Setting a Return-Path header is improper

  • Resolved Jason Hendriks

    (@jasonhendriks)


    8 years, 10 months ago

    Hi, I’m the developer for Postman SMTP. One of my users brought an issue to my attention when using Email Users. This plugin is causing server-side failures triggered by the Return-Path header that Email Users sets.

    Note that the Return-Path header was the trigger, but not the direct cause of the failure, so no action needs to be taken by you. (The cause is the behaviour of mail -> setReturnPath in Zend_Mail) However, if I may quote RFC 5321:

    When the delivery SMTP server makes the “final delivery” of a message, it inserts a return-path line at the beginning of the mail data. […] A message-originating SMTP system SHOULD NOT send a message that already contains a Return-path header field.

    FYI, the fix I made to my plugin necessitates deleting the Return-Path header set by Email Users.

    Jason

    https://wordpress.org/plugins/email-users/

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
  • Plugin Author Mike Walsh

    (@mpwalsh8)

    8 years, 10 months ago

    How did you fix this? Did you modify the plugin or use the mailusers_manipulate_headers filter? It will let you modify the headers to work with other plugins.

    That is how the integration with wpMandrill works.

    Plugin Author Mike Walsh

    (@mpwalsh8)

    8 years, 10 months ago

    If you end up creating a filter and want to send it to me, I will add it to the examples directory with the other plugin integration samples.

    Thread Starter Jason Hendriks

    (@jasonhendriks)

    8 years, 10 months ago

    I fixed it directly in the Postman SMTP code – my feeling is no plugin should be able to generate non-compliant email out of Postman.

    I don’t know what wpMandrill does, but I doubt it’s correct.

    According to https://mandrill.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/205582727-Can-I-customize-the-Return-Path-bounce-address-used-for-my-emails- Mandrill, the service, expects:

    • the return_path_domain parameter (API)
    • X-MC-ReturnPathDomain (SMTP)
    • or via account settings under Settings > Sending Defaults > Return Path Domain

    Each one of these methods is RFC-compliant and allows the Mandrill server, which makes final delivery, to insert the proper Return-Path header.

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
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