Forum bug - Gmail auto-flags as spam, as not following proper bulk sender methods

[jamespharvey20]

Gmail says it can't authenticate the sender of the emails from this forum. (Initial password, password reset.)

It gives a link to this guide: https://support.google.com/mail/answer/8...entication

But it unfortunately doesn't say exactly what's causing it.

[mcb30]

(2015-07-27 21:48)jamespharvey20 Wrote:  Gmail says it can't authenticate the sender of the emails from this forum. (Initial password, password reset.)

It gives a link to this guide: https://support.google.com/mail/answer/8...entication

But it unfortunately doesn't say exactly what's causing it.

Yes, this is a known flaw in GMail. It's why the iPXE contact page now explicitly states that GMail (and only GMail) addresses are not supported.

Unfortunately, GMail seems to be totally uninterested in fixing their problem, so all we can do is require that people use another mail provider if they want to get reliable delivery of messages.

Michael

[NiKiZe]

(2015-07-29 20:12)mcb30 Wrote:  

(2015-07-27 21:48)jamespharvey20 Wrote:  Gmail says it can't authenticate the sender of the emails from this forum. (Initial password, password reset.)

It gives a link to this guide: https://support.google.com/mail/answer/8...entication

But it unfortunately doesn't say exactly what's causing it.

Yes, this is a known flaw in GMail. It's why the iPXE contact page now explicitly states that GMail (and only GMail) addresses are not supported.

Unfortunately, GMail seems to be totally uninterested in fixing their problem, so all we can do is require that people use another mail provider if they want to get reliable delivery of messages.

Michael

From one forum mail:

Code:

Authentication-Results: mx.google.com;
       spf=fail (google.com: domain of apache@fensystems.co.uk does not designate 2001:ba8:0:1d4:e4c4:daff:fece:219b as permitted sender) smtp.mail=apache@fensystems.co.uk
Received: by duck.fensystems.co.uk (Postfix, from userid 73)

the spf record only allows the mx: "v=spf1 mx -all"

The mx aaaa does not point to the IPv6 address that the mail is sent from.
duck.fensystems.co.uk. 600 IN AAAA 2001:ba8:0:1d4::6950:5845

So by SPF I would say that gmail does the right thing.
The OpenSPF explanation: http://www.openspf.org/Why?identity=apac...ece%3A219b

[mcb30]

(2015-08-01 08:10)NiKiZe Wrote:  From one forum mail:

Code:

Authentication-Results: mx.google.com;
       spf=fail (google.com: domain of apache@fensystems.co.uk does not designate 2001:ba8:0:1d4:e4c4:daff:fece:219b as permitted sender) smtp.mail=apache@fensystems.co.uk
Received: by duck.fensystems.co.uk (Postfix, from userid 73)

the spf record only allows the mx: "v=spf1 mx -all"

The mx aaaa does not point to the IPv6 address that the mail is sent from.
duck.fensystems.co.uk. 600 IN AAAA 2001:ba8:0:1d4::6950:5845

So by SPF I would say that gmail does the right thing.
The OpenSPF explanation: http://www.openspf.org/Why?identity=apac...ece%3A219b

Interesting; the 2001:ba8:0:1d4:e4c4:daff:fece:219b address is not the static IPv6 address that the server is configured to use (which is 2001:ba8:0:1d4::6950:5845, as per the MX record).

After some hacking around with the IPv6 configuration, I ended up manually creating /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifup.d/static-ipv6 to contain:

Code:

#!/bin/sh
sysctl -w net.ipv6.conf.$1.accept_ra_pinfo=0

and it now seems to be correctly using only the static IPv6 address.

I don't think this was the only problem, though; I've seen multiple failures from GMail that didn't mention SPF.

Michael

[NiKiZe]

Indeed, normally gmail does not block by SPF - and it works for me as far as I know. But fixing SPF will at least avoid being classified as spam.

I do get curious about which other types of errors you have seen - since I manage a server that sends newsletters to many gmail accounts without issues, atleast after some fixing - but it was a long time ago.

[mcb30]

(2015-08-01 12:26)NiKiZe Wrote:  I do get curious about which other types of errors you have seen - since I manage a server that sends newsletters to many gmail accounts without issues, atleast after some fixing - but it was a long time ago.

The bounce messages typically look like this:

Code:

Our system has detected 550-5.7.1 that this message is likely unsolicited
    mail. To reduce the amount of 550-5.7.1 spam sent to Gmail, this message
    has been blocked. Please visit 550 5.7.1
    https://support.google.com/mail/answer/188131 for more information.

and this is for individual e-mails (not just mailing list messages). I've basically given up on contacting people who use GMail: if I see them in person, I let them know that they shouldn't rely on receiving replies to any of their e-mails.

Michael