:40 -0400, Stefan Monnier <monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca> said:
    >> Talk to your SMTP admin, they've messed something up. 453 is
    >> basically 'go away, Iʼm not accepting messages'. 530 is 'go
    >> away, you haven't authenticated yourself'.

    Stefan> Yet the text they return says pretty much what you
    Stefan> describe of 530.

Yes, but 

1. That text has no semantics in SMTP, itʼs only for humans
2. The extended error code they send is 4.7.1, which is 
   a) Not meant to be used with 453
   b) Means "you are not allowed to send to this specific destination"
   
They should be sending 530, like SMTP servers have forever (and then
smtpmail won't care about the specific extended error).

    >> Iʼm assuming you donʼt have an authinfo entry for this user?

    Stefan> Indeed.

    >> If I remember correctly, when you do have such an entry
    >> (including a passwordless one) smtpmail.el will proactively
    >> authenticate, rather than wait for a rejection. (see
    >> smtpmail-try-auth-methods)

    Stefan> Shouldn't smtpmail.el also proactively authenticate when
    Stefan> smtpmail-smtp-user is set?

Not unless you want to change longstanding default behaviour, Iʼm sure
people will object (although I personally think itʼs a good
change). Is there a reason you canʼt put the entry in authinfo
(without a password)?

Robert

Message #17 received at 35682 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Noam Postavsky <npostavs <at> gmail.com>
To: Stefan Monnier <monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca>
Cc: 35682 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#35682: 27.0.50; Weird failure to authenticate in smtpmail
Date: Fri, 26 Jul 2019 08:51:28 -0400

forcemerge 26359 35682
quit

Stefan Monnier <monnier <at> iro.umontreal.ca> writes:

> +			       smtpmail-recipient-address-list tembuf
> +                               ;; FIXME: It looks like I need this setting
> +                               ;; otherwise my SMTP server signals a 453 error
> +                               ;; because I'm not authenticated.
> +                               t))      ;ask-for-password

This can now be controlled with smtpmail-servers-requiring-authorization.

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