# Errors you may see while maintaining iRedMail server

## Postfix (SMTP)

### Intended policy rejection, please try again later

Sample error message in Postfix log file:

> Jul 24 06:43:08 mx0 postfix/smtpd[12719]: NOQUEUE: reject: RCPT from sender.com[xx.xx.xx.xx]: 451 4.7.1 recipient@my-domain.com: Recipient address rejected: Intentional policy rejection, please try again later; from=sender@sender-domain.com to=recipient@my-domain.com proto=SMTP helo=<mx2.sender.com>

This error is caused by greylisting service, sender server will retry to deliver the same email, and your server will accept it after few retries.

- For more technical details about Greylisting, please visit:
  - Homepage: What is greylisting?
  - Articles about greylisting
- To manage greylisting service, please read iRedAPD tutorial: Manage iRedAPD: Greylisting

### Sender address rejected: not logged in

Sample error message in Postfix log file:

> Jun 24 11:57:13 mx1 postfix/smtpd[2667]: NOQUEUE: reject: RCPT from mail.mydomain.com[1.2.3.4]: 553 5.7.1 <sombody@my-domain.com>: Sender address rejected: not logged in; from=<sombody@my-domain.com> to=<receipent@receipentdomain.com> proto=ESMTP helo=<client_helo.com>

This error is caused by incorrectly configured mail client application, not a server issue.

All mail users are forced to perform SMTP auth before sending email, so you must configure your mail client applications (Outlook, Thunderbird, ...) to enable SMTP authentication.

### Sender address rejected: not owned by user user@domain.ltd

This error is caused by restriction rule `reject_sender_login_mismatch` in Postfix parameter `smtpd_recipient_restrictions`, in file `/etc/postfix/main.cf`:

    smtpd_recipient_restrictions =
        ...
        reject_sender_login_mismatch,
        ...

It will reject the request when $smtpd_sender_login_maps specifies an owner for the MAIL FROM address, but the client is not (SASL) logged in as that MAIL FROM address owner; or when the client is (SASL) logged in, but the client login name doesn't own the MAIL FROM address according to $smtpd_sender_login_maps. Check manual page of Postfix configuration file for more details.

Removing `reject_sender_login_mismatch` and restarting Postfix service fixes this issue.

Note

If you want to allow some users to send as other users, or allow all users to send as their alias addresses, or allow member of mail list/alias to send as mail list/alias, you should try iRedAPD plugin `reject_sender_login_mismatch` instead (requires iRedAPD-1.4.4 or later releases).

Read comments in file `/opt/iredapd/plugins/reject_sender_login_mismatch.py`, then enable it in iRedAPD config file `/opt/iredapd/settings.py` (`plugins =`), restart iRedAPD service. That's all.

### Recipient address rejected: SMTP AUTH is required for users under this sender domain

> With old iRedAPD releases, the error messages may be one of below:

> - `SMTP AUTH is required, or it is a spam with forged sender domain`
> - `Recipient address rejected: Policy rejection not logged in`

This error message means sender domain is hosted locally on your iRedMail server, but sender doesn't perform SMTP AUTH to send email.

1. If the email is not sent by a server or device under your control, most likely this email is spam with forged sender address, it's safe to ignore it in this case.
2. If the email is sent from your server, that means your MUA (Mail User Agent, e.g. Outlook, Thunderbird, etc) is not configured to perform SMTP authentication to send email. Enabling smtp auth will fix this automatically.

3. If the email is sent from a server or device NOT under your control, you want to bypass the email sent from this sender address but not the whole server, please list this sender address in iRedAPD config file `/opt/iredapd/settings.py`, parameter `ALLOWED_FORGED_SENDERS` like below:

   `ALLOWED_FORGED_SENDERS = ['user@domain.com']`

   Warning

   With this setting, iRedAPD accepts all emails with this forged address from ANY mail server.

   Notes:

   - This parameter doesn't exist in `/opt/iredapd/settings.py` by default, feel free to add it manually. You can find detailed comments in file `/opt/iredapd/libs/default_settings.py`, read the comments to understand it better.
   - This parameter name must be in upper cases.

4. If the email is sent by a server or device under your control and you want to trust this server/device and bypass all emails, you can whitelist the IP address of this server/device in iRedAPD config file `/opt/iredapd/settings.py` like below:

   `MYNETWORKS = ['192.168.0.10', '192.168.0.20', '192.168.0.30']`

   Notes:

   - This parameter doesn't exist in `/opt/iredapd/settings.py` by default, feel free to add it manually. You can find detailed comments in file `/opt/iredapd/libs/default_settings.py`, read the comments to understand it better.
   - This parameter name must be in upper cases.

### Recipient address rejected: Sender is not same as SMTP authenticate username

#### case #1

If the smtp authenticate username is different than the address in mail header `From:` field, you will get this rejection (by iRedAPD).

Solutions:

- If you don't need to send as different sender, please update your mail composer (like Outlook, Thunderbird, webmail, your own script used to send email, etc) to use same address as smtp authenticate username and sender address in `From:`.
- If you do need to send as different sender address (`From:`), please add one setting in iRedAPD config file `/opt/iredapd/settings.py`, then restart iRedAPD service:

    ALLOWED_LOGIN_MISMATCH_SENDERS = ['user@mydomain.com']

Notes: `user@mydomain.com` is the email address you used for smtp authentication.

#### case #2

If you're a member of mailing list or mail alias, and trying to send email with the email address of mailing list/alias as sender address, you will get same error. There's another setting you can try (either one is ok):

    ALLOWED_LOGIN_MISMATCH_LIST_MEMBER = True

It will allow all members of mailing list/alias to send email with the email of mailing list/alias as the sender address.

