Re: [Nms-cgi-devel] Suggestions for FormMail.pl

[Steven M. <nm...@ap...>]

Hi Jonathan,

One of my proposed changes: one liners for FormMail.pl and FormMail.pm,
at the bottom of this message. If you really need patches, then can you
let me know how you like them made?

There is a widely reported problem where SpamAssassin flags the results
of NMS FormMail submissions as "BUGGY_CGI", after an inspection of the
X-Mailer header. This does not apply to the confirmation emails, only to
the submitted data. See for example,
http://news.spamcop.net/pipermail/spamcop-mail/2003-July/009795.html
which describes the SpamAssassin checks.

Looking at the code in FormMail.pm, confirmation emails are sent with a
string made from a hard-coded part and the module version number, see
FormMail.pm, Line 1282
    $self->mailer->newmail("NMS FormMail.pm v$VERSION",
$self->{CFG}{postmaster}, $email);

This string is matched by the SpamAssassin regex, and will not be
flagged as BUGGY_CGI.

However, the submitted data is sent using the name_and_version string
defined in FormMail.pl, which is different.

FormMail.pl: Line 94
     name_and_version       => 'NMS FormMail 3.14m1',

Although this string is in the "non modifyable" section of FormMail.pl,
it can be overridden in user config, by for example
$more_config{name_and_version} = "My Mail Form";

I want to modify this because I am trying to get some extra obscurity by
changing the value of my X-Mailer header, so I don't want NMS formmail
advertised in my confirmation emails.

This string (usually with its default value) is used in FormMail.pm,
Line 1057
  $mailer->newmail($self->name_and_version, $self->{CFG}{postmaster}, @{
$self->{Recipients} });

Mails to the scripts coded recipient are sent using this X-Mailer name,
and will be flagged as BUGGY_CGI if SpamAssassin gets a sniff of them.

My first proposed change is that the default string at FormMail.pl line
94 should match the SpamAssassin regex, so should be
FormMail.pl: Line 94:
     name_and_version       => 'NMS FormMail.pl v3.14m1',

My second proposed change is that the configured X-Mailer name should be
used in the confirmation and the submission emails. version number, see
FormMail.pm, Line 1282
    $self->mailer->newmail($self->name_and_version,
$self->{CFG}{postmaster}, $email);

Obviously I've changed my install so I'm happy, but it would be helpful
for all the people confused that their NMS emails are being flagged as
buggy! Any thoughts?

Regards,
Steven


Jonathan Stowe wrote:

>On Thu, 2006-03-02 at 16:44, Steven Mackenzie wrote:
>  
>
>>Hello,
>>
>>I have made some small changes to my FormMail.pm installation to use the
>>configured Mailer name consistantly, avoid mails being flagged as spam
>>by SpamAssassin, and to add a content type header that respects the
>>users configured character set.
>>
>>I see the FormMail script hasn't been updated in a while though. Is
>>anyone interested in adding these changes (in while case I'll describe
>>and justify them)?
>>    
>>
>
>FormMail hasn't been changed in a while because it hasn't had any bugs
>to be fixed and we are not encouraging adding new features - we are
>concentrating any new development in TFmail as we aren't constrained by
>the legacy of compatibility with the MSA FormMail.
>
>However if you send us a patch against the modules version of FormMail
>we can take a look and discuss it.
>
>/J\
>
>  
>