Open Bug 213300 Opened 21 years ago Updated 8 years ago

[Meta] POP3 server name(mail.server.serverNN.hostname) is changed to localhost or 127.0.0.1 by anti-virus software(Norton,McAfee,PC-Cillin), then "Copies & Folders" or "Junk Control" can not be changed, and "Junk Control","Message Filter" are damaged

Categories

(MailNews Core :: Networking: POP, defect)

Product:
MailNews Core
Component:
Networking: POP
Platform:
x86
Windows XP
Type:
defect
Priority:
Not set
Severity:
major

Tracking

(Not tracked)

People

(Reporter: dlcogswell, Assigned: World)

References

(Blocks 1 open bug)

Details

(Keywords: meta, Whiteboard: [kb])

Attachments

(1 file)

Problem appeared in Seamonkey Alpha 1.1 today
770 bytes, text/plain
Details 
User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.4) Gecko/20030624
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.4) Gecko/20030624

When setting up an e-mail account, I specify the pop server name and my account
ID on that server. The next time I start Mozilla, I see that the pop server name
has been changed to localhost and the server name has been appended to my
account ID, for example:
 pop server name: pop.sbcglobal.yahoo.com
 account ID: xyz@sbcglobal.net
becomes
 pop server name: localhost
 accountID: xyz@sbcglobal.net/pop.sbcglobal.yahoo.com
If I change them back, they just revert back to localhost etc. We occasionally
get "unable to connect to localhost" message and changing back to original
server & account names seems to correct this. localhost seems to work most of
the time, but this behavior is annoying. Why can't the pop server name and
account be left as specified?

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Define a pop account, specifying server name & account ID
2. Shut down mozilla and restart
3. pop server will be set to localhost ad account ID will have pop server name
apended

Actual Results:  
pop server set to localhost ad account ID will have pop server name apended

Expected Results:  
leave pop server name as user specified
Don't you use anti-virus software such as Trendmicro's "Virus Baster" and
haven't you enabled mail scanning function of it? 
"Automatic configuration for your email software" section in
http://www.trendmicro.com/ftp/documentation/readme/pcc2003readme.txt says;
> PC-cillinq 2003 can configure your email software to
> scan viruses on email messages automatically.
> The supported email software includes the following:
>(snip)
>  Netscape 6.0, 6.1, 7.0
>(snip)
"Virus Baster" changes Mozilla's username&servername in prefs.js but does not
change other required settings in prefs.js.
This inconsistency causes many problems.
For example, value of "mail.server.server1.spamActionTargetAccount" is not
changed and junk mail control is damaged.
Workaround is;
 (1) Read manual of "Virus Baster" family or "Norton AntiVirus" family.
 (2) Change server settings manually.
     servername = localhost ("Virus Baster" case)
     username   = <UserName>@<POP_Server_Name> ("Virus Baster" case)

See bug report in Japan if you can read Japanese. 
http://bugzilla.mozilla.gr.jp/show_bug.cgi?id=3298
In additon to "Virus Baster" family and "Norton AntiVirus" family, McAfee
VirusScan 8.0, which is newest version, supports e-mail scanning for Netscape.
I could not find any description about automatic change of mail client's
definition by McAfee VirusScan, same scenario will probably be applied.   

Bug 192119 seems to be "Norton" family case.
This has happened several times for me too:

What happens is;

When setting up a new profile with a POP3 account (haven't been able to test 
IMAP), all mails are read in. That works fine. When you enter the mail client 
again, sometimes as soon as the 2nd or 3rd time, the POP3 host is changed 
to "localhost" and the username to "<POP3 username>" + "/" + "<previous POP3 
host>". If you change that back again, the mail client starts to re-read all 
your mails on the server again.

This bug appeared in NS 7.1 the first time and is also available in Mozilla 1.5.


    / Gote Johansson


This is caused by virus scan software, such as PC-Cillin, which uses this
technique to insert its own agent between the POP server and Mozilla e-mail
client. It's not a problem, but certainly has led to confusion.
Severity: normal → trivial
Status: UNCONFIRMED → RESOLVED
Closed: 21 years ago
Resolution: --- → WORKSFORME
*** Bug 220723 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Yes, I now agree that this is not caused by NS or Mozilla. I turned off PC-
Cillin's POP3-agent och then it worked as it should. By pure coincidense I 
started to use PC-Cillin when I tried to merge to NS 7.1 (and the following 
versions).

