1880867 - IMAP download process can write corrupt database info

Status: RESOLVED WORKSFORME

(MailNews Core :: Networking: IMAP, defect)

Description

Attachment: Shows corrupt message on first line of message list

123.0b5 (64-bit)
Windows 11 Pro 23H2
I downloaded emails from IMAP account in the normal fashion and one email does not render correctly as initially placed in the inbox from the download process. My email web interface provides a function to download an EML file for a message. So I did that. Then I dragged and dropped the message from the Thunderbird inbox folder. The two files compare exactly except for five lines placed at the beginning added by Thunderbird. This proves Thunderbird downloaded the stream correctly.

The corrupt message when double-clicked and opened shows garbage in the subject field and attached images do not render because I do not display images from unknown email sources. When I clicked to display images they would not fetch and render.

When each file is dragged from the desktop and dropped into a folder they render correctly. Dragging the corrupt message to a different folder does not render correctly.

Because the two streams are the same (the EML file from Thunderbird and the EML file downloaded from the web interface), and because both EML files make valid, uncorrupted email when dropped into Thunderbird, the problem is the download process when header information is written to the database. Once database information is written the stream or wad is never reassessed to correct the database.

Will add more files. Possibly related to bug 1872677

Comment 1

[David McDivitt]

Attachment: The corrupt message when opened.

Comment 2

[David McDivitt]

Attachment: EML file from Thunderbird

Comment 3

[David McDivitt]

Attachment: EML file downloaded from email web interface

Comment 4

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

David,
Is this better for you with beta 125?

Comment 5

[David McDivitt]

Hi Wayne,

I saw a corrupted email on March 29th. When looking at the message list the correspondents column was question marks for the email but the subject looked ok in the message list and when opened the email rendered fine. This would be the same issue of invalid info being written to the database for some reason since the message list may display from the database. That was the only issue I've had for a long time. I also think that was 124 beta 2.

This weekend I updated Thunderbird to have 125 beta 2 now.

Comment 6

[gene smith]

Attachment: K.eml

Comment 7

[gene smith]

A couple questions:
Do you know the imap server type you are using? E.g., gmail, dovecot etc.
Are you using offline store or do you just keep everything on the server?

FWIW, I dropped into an imap courier account inbox the attached problem message (K*.eml), edited it as new and sent it to an outlook imap account and it appears OK on arrival. But from what has been said, this is a random occurrence which is probably not easily repeatable.
(The outlook account does not use offline store.)

Comment 9

[David McDivitt]

(In reply to gene smith from comment #7)

A couple questions:
Do you know the imap server type you are using? E.g., gmail, dovecot etc.
Are you using offline store or do you just keep everything on the server?

FWIW, I dropped into an imap courier account inbox the attached problem message (K*.eml), edited it as new and sent it to an outlook imap account and it appears OK on arrival. But from what has been said, this is a random occurrence which is probably not easily repeatable.
(The outlook account does not use offline store.)

My main email server is IMAP from powweb.com. I pull several mailboxes from that server and two gmail boxes. The issue has only been seen with my main mailbox which may have a couple hundred emails a day. The other mailboxes seldom get anything.

Mail is left on the server and deleted after ninety days by Thunderbird. Mail comes into each inbox with no filters run. After reading emails each inbox is emptied by running filters manually. The main mailbox may grow with new emails for a time until filters are manually run.

I have seen this issue most often with the first email fetch of the day where there are thirty or so emails going into an empty inbox. Occasionally it has happened throughout the day in a small batch of email downloaded.

I have determined the stream or wad is always good and always saved to the MBOX file properly but header info written to the database is spoiled for some reason. The problem is now very infrequent maybe due to recent application changes. When the problem does occur, I can restore my Thunderbird folder from the day before, pull email again, and it will reliably happen.

Comment 10

[gene smith]

Thanks for info.
Maybe related to bug 1888790 (even though this is imap) since OK in mbox apparently bad in .msf (database).

Comment 11

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

David, have you seen this in 128 or newer?

Comment 12

[David McDivitt]

I have not seen this issue in quite some time. I don't know when I last saw it.

Comment 13

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

Thanks for the update