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IMAP client no longer connects after enabling SASL and changing ports

  • 3 replies
  • 1 has this problem
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  • Last reply by RickGreder

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I enabled SASL in Postfix/Dovecot to protect the authentication details. I am using port 587 for SMTPS and 993 for IMAPS. I am able to send email with Thunderbird (with an error that it can't write to the Sent folder, probably over IMAPS). I have not been able to receive new email since enabling the SASL on port 993 about 4 days ago.

I have tested the Dovecot IMAPS server via command line (Reference 1) and when I look at Preferences->Account Settings, it looks like everything should be correct. The server name, the user name, and port 993 is selected (and 143 is the default). Connection Security == STARTTLS, Authentication Method == Normal Password

When I go to 'Get Messages', It says that it's connected to my domain "user@example.com Connected to example.com..." and the progress indicator animates for a very long time and then... nothing. The mailbox is still there, frozen in time as my remote IMAP box looked like 4 days ago. Clicking the 'Get Messages' button restarts this time consuming process, but any further clicks has no effect and the client seems to not make a 3rd attempt.

I have two /var/mail/mail.log entries attributed to my IP address

Dec 3 19:02:19 example dovecot: imap-login: Disconnected (no auth attempts in 100 secs): user=<>, rip=184.156.xxx.yyy, lip=192.168.178.31, TLS handshaking: Disconnected, session=<FWgM28RC7MS4nDgr> Dec 3 19:05:05 sellfam dovecot: imap-login: Disconnected (no auth attempts in 100 secs): user=<>, rip=184.156.xxx.yyy, lip=192.168.178.31, TLS handshaking: Disconnected, session=<iHHy5MRC9MS4nDgr>

This is quite confusing. Any suggestions where the configuration is wrong? As you can see in the reference below, I can read email just fine from the command line.

Reference 1:

$ openssl s_client -connect example.com:993 -quiet depth=1 /C=US/O=Let's Encrypt/CN=Let's Encrypt Authority X3 verify error:num=20:unable to get local issuer certificate verify return:0

  • OK [CAPABILITY IMAP4rev1 LITERAL+ SASL-IR LOGIN-REFERRALS ID ENABLE IDLE AUTH=PLAIN AUTH=LOGIN] Dovecot ready.

a1 LOGIN user@example.com password a1 OK [CAPABILITY IMAP4rev1 LITERAL+ SASL-IR LOGIN-REFERRALS ID ENABLE IDLE SORT SORT=DISPLAY THREAD=REFERENCES THREAD=REFS THREAD=ORDEREDSUBJECT MULTIAPPEND URL-PARTIAL CATENATE UNSELECT CHILDREN NAMESPACE UIDPLUS LIST-EXTENDED I18NLEVEL=1 CONDSTORE QRESYNC ESEARCH ESORT SEARCHRES WITHIN CONTEXT=SEARCH LIST-STATUS BINARY MOVE SPECIAL-USE] Logged in a5 LOGOUT

  • BYE Logging out

a5 OK Logout completed.

I enabled SASL in Postfix/Dovecot to protect the authentication details. I am using port 587 for SMTPS and 993 for IMAPS. I am able to send email with Thunderbird (with an error that it can't write to the Sent folder, probably over IMAPS). I have not been able to receive new email since enabling the SASL on port 993 about 4 days ago. I have tested the Dovecot IMAPS server via command line (Reference 1) and when I look at Preferences->Account Settings, it looks like everything should be correct. The server name, the user name, and port 993 is selected (and 143 is the default). Connection Security == STARTTLS, Authentication Method == Normal Password When I go to 'Get Messages', It says that it's connected to my domain "user@example.com Connected to example.com..." and the progress indicator animates for a very long time and then... nothing. The mailbox is still there, frozen in time as my remote IMAP box looked like 4 days ago. Clicking the 'Get Messages' button restarts this time consuming process, but any further clicks has no effect and the client seems to not make a 3rd attempt. I have two /var/mail/mail.log entries attributed to my IP address Dec 3 19:02:19 example dovecot: imap-login: Disconnected (no auth attempts in 100 secs): user=<>, rip=184.156.xxx.yyy, lip=192.168.178.31, TLS handshaking: Disconnected, session=<FWgM28RC7MS4nDgr> Dec 3 19:05:05 sellfam dovecot: imap-login: Disconnected (no auth attempts in 100 secs): user=<>, rip=184.156.xxx.yyy, lip=192.168.178.31, TLS handshaking: Disconnected, session=<iHHy5MRC9MS4nDgr> This is quite confusing. Any suggestions where the configuration is wrong? As you can see in the reference below, I can read email just fine from the command line. Reference 1: $ openssl s_client -connect example.com:993 -quiet depth=1 /C=US/O=Let's Encrypt/CN=Let's Encrypt Authority X3 verify error:num=20:unable to get local issuer certificate verify return:0 * OK [CAPABILITY IMAP4rev1 LITERAL+ SASL-IR LOGIN-REFERRALS ID ENABLE IDLE AUTH=PLAIN AUTH=LOGIN] Dovecot ready. a1 LOGIN user@example.com password a1 OK [CAPABILITY IMAP4rev1 LITERAL+ SASL-IR LOGIN-REFERRALS ID ENABLE IDLE SORT SORT=DISPLAY THREAD=REFERENCES THREAD=REFS THREAD=ORDEREDSUBJECT MULTIAPPEND URL-PARTIAL CATENATE UNSELECT CHILDREN NAMESPACE UIDPLUS LIST-EXTENDED I18NLEVEL=1 CONDSTORE QRESYNC ESEARCH ESORT SEARCHRES WITHIN CONTEXT=SEARCH LIST-STATUS BINARY MOVE SPECIAL-USE] Logged in a5 LOGOUT * BYE Logging out a5 OK Logout completed.