I'm sorry for the confusion!


Regards,


      / Gote Johansson

In additon to damage on Junk Mail Control described in Comment #3 and Comment
#5, this anti-virus software's hostname/username change seems to cause problem
of Bug 221386.
> Mozilla doesnt save the " Copies and Folders " page
> in the " Mail and Newsgroups Account Settings "causes not only "Junk Mail"
Bug 14295 introduced mail.server.serverN.realhostname and
mail.server.serverN.realuserName to avoid inconsistency of prefs.js parameters
in case of server name or user name change.
Account Manager of 2003112908-trunk/Win-Me added or modified these parameters on
hostname or username change.

And "Avast! 4", free version of which can be obtained from http://www.avast.com/
if home use, already supports this Mozilla's old enhancement.
Avast! 4 requires hostname of 127.0.0.1 and username@hostname combination for
mail scan and he added realhostname and realuserName in prefs.js.
> user_pref("mail.server.serverN.realhostname", "127.0.0.1");
> user_pref("mail.server.serverN.realuserName","<userName>#<hostname>");

hostname/username change after initial account difinition should be done through
realhostname/realuserName value instead of hostname/userName value.
Therefore cause of this bug is fault of Anti-Virus software such as Trendmicro's
PC-Cillin family(localhost), Symantec's Norton AntiVirus family(127.0.0.1) or
McAfee's VirusScan family(127.0.0.1).
Bug 221415 is Junk Mail Control damage on Thunderbird due to hostname change to
"localhost".
> Bug 221415 : In Junk Mail Controls control is disabled
Correction. (Sorry for spam)

Although Bug 221415 Comment #2 and Bug 221415 Comment #4 reported host name
change  to "localhost" on Thunderbird, Bug 221415 was different problem.
See Bug 221415 Comment #6.


Corection on Comment #5.

Bug 192119 was different problem.
However, Bug 192119 Comment #12 is an example of Junk Mail Control damage when
hostname was changed to "127.0.0.1" but spamActionTargetAccount was not changed
correctly (probably manual change).
This describes the reason why problem described in comment #3 is caused.
Bug 221386 Comment #17 seems to be McAfee's SpamKiller case.
Bug 235124 is 127.0.0.1 case (probably by McAfee) and damage on "Copies &Folder"
preference.
> Bug 235124 copies & folders settings will not be saved
Bug 235214 is 127.0.0.1 case by Gdata or Kapersky Labs.
Recovery operation when hostname and userName are changed.

(1) Shutdown Mozilla
(2) Edit prefs.js (by UTF-8 supported texit editor)
(3) Change back hostname and userName to original(valid) one.
(4) Restart Mozilla
(5) Change server name to 127.0.0.1 or localhost (depends on software)
    and change user name to appropriate one (depends on software)
    from Mopzilla's UI (Account Settings/Server Settings).
    => new ones are saved in realhostname and realuserName.
(6) Inhibit automatic profile change function of mail scannning function of
anti-virus softwares.

