String parsing bug

[ooba gooba]

Hi,

I'm trying to track down why some recipients of our emails never receive
them. These emails are sent from a PHP script which uses the 3rd party
phpmailer class. The possible cause for the email problem is that the
email headers have an invalid "Return-path". This is due to an apparent
bug in PHP, which I have replicated as follows:

The following code:

class Bug
{
var $From = 'address@domain .com';

function Test()
{
echo "FROM=[$this->From]<br>";

$returnpath = "Return-path: <$this->From>\n";
echo "1: $returnpath<br> ";

$returnpath = "Return-path: <{$this->From}>\n";
echo "2: $returnpath<br> ";

$returnpath = 'Return-path: <'.$this->From.">\n";
echo "3: $returnpath<br> ";

$returnpath = 'Return-path: '.'<'.$this->From.">\n";
echo "4: $returnpath<br> ";

$returnpath = 'Return-path: <['.$this->From."]>\n";
echo "5: $returnpath<br> ";

$returnpath = "Return-path: [$this->From]\n";
echo "6: $returnpath<br> ";
}
}

$instance = new Bug();
$instance->Test();

Results in this output:

FROM=[address@domain. com]
1: Return-path:
2: Return-path:
3: Return-path:
4: Return-path:
5: Return-path: <[address@domain. com]>
6: Return-path: [address@domain. com]

It appears that everything after the < character in the string is
getting truncated. I have so far been unable to generate a valid
Return-path string. My web host is using PHP 4.4.2. I have attached a
sample PHP file that replicates this bug. Does anyone know if this bug
still exists in 4.4.4?

[Rik]

Re: String parsing bug

ooba gooba wrote:

Hi,
>
I'm trying to track down why some recipients of our emails never
receive them. These emails are sent from a PHP script which uses the
3rd party phpmailer class. The possible cause for the email problem
is that the email headers have an invalid "Return-path". This is due
to an apparent bug in PHP, which I have replicated as follows:
>
The following code:
>
class Bug
{
var $From = 'address@domain .com';
>
function Test()
{
echo "FROM=[$this->From]<br>";
>
$returnpath = "Return-path: <$this->From>\n";
echo "1: $returnpath<br> ";
>
$returnpath = "Return-path: <{$this->From}>\n";
echo "2: $returnpath<br> ";
>
$returnpath = 'Return-path: <'.$this->From.">\n";
echo "3: $returnpath<br> ";
>
$returnpath = 'Return-path: '.'<'.$this->From.">\n";
echo "4: $returnpath<br> ";
>
$returnpath = 'Return-path: <['.$this->From."]>\n";
echo "5: $returnpath<br> ";
>
$returnpath = "Return-path: [$this->From]\n";
echo "6: $returnpath<br> ";
}
}
>
$instance = new Bug();
$instance->Test();
>
Results in this output:
>
FROM=[address@domain. com]
1: Return-path:
2: Return-path:
3: Return-path:
4: Return-path:
5: Return-path: <[address@domain. com]>
6: Return-path: [address@domain. com]
>
It appears that everything after the < character in the string is
getting truncated. I have so far been unable to generate a valid
Return-path string. My web host is using PHP 4.4.2. I have attached
a sample PHP file that replicates this bug. Does anyone know if this
bug still exists in 4.4.4?

I highly doubt it.
Browsers usually hide everything in beteween the <>.
Look at the source of the page, and probably all data is there like it
should be.

If you're curious what headers are sent, send yourself an email, and check
it's headers. Don't try to emulate them in a browser. Aside from the fact
that a browser has got his own logic you can't trace the path/possible
added headers by either your or another server.

Grtz,
--
Rik Wasmus

[ooba gooba]

Re: String parsing bug

Doh. You're right. It still doesn't explain why the return-path header
doesn't appear in the received email. <sigh>

Thanks, Rik.