All Replies (3)

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I should mention, the username for the IMAP server is also my mailbox name, user@example.com

The Thunderbird client is version 45.4.0 for Ubuntu Linux

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Encryption means SSL/TLS and cphers. Has your Dovecote had the updates for logjam and subsequent TLS/ Open SSL updates applied?

I suggest checking the error console. Ctrl+Shift+J

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Matt said

Encryption means SSL/TLS and cphers. Has your Dovecote had the updates for logjam and subsequent TLS/ Open SSL updates applied? I suggest checking the error console. Ctrl+Shift+J

I have been applying the updates on the server side. The version of Thunderbird is also patched. I have seen the error console, while there are errors there, they seem to be developer-scope notifications, for example, see below:

Could not read chrome manifest 'file:///usr/lib/thunderbird/chrome.manifest'.

Could not read chrome manifest 'jar:file:///usr/lib/thunderbird/extensions/%7B972ce4c6-7e08-4474-a285-3208198ce6fd%7D.xpi!/chrome.manifest'.

While creating services from category 'profile-after-change', service for entry 'SpeechDispatcher Speech Synth', contract ID '@mozilla.org/synthspeechdispatcher;1' does not implement nsIObserver.

Timestamp: 12/03/2016 12:30:27 PM Warning: Unknown property 'grid-auto-columns'. Declaration dropped. Source File: resource://gre-resources/ua.css Line: 175, Column: 19 Source Code:

 grid-auto-columns: inherit;

Timestamp: 12/03/2016 12:30:27 PM Warning: Unknown property 'grid-auto-rows'. Declaration dropped. Source File: resource://gre-resources/ua.css Line: 176, Column: 16 Source Code:

 grid-auto-rows: inherit;

Timestamp: 12/03/2016 12:30:27 PM Warning: Unknown property 'grid-auto-flow'. Declaration dropped. Source File: resource://gre-resources/ua.css Line: 177, Column: 16 Source Code:

 grid-auto-flow: inherit;

Timestamp: 12/03/2016 12:30:27 PM Warning: Unknown property 'grid-column-gap'. Declaration dropped. Source File: resource://gre-resources/ua.css Line: 178, Column: 17 Source Code:

 grid-column-gap: inherit;

Timestamp: 12/03/2016 12:30:27 PM Warning: Unknown property 'grid-row-gap'. Declaration dropped. Source File: resource://gre-resources/ua.css Line: 179, Column: 14 Source Code:

 grid-row-gap: inherit;

Timestamp: 12/03/2016 12:30:27 PM Warning: Unknown property 'grid-template-areas'. Declaration dropped. Source File: resource://gre-resources/ua.css Line: 180, Column: 21 Source Code:

 grid-template-areas: inherit;

Timestamp: 12/03/2016 12:30:27 PM Warning: Unknown property 'grid-template-columns'. Declaration dropped. Source File: resource://gre-resources/ua.css Line: 181, Column: 23 Source Code:

 grid-template-columns: inherit;

Timestamp: 12/03/2016 12:30:27 PM Warning: Unknown property 'grid-template-rows'. Declaration dropped. Source File: resource://gre-resources/ua.css Line: 182, Column: 20 Source Code:

 grid-template-rows: inherit;

1480790069178 addons.update-checker WARN Update manifest for {972ce4c6-7e08-4474-a285-3208198ce6fd} did not contain an updates property

1480790069331 addons.update-checker WARN Update manifest for messagingmenu@mozilla.com did not contain an updates property

1480790069675 addons.update-checker WARN Update manifest for thunderbird-hotfix@mozilla.org did not contain an updates property