Not sending Email after change to settings

Crossbar5 · Post by **Crossbar5** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 3:19 am

Script URL:
Version of script: 2.1
Hosting company: Bluehost
URL of phpinfo.php:
URL of session_test.php:
What terms did you try when SEARCHING for a solution: Email, admin email, email not sending

Write your message below:
I have been using the helpdesk software for several months now without any problems. Last week, I upgraded to 2.1. Still no problems.

Today, I changed one of the custom fields from a text field to a select box. Everything functions as it should… except e-mail alerts aren’t being sent to admin, techs, or customer. Even if (as a customer) I enter my e-mail address to request all tickets I submitted I do not receive a response.

My first thought was this might be a problem with my hosting company. I created a new folder, new database and installed Hesk in order to test e-mail. It worked. I downloaded and installed the email_test file. It worked.

I don’t know if changing the form had anything to do with this problem or if it's just a coincidence. Where should I start looking?

Post by **Klemen** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 11:05 am

Changing a custom field doesn't have any impact on e-mails. I'm not sure if you edited the files somehow or not, but you should try uploading all HESK files again EXCEPT:
- hesk_settings.inc.php
- header.txt and footer.txt
- files in the "install" folder

Crossbar5 · Post by **Crossbar5** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 11:32 am

I didn't believe changing the field would have any impact, but it was worth mentioning.

I have not edited the files themselves, at least not on purpose. I've only used the control panel to make changes.

I just tried uploading the files as you suggested. I still have the same problem.

Post by **Klemen** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 1:31 pm

The problem is I'm not sure what to tell you. The original version works fine (you installed it into another folder and it works), so it must be something with the files. If you posted the URL of your HESK I could give it a try myself, but other than that I can't really say what is wrong.

Crossbar5 · Post by **Crossbar5** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 10:50 pm

Earlier today I decided configure the test version that I had set up yesterday and use it from this point forward. After configuring the settings page, I had the same e-mail problem.

I set everything back to the default (save for database location) and changed the settings by sections, submitting a ticket after each change.

I finally found the problem. I had entered the no reply e-mail as "Helpdesk <helpdesk@mycompany.com>" HESK had been working with this configuration since I installed it initially, which is why I didn’t think anything about it. After I changed it with just the e-mail address, it worked fine.

It’s strange, I have my form to email scripts configured this way, and I tried using the email_test script in the "Name <name@domain.com>" format without any problem. I have no idea what gives. :SHRUG: Probably a hosting issue. I’m just glad HESK is working again.

Post by **Klemen** » Thu Oct 08, 2009 2:49 pm

It's because if you enter "<" and ">" in the settings they are actually encoded to "<" and ">" so the e-mail then actually looks like
Helpdesk <helpdesk@mycompany.com>

HTML special chars have to be encoded for security reasons or the script could be vulnerable to code injection attacks.

Crossbar5 · Post by **Crossbar5** » Thu Oct 08, 2009 3:25 pm

Understood... but it was working in that format up until 2 days ago. Just out of curiousity, what could have caused it to stop working?

Crossbar5 · Post by **Crossbar5** » Thu Oct 08, 2009 3:55 pm

OK. I opened the "hesk_settings.inc.php" file, edited it manually and sent it back to the server. It worked, but when I opened the file and tried to save using the control panel, even without making any changes, it changes the "<" and ">" characters to "<" and ">" like you said.

Is this a change to the control panel you made with ver 2.1?

Post by **Klemen** » Thu Oct 08, 2009 5:13 pm

Crossbar5 wrote:but when I opened the file and tried to save using the control panel, even without making any changes, it changes the "<" and ">" characters to "<" and ">" like you said.

This is exactly how it must work for it to be secure. Altering hesk_settings manually is one way to go, but a better solution would be to modify mail headers in all Hesk files.