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imaplib: Mailbox names are not quoted #58148

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Closed as not planned
imaplib: Mailbox names are not quoted#58148
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serhiy-storchaka
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3.7 (EOL)end of life3.8 (EOL)end of lifestdlibStandard Library Python modules in the Lib/ directorytopic-emailtype-bugAn unexpected behavior, bug, or error

Description

@joebauer
joebauer
mannequin
opened on Feb 4, 2012
BPO 13940
Nosy @warsaw, @mcepl, @bitdancer, @soltysh, @bearbin
PRs
  • bpo-13940: imaplib: All string arguments are now quoted when necessary. #6395
    		•
    Files
  • issue13940.patch
    		•

    Note: these values reflect the state of the issue at the time it was migrated and might not reflect the current state.

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    GitHub fields:

    assignee = None
closed_at = None
created_at = <Date 2012-02-04.12:04:57.445>
labels = ['3.7', '3.8', 'type-bug', 'library', 'expert-email']
title = 'imaplib: Mailbox names are not quoted'
updated_at = <Date 2018-04-21.08:57:32.272>
user = 'https://bugs.python.org/joebauer'

    bugs.python.org fields:

    activity = <Date 2018-04-21.08:57:32.272>
actor = 'mcepl'
assignee = 'none'
closed = False
closed_date = None
closer = None
components = ['Library (Lib)', 'email']
creation = <Date 2012-02-04.12:04:57.445>
creator = 'joebauer'
dependencies = []
files = ['41037']
hgrepos = []
issue_num = 13940
keywords = ['patch']
message_count = 8.0
messages = ['152612', '222160', '222175', '241131', '254418', '254634', '256127', '315084']
nosy_count = 6.0
nosy_names = ['barry', 'mcepl', 'r.david.murray', 'joebauer', 'maciej.szulik', 'bearbin']
pr_nums = ['6395']
priority = 'normal'
resolution = None
stage = 'patch review'
status = 'open'
superseder = None
type = 'behavior'
url = 'https://bugs.python.org/issue13940'
versions = ['Python 3.4', 'Python 3.5', 'Python 3.6', 'Python 3.7', 'Python 3.8']

    Activity

    1. joebauer commented on Feb 4, 2012

      @joebauer
      joebauermannequin
      on Feb 4, 2012
      MannequinAuthor

      imaplib does not qupote mailbox names when it's sending it's query to the server in response to a status request, for example. This will lead to very strange errors if mailboxes are accessed which contain spaces:

      i.e.

      connection.status("mailbox name", "(MESSAGES)")

      will return

        File "/home/joe/test/imaplib.py", line 920, in \_command_complete
    raise self.error('%s command error: %s %s' % (name, typ, data))
imaplib.error: STATUS command error: BAD [b'Error in IMAP command STATUS: Status items must be list.']

      which indicates that the error is within the actual flag list. It is not, however:

      connection.status("\"mailbox name\"", "(MESSAGES)")

      works as expected. This may arguably be or not be a bug -- however it is REALLY confusing to the user. Maybe at least a note should be included somewhere that -- just to be safe -- mailbox names should be quoted.

      All the best,
      Joe

    2. joebauer
      added
      stdlibStandard Library Python modules in the Lib/ directory
      type-bugAn unexpected behavior, bug, or error
      on Feb 4, 2012

    3. BreamoreBoy commented on Jul 3, 2014

      @BreamoreBoy
      BreamoreBoymannequin
      on Jul 3, 2014
      Mannequin

      @joe sorry for the delay in getting back to you.

      @david is this within your remit?

    4. bitdancer commented on Jul 3, 2014

      @bitdancer
      bitdancer
      on Jul 3, 2014
      Member

      Yes. It will be necessary to check the RFC to figure out what should be done here.

    5. bitdancer
      added
      topic-email
      on Jul 3, 2014

    6. soltysh commented on Apr 15, 2015

      @soltysh
      soltysh
      on Apr 15, 2015

      Joe is correct, according to the spec the names containing special chars (atom-specials) require names to be quoted (https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc3501#section-5.1):

      1. Any character which is one of the atom-specials (see the Formal
        Syntax) will require that the mailbox name be represented as a
        quoted string or literal.

      I'll be working on a patch for that.

    7. soltysh commented on Nov 9, 2015

      @soltysh
      soltysh
      on Nov 9, 2015

      Currently working on a patch for this.

    8. soltysh commented on Nov 13, 2015

      @soltysh
      soltysh
      on Nov 13, 2015

      From imaplib.IMAP4 class description we're stating to quote parameters if necessary. This patch adds that capability according to https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc3501#section-5.1

    9. soltysh commented on Dec 8, 2015

      @soltysh
      soltysh
      on Dec 8, 2015

      siemer thx for the comments in the review. I'll try to address them by the end of this week.

    10. bearbin commented on Apr 8, 2018

      @bearbin
      bearbinmannequin
      on Apr 8, 2018
      Mannequin

      Pull Request opened on GH to fix this issue: #6395

    11. bearbin
      added
      3.7 (EOL)end of life
      3.8 (EOL)end of life
      on Apr 8, 2018
    12. ezio-melotti
      transferred this issue fromon Apr 10, 2022

    13. vadmium commented on Apr 18, 2024

      @vadmium
      vadmium
      on Apr 18, 2024
      Member

      Issue #92835 describes the cause of this bug

    14. serhiy-storchaka
      self-assigned this
      on Dec 17, 2024

    15. serhiy-storchaka commented on Jul 5, 2026

      @serhiy-storchaka
      serhiy-storchaka
      on Jul 5, 2026
      Member

      Argument quoting has been restored in GH-152703. Closing as a duplicate of gh-40038.

    16. serhiy-storchaka
      closed this as not plannedon Jul 5, 2026
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