Pkg exim4 users - Jun 2008 - Working around bug #402861 (TLS problems with Symbian phones)

Being the owner of a Symbian phone (Nokia N95), I''ve encountered the
problem that it can''t properly talk TLS with my exim 4.68 server
(described under bug #402861[1] and elsewhere). I understand this is not
a problem with exim, not even with libgnutls, and I hope the Symbian
guys fix the implementation in the phones. Meanwhile, I need ways to
work around that.

    It would be nice if there was something that could be changed in the
phone, but I do not think that is possible, so a work around must be
made in the server. This page [2] gives some workaround, the most
interesting being the use of gnutls_priority_set(). So I ask if there is
a way to change that priority in Debian exim. Avoiding a recompilation,
that is. Or if there is any other possibility.

[1] http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=402861
[2]
http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/manual/html_node/On-Record-Padding.html

-- 
Luza Rocelina, a namorada do Manuel, leu na "Moda da Romana":
"Anil
cor azul".
                -- pal?ndromo

Eduardo M KALINOWSKI
eduardo at kalinowski.com.br
http://move.to/hpkb

Eduardo M KALINOWSKI wrote:
>     Being the owner of a Symbian phone (Nokia N95), I''ve
encountered the
> problem that it can''t properly talk TLS with my exim 4.68 server
> (described under bug #402861[1] and elsewhere). I understand this is not
> a problem with exim, not even with libgnutls, and I hope the Symbian
> guys fix the implementation in the phones. Meanwhile, I need ways to
> work around that.
>
>     It would be nice if there was something that could be changed in the
> phone, but I do not think that is possible, so a work around must be
> made in the server. This page [2] gives some workaround, the most
> interesting being the use of gnutls_priority_set(). So I ask if there is
> a way to change that priority in Debian exim. Avoiding a recompilation,
> that is. Or if there is any other possibility.
>
> [1] http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=402861
> [2]
> http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/manual/html_node/On-Record-Padding.htm
For the record, what I did to work around the problem (and that really
goes around the problem) was to set-up CRAM-MD5 authentication in the
server, and configure the Symbian client not to use encryption. But at
least it can authenticate the user without plain-text passwords.

-- 
Cold hands, no gloves.

Eduardo M KALINOWSKI
eduardo at kalinowski.com.br
http://move.to/hpkb

On Mon, Jun 02, 2008 at 11:37:04AM -0300, Eduardo M KALINOWSKI
wrote:
>     It would be nice if there was something that could be changed in the
> phone, but I do not think that is possible, so a work around must be
> made in the server. This page [2] gives some workaround, the most
> interesting being the use of gnutls_priority_set(). So I ask if there is
> a way to change that priority in Debian exim. Avoiding a recompilation,
> that is. Or if there is any other possibility.
The corresponding exim bug is #390712. After Simon implemented the
workaround, I raised a bug in Exim bugzilla
(http://bugs.exim.org/show_bug.cgi?id=665), and upstream would like to
see reference code.

I have added Exim upstream''s wish to 402861 and do sincerely hope that
somebody can produce some code.

I''m afraid that''s about what I can do at the moment.

Greetings
Marc, who will be bitten by this bug next week when my E90 will be
delivered

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