### unreasonable virtual_alias_maps map expansion size for user@domain.com

Sample error message in Postfix log file:

> Feb 11 19:59:06 mail postfix/cleanup[30575]: warning: 23C334232FB3: unreasonable virtual_alias_maps map expansion size for user@domain.com -- deferring delivery

It means the maximal number of addresses that virtual alias expansion produces from each original recipient exceeds hard limit, please either increase the hard limit (default is 1000), or reduce alias members.

To increase the limit to, for example, 1500, please add below setting in Postfix config file `/etc/postfix/main.cf`:

    virtual_alias_expansion_limit = 1500

Reference: Postfix Configuration Parameters

### Helo command rejected: need fully-qualified hostname

Sample error message in Postfix log file:

> Sep 22 08:51:03 mail postfix/smtpd[22067]: NOQUEUE: reject: RCPT from dslb-092-074-062-133.092.074.pools.vodafone-ip.de[92.74.62.133]: 504 5.5.2 <EHSGmbHLUCASPC>: Helo command rejected: need fully-qualified hostname; from=user@domain-a.com to=user@domain-b.com proto=ESMTP helo=<EHSGmbHLUCASPC>

According to RFC document, HELO identity must be a FQDN (fully-qualified hostname). Sender sends `EHSGmbHLUCASPC` as HELO hostname, but it's not a FQDN. It's sender's fault, not your mistake.

As a temporary solution, you can whitelist this HELO hostname by adding a line like below at the top of file `/etc/postfix/helo_access.pcre` (Linux/OpenBSD) or `/usr/local/etc/postfix/helo_access.pcre` (FreeBSD):

    /^EHSGmbHLUCASPC$/ OK

### Helo command rejected: Host not found

Sample error message in Postfix log file:

> Aug 13 08:07:14 mail postfix/smtpd[8606]: NOQUEUE: reject: RCPT from mta02.globetel.com.ph[120.28.49.114]: 450 4.7.1 <mta02.globetel.com>: Helo command rejected: Host not found; from=tcadd01@globetel.com.ph to=user@example.com proto=ESMTP helo=<mta02.globetel.com>

Postfix does DNS query to verify whether A type of DNS record of HELO domain name `mta02.globetel.com` exists, if not, Postfix rejects the email.

As a temporary solution, you can whitelist this HELO hostname by adding a line like below at the top of file `/etc/postfix/helo_access.pcre` (Linux/OpenBSD) or `/usr/local/etc/postfix/helo_access.pcre` (FreeBSD):

    /^mta02\.globetel\.com$/ OK

### Helo command rejected: ACCESS DENIED. Your email was rejected because the sending mail server does not identify itself correctly (.local)

It means sender mail server uses a FQDN hostname which ends with `.local` as HELO identity. `.local` is not a valid top level domain name, and all mail servers should use a valid domain name which is resolvable from DNS query.

Two solutions:

1. Temporarily remove this HELO check rule on YOUR server, in file `/etc/postfix/helo_access.pcre` (Linux/OpenBSD) or `/usr/local/etc/postfix/helo_access.pcre` (FreeBSD), then reload Postfix service.
2. Ask sender server system administrator to correct their HELO identity, they will experience same issue while sending email to others.

### warning: do not list domain mydomain.com in BOTH mydestination and virtual_mailbox_domains

Sample log in Postfix log file:

> Feb 20 03:31:54 mail postfix/trivial-rewrite[2216]: warning: do not list domain mydomain.com in BOTH mydestination and virtual_mailbox_domains

This error message means mail domain name `mydomain.com` is:

- listed in Postfix parameter `mydestination`. Most probably, this domain name is value of Postfix parameter `myhostname`, and `myhostname` is value of `mydestination`.
- a virtual mail domain name. Most probably, you added this domain with iRedAdmin.

To solve this, please either use a different `myhostname` or don't use this domain name as mail domain (remove it with iRedAdmin). To use a different value for Postfix parameter `myhostname`, you must also change server hostname.

## Dovecot (IMAP / POP3)

### Plaintext authentication not allowed without SSL/TLS

Error message in Dovecot log file:

> [ALERT] Plaintext authentication not allowed without SSL/TLS, but your client did it anyway. If anyone was listening, the password was exposed.

Dovecot is configured to force clients to use secure IMAP/POP3 connections, but your client is trying to use plain and insecure connection without TLS or SSL.

The BEST solution is updating IMAP/POP3 settings in the mail client application (e.g. Outlook, Thunderbird) to enable secure connection. Please check this link to see network port numbers and secure connection types.

The NOT RECOMMENDED solution is updating Dovecot config file to allow insecure connection, this is dangerous because your password is sent in plain text, if someone can trace the network traffic with network gateway / firewall, your password is explosed. if you clearly understand the risk and still want to enable insecure connections, please check this document.

## Amavisd

### connect to 127.0.0.1[127.0.0.1]:10024: Connection refused

This error means Amavisd service is not running, please try to start it first.

- RHEL/CentOS/FreeBSD: `# service amavisd restart`
- Debian/Ubuntu: `# service amavis restart`
- OpenBSD: `# /etc/rc.d/amavisd restart` or `# rcctl restart amavisd`

After restarted amavisd service, please check its log file to make sure it's running.

Notes:

- 4 GB memory is recommended for a low traffic production mail server. If your server doesn't have enough memory, Amavisd and ClamAV may be not able to start, or stop running automatically after running for a while. If it's just a testing server, you can follow our tutorial to disable some features of Amavisd to keep it running, or disable it completely.