[gnu.org #248647] Re: [Savannah-help-public] [sr #104528] SMTP sender verification appears to have a too short timeout

[Justin Baugh via RT]

> [beuc - Wed Aug 03 16:22:29 2005]:
> 
> Hello Justin,
> 
> We received the following request at Savannah regarding the mail
> system.
> 
> Can you have a look at it?

Hello Sylvain, et al,

The timeout is not the problem: the remote mail server is actually
complaining about a null reverse path used in the verify callout:

>> Connecting to mx1.mtnl.net.in [202.159.228.19]:25 ... connected
>>>   SMTP<< 220 mtnl-av SMTP service ready
>>>   SMTP>> HELO monty-python.gnu.org
>>>   SMTP<< 250 Requested mail action okay, completed.
>>>   SMTP>> MAIL FROM:<>
>>>   SMTP<< 250 Requested mail action okay, completed.
>>>   SMTP>> RCPT TO:<address@hidden>
>>>   SMTP<< 550 Only 0 recipient  allowed for sender '<>'
>>>   SMTP>> QUIT
>>> wrote callout cache domain record:
>>>   result=1 postmaster=0 random=0
>>> wrote negative callout cache address record
>>> ----------- end verify ------------

(note the 550 returned from mx1.mtnl.net)

This condition would seem to violate RFC 2821, which not only says that
null reverse-paths are acceptable, but also says that null paths must be
used in notification messages. For instance, from RFC 2821, 4.1.1.2:

"In some types of reporting messages for which a reply is likely to
cause a mail loop (for example, mail delivery and nondelivery
notifications), the reverse-path may be null (see section 3.7)." 

The remote site needs to fix this.

-Justin

-- 
Justin Baugh (baughj at gnu dot org)
Systems Administrator
Free Software Foundation