Rik wrote:

ooba gooba wrote:

>Hi,
>>
>I'm trying to track down why some recipients of our emails never
>receive them. These emails are sent from a PHP script which uses the
>3rd party phpmailer class. The possible cause for the email problem
>is that the email headers have an invalid "Return-path". This is due
>to an apparent bug in PHP, which I have replicated as follows:
>>
>The following code:
>>
>class Bug
>{
> var $From = 'address@domain .com';
>>
> function Test()
> {
> echo "FROM=[$this->From]<br>";
>>
> $returnpath = "Return-path: <$this->From>\n";
> echo "1: $returnpath<br> ";
>>
> $returnpath = "Return-path: <{$this->From}>\n";
> echo "2: $returnpath<br> ";
>>
> $returnpath = 'Return-path: <'.$this->From.">\n";
> echo "3: $returnpath<br> ";
>>
> $returnpath = 'Return-path: '.'<'.$this->From.">\n";
> echo "4: $returnpath<br> ";
>>
> $returnpath = 'Return-path: <['.$this->From."]>\n";
> echo "5: $returnpath<br> ";
>>
> $returnpath = "Return-path: [$this->From]\n";
> echo "6: $returnpath<br> ";
> }
>}
>>
>$instance = new Bug();
>$instance->Test();
>>
>Results in this output:
>>
>FROM=[address@domain. com]
>1: Return-path:
>2: Return-path:
>3: Return-path:
>4: Return-path:
>5: Return-path: <[address@domain. com]>
>6: Return-path: [address@domain. com]
>>
>It appears that everything after the < character in the string is
>getting truncated. I have so far been unable to generate a valid
>Return-path string. My web host is using PHP 4.4.2. I have attached
>a sample PHP file that replicates this bug. Does anyone know if this
>bug still exists in 4.4.4?

>
I highly doubt it.
Browsers usually hide everything in beteween the <>.
Look at the source of the page, and probably all data is there like it
should be.
>
If you're curious what headers are sent, send yourself an email, and check
it's headers. Don't try to emulate them in a browser. Aside from the fact
that a browser has got his own logic you can't trace the path/possible
added headers by either your or another server.
>
Grtz,

[Norman Peelman]

Re: String parsing bug

>

Rik wrote:

ooba gooba wrote:

Hi,
>
I'm trying to track down why some recipients of our emails never
receive them. These emails are sent from a PHP script which uses the
3rd party phpmailer class. The possible cause for the email problem
is that the email headers have an invalid "Return-path". This is due
to an apparent bug in PHP, which I have replicated as follows:
>
The following code:
>
class Bug
{
var $From = 'address@domain .com';
>
function Test()
{
echo "FROM=[$this->From]<br>";
>
$returnpath = "Return-path: <$this->From>\n";
echo "1: $returnpath<br> ";
>
$returnpath = "Return-path: <{$this->From}>\n";
echo "2: $returnpath<br> ";
>
$returnpath = 'Return-path: <'.$this->From.">\n";
echo "3: $returnpath<br> ";
>
$returnpath = 'Return-path: '.'<'.$this->From.">\n";
echo "4: $returnpath<br> ";
>
$returnpath = 'Return-path: <['.$this->From."]>\n";
echo "5: $returnpath<br> ";
>
$returnpath = "Return-path: [$this->From]\n";
echo "6: $returnpath<br> ";
}
}
>
$instance = new Bug();
$instance->Test();
>
Results in this output:
>
FROM=[address@domain. com]
1: Return-path:
2: Return-path:
3: Return-path:
4: Return-path:
5: Return-path: <[address@domain. com]>
6: Return-path: [address@domain. com]
>
It appears that everything after the < character in the string is
getting truncated. I have so far been unable to generate a valid
Return-path string. My web host is using PHP 4.4.2. I have attached
a sample PHP file that replicates this bug. Does anyone know if this
bug still exists in 4.4.4?

I highly doubt it.
Browsers usually hide everything in beteween the <>.
Look at the source of the page, and probably all data is there like it
should be.

If you're curious what headers are sent, send yourself an email, and

check

it's headers. Don't try to emulate them in a browser. Aside from the

fact

that a browser has got his own logic you can't trace the path/possible
added headers by either your or another server.

Grtz,

"ooba gooba" <nospam@nojunk. comwrote in message
news:eOednXP_1t wUVJjYnZ2dnUVZ_ qadnZ2d@comcast .com...

Doh. You're right. It still doesn't explain why the return-path header
doesn't appear in the received email. <sigh>
>
Thanks, Rik.

Have you tried it without the < in the string? Although I use 'Reply-to:
address@my.site .com' instead of Return-path...

Norm