String parsing bug

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?

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

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,

>
> 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.com> wrote in message
news:eOednXP_1twUVJjYnZ2dnUVZ_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