PH45473: CSSMTP BUILDS NON-COMPLIANT MESSAGE-ID HEADER

APAR status

• Closed as fixed if next.

Error description

• CSSMTP builds the Message-ID header using the following format:
  
  <jobname.jobid.hostname@domain.yyyymmdd.hhmmss.mmmmmm.jes.seq>
  
  where
  
    jobname      is the JES jobname
    jobid        is the JES jobid
    hostname     is the hostname
  
    domain       is the domain name
    yyyymmdd     is the year, month, and day
    hhmmss       is the hours, minutes, and seconds
    mmmmmm       is the microseconds
    jes          is the JES data set number
    seq          is the JES job email sequence number
  
  CSSMTP appends the data to the right of the domain name in
  order to assure global uniqueness of the message ID.
  However, this does not comply with RFC 5322 which indicates
  that the unique data should be to the left of the AtSign (@)
  rather than to the right.
  
  Some SMTP servers react to this by overwriting the right
  side of the message ID causing its uniqueness to be lost.
  
  ANALYSIS:
  Function mlEmlSMTPMsgId in EZAMLEML builds the Message-ID header
  with unique data to the right of the domain name in violation of
  RFC 5322.
  
  KNOWN IMPACT:
  The message ID uniqueness is lost in some SMTP servers.
  
  VERIFICATION STEPS:
  The Message-ID header contains data to the right of the domain
  name.
  

Local fix

• This problem is fixed by APAR PH49652.
  

Problem summary

• ****************************************************************
  * USERS AFFECTED:                                              *
  * All users of the IBM Communications Server for z/OS Version  *
  * 2 Release 4 and 5 IP: CSSMTP                                 *
  ****************************************************************
  * PROBLEM DESCRIPTION:                                         *
  * CSSMTP builds a Message-ID header that does not comply with  *
  * RFC 5322.                                                    *
  ****************************************************************
  * RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
  ****************************************************************
  CSSMTP builds the Message-ID header using the following format:
  
  <jobname.jobid.hostname@domain.yyyymmdd.hhmmss.mmmmmm.jes.seq>
  
  where
  
    jobname      is the JES jobname
    jobid        is the JES jobid
    hostname     is the hostname
    domain       is the domain name
    yyyymmdd     is the year, month, and day
    hhmmss       is the hours, minutes, and seconds
    mmmmmm       is the microseconds
    jes          is the JES data set number
    seq          is the JES job email sequence number
  
  CSSMTP appends the data to the right of the domain name in order
  to assure global uniqueness of the message ID.  However, this
  does not comply with RFC 5322 which indicates that the unique
  data should be to the left of the AtSign (@) rather than to the
  right.
  
  Some SMTP servers react to this by overwriting the right side of
  the message ID causing its uniqueness to be lost.
  

Problem conclusion

Temporary fix

Comments

• This APAR is being closed FIN (Fixed If Next) with concurrence
  from the submitting customer. This means that a fix to this APAR
  is expected to be delivered from IBM in a release (if any) to be
  available within the next 36 months.
  

APAR Information

• APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

• APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

Fix information

Applicable component levels