*** Bug 245443 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Product: MailNews → Core
Re-open to change Resolution.
Change summary for ease of search.
(Old)
pop server name changed to localhost
(Old)
POP3 server name(mail.server.serverNN.hostname) is changed to localhost or
127.0.0.1 by anti-virus software(Norton,McAfee,PC-Cillen), then "Copies &
Folders" or "Junk Control" can not be changed, and "Junk Control","Message
Filter" is doesn't work.
Status: RESOLVED → UNCONFIRMED
Component: Networking: POP → Preferences: Backend
Resolution: WORKSFORME → ---
Summary: pop server name changed to localhost → "Message Filter" is doesn't work. pop server name changed to localhostPOP3 server name(mail.server.serverNN.hostname) is changed to localhost or 127.0.0.1 by anti-virus software(Norton,McAfee,PC-Cillen), then "Copies & Folders" or "Junk Control" can not b…
Status: UNCONFIRMED → RESOLVED
Closed: 21 years ago → 20 years ago
Resolution: --- → INVALID
Summary: "Message Filter" is doesn't work. → "Message Filter" are damaged
Original inconsistency of Bug 221386 is caused by editiong prefs.js, user error,
and result(damage on Mozilla/Thunderbird) is same as this bug.
Bug 274818 is "Junk Control setting is not saved" by GDATA AntiVirenKit.
Summary: "Message Filter" are damaged pop server name changed to localhostPOP3 server name(mail.server.serverNN.hostname) is changed to localhost or 127.0.0.1 by anti-virus software(Norton,McAfee,PC-Cillen), then "Copies & Folders" or "Junk Control" can not be cha… → POP3 server name(mail.server.serverNN.hostname) is changed to localhost or 127.0.0.1 by anti-virus software(Norton,McAfee,PC-Cillen), then "Copies & Folders" or "Junk Control" can not be changed, and "Junk Control","Message Filter" are damaged
Mistype correction. Sorry for spam.
Summary: POP3 server name(mail.server.serverNN.hostname) is changed to localhost or 127.0.0.1 by anti-virus software(Norton,McAfee,PC-Cillen), then "Copies & Folders" or "Junk Control" can not be changed, and "Junk Control","Message Filter" are damaged → POP3 server name(mail.server.serverNN.hostname) is changed to localhost or 127.0.0.1 by anti-virus software(Norton,McAfee,PC-Cillin), then "Copies & Folders" or "Junk Control" can not be changed, and "Junk Control","Message Filter" are damaged
Changing to META bug, since some bugs caused by this anti-virus software issue are still kept-open and still opened repeatedly, although number of such bug's has declined lately due to design change of anti-virus softwares (Change from POP3 mail proxy type, which requires prefs.js modification, to POP3 port scan type).
And change Product to Thunderbird for ease of search, and assignee to me, because this bug's objective is "to reduce DUP bugs".
Severity: trivial → major
Status: RESOLVED → UNCONFIRMED
Resolution: INVALID → ---
Status: UNCONFIRMED → NEW
Component: Preferences: Backend → General
Ever confirmed: true
Keywords: meta
Product: Core → Thunderbird
Summary: POP3 server name(mail.server.serverNN.hostname) is changed to localhost or 127.0.0.1 by anti-virus software(Norton,McAfee,PC-Cillin), then "Copies & Folders" or "Junk Control" can not be changed, and "Junk Control","Message Filter" are damaged → [Meta] POP3 server name(mail.server.serverNN.hostname) is changed to localhost or 127.0.0.1 by anti-virus software(Norton,McAfee,PC-Cillin), then "Copies & Folders" or "Junk Control" can not be changed, and "Junk Control","Message Filter" are damaged
Assignee: sspitzer → m-wada
"'Copies & Folders' or 'Junk Control' settings of preference can not be changed" part(and JavaScript console error) is resolved by fix for Bug 327108.
(Note: The inconsistency in prefs.js of Bug 327108 is not caused by anti-virus software, by hand or user-setup instead, but is applicable to inconsistency caused by modification of mail.server.serverN.hostname/mail.server.serverN.userName by anti-virus softwares.)  
SeaMonkey 1.1a

Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Win98; en-US; rv:1.8.1b2) Gecko/20060821 SeaMonkey/1.1a

This problem just appeared to me today with SM 1.1 Alpha.  If it is a known issue that affects SM and TB, and is minimised by the changing of antispamware vendors' changing their programs, well that's all fine and good, but the problem shows up in the Mozilla program without warning - Someone needs to post this to the "known issues" page for all products, along with a resolution (if possible) and I'd like a clear statement to send off to Trend Micro 's tech support people to tell them what not to do to things so they don't corrupt Mozilla's products.  Additionally, suggestions to "not use antivirus scanning for email" are both unprofessional and inappropriate.
QA Contact: esther → general
is this issue documented in the knowledge base?
Whiteboard: [kb]
Blocks: junktracker
Component: General → Backend
Product: Thunderbird → MailNews Core
QA Contact: general → backend
Component: Backend → Networking: POP
QA Contact: backend → networking.pop
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