fix(server): normalize mail server name (#14564)

fix #14562 
fix #14226 
fix #14192


#### PR Dependency Tree


* **PR #14564** 👈

This tree was auto-generated by
[Charcoal](https://github.com/danerwilliams/charcoal)

<!-- This is an auto-generated comment: release notes by coderabbit.ai
-->
## Summary by CodeRabbit

* **New Features**
* SMTP and fallback SMTP name now default to empty and will use the
system hostname when not set.
* HELO hostname resolution includes stricter normalization/validation
for more reliable mail handshakes.

* **Documentation**
* Updated admin and config descriptions to explain hostname/HELO
behavior and fallback.

* **Tests**
* Added tests covering hostname normalization and rejection of invalid
HELO values.

* **Chores**
  * Updated example env and ignore rules.
<!-- end of auto-generated comment: release notes by coderabbit.ai -->

.docker/selfhost/schema.json

@@ -197,8 +197,8 @@
       "properties": {
         "SMTP.name": {
           "type": "string",
-          "description": "Name of the email server (e.g. your domain name)\n@default \"AFFiNE Server\"\n@environment `MAILER_SERVERNAME`",
-          "default": "AFFiNE Server"
+          "description": "Hostname used for SMTP HELO/EHLO (e.g. mail.example.com). Leave empty to use the system hostname.\n@default \"\"\n@environment `MAILER_SERVERNAME`",
+          "default": ""
         },
         "SMTP.host": {
           "type": "string",
@@ -237,8 +237,8 @@
         },
         "fallbackSMTP.name": {
           "type": "string",
-          "description": "Name of the fallback email server (e.g. your domain name)\n@default \"AFFiNE Server\"",
-          "default": "AFFiNE Server"
+          "description": "Hostname used for fallback SMTP HELO/EHLO (e.g. mail.example.com). Leave empty to use the system hostname.\n@default \"\"",
+          "default": ""
         },
         "fallbackSMTP.host": {
           "type": "string",

.gitignore

@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ testem.log
 /typings
 tsconfig.tsbuildinfo
 .context
+/*.md
 
 # System Files
 .DS_Store

packages/backend/server/.env.example

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 # MAILER_HOST=127.0.0.1
 # MAILER_PORT=1025
+# MAILER_SERVERNAME="mail.example.com"
 # MAILER_SENDER="noreply@toeverything.info"
 # MAILER_USER="noreply@toeverything.info"
 # MAILER_PASSWORD="affine"

packages/backend/server/src/__tests__/mails.spec.ts

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import test from 'ava';
 
+import { normalizeSMTPHeloHostname } from '../core/mail/utils';
 import { Renderers } from '../mails';
 import { TEST_DOC, TEST_USER } from '../mails/common';
 
@@ -21,3 +22,22 @@ test('should render mention email with empty doc title', async t => {
   });
   t.snapshot(content.html, content.subject);
 });
+
+test('should normalize valid SMTP HELO hostnames', t => {
+  t.is(normalizeSMTPHeloHostname('mail.example.com'), 'mail.example.com');
+  t.is(normalizeSMTPHeloHostname(' localhost '), 'localhost');
+  t.is(normalizeSMTPHeloHostname('[127.0.0.1]'), '[127.0.0.1]');
+  t.is(normalizeSMTPHeloHostname('[IPv6:2001:db8::1]'), '[IPv6:2001:db8::1]');
+});
+
+test('should reject invalid SMTP HELO hostnames', t => {
+  t.is(normalizeSMTPHeloHostname(''), undefined);
+  t.is(normalizeSMTPHeloHostname('  '), undefined);
+  t.is(normalizeSMTPHeloHostname('AFFiNE Server'), undefined);
+  t.is(normalizeSMTPHeloHostname('-example.com'), undefined);
+  t.is(normalizeSMTPHeloHostname('example-.com'), undefined);
+  t.is(normalizeSMTPHeloHostname('example..com'), undefined);
+  t.is(normalizeSMTPHeloHostname('[bad host]'), undefined);
+  t.is(normalizeSMTPHeloHostname('[foo]'), undefined);
+  t.is(normalizeSMTPHeloHostname('[IPv6:foo]'), undefined);
+});

packages/backend/server/src/core/mail/config.ts

@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@ declare global {
 
 defineModuleConfig('mailer', {
   'SMTP.name': {
-    desc: 'Name of the email server (e.g. your domain name)',
-    default: 'AFFiNE Server',
+    desc: 'Hostname used for SMTP HELO/EHLO (e.g. mail.example.com). Leave empty to use the system hostname.',
+    default: '',
     env: 'MAILER_SERVERNAME',
   },
   'SMTP.host': {
@@ -72,8 +72,8 @@ defineModuleConfig('mailer', {
     shape: z.array(z.string()),
   },
   'fallbackSMTP.name': {
-    desc: 'Name of the fallback email server (e.g. your domain name)',
-    default: 'AFFiNE Server',
+    desc: 'Hostname used for fallback SMTP HELO/EHLO (e.g. mail.example.com). Leave empty to use the system hostname.',
+    default: '',
   },
   'fallbackSMTP.host': {
     desc: 'Host of the email server (e.g. smtp.gmail.com)',

packages/backend/server/src/core/mail/sender.ts

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import {
 import SMTPTransport from 'nodemailer/lib/smtp-transport';
 
 import { Config, metrics, OnEvent } from '../../base';
+import { resolveSMTPHeloHostname } from './utils';
 
 export type SendOptions = Omit<SendMailOptions, 'to' | 'subject' | 'html'> & {
   to: string;
@@ -19,8 +20,10 @@ export type SendOptions = Omit<SendMailOptions, 'to' | 'subject' | 'html'> & {
 function configToSMTPOptions(
   config: AppConfig['mailer']['SMTP']
 ): SMTPTransport.Options {
+  const name = resolveSMTPHeloHostname(config.name);
+
   return {
-    name: config.name,
+    ...(name ? { name } : {}),
     host: config.host,
     port: config.port,
     tls: {

packages/backend/server/src/core/mail/utils.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+import { isIP } from 'node:net';
+import { hostname as getHostname } from 'node:os';
+
+const hostnameLabelRegexp = /^[A-Za-z0-9-]+$/;
+
+function isValidSMTPAddressLiteral(hostname: string) {
+  if (!hostname.startsWith('[') || !hostname.endsWith(']')) return false;
+
+  const literal = hostname.slice(1, -1);
+  if (!literal || literal.includes(' ')) return false;
+  if (isIP(literal) === 4) return true;
+
+  if (literal.startsWith('IPv6:')) {
+    return isIP(literal.slice('IPv6:'.length)) === 6;
+  }
+
+  return false;
+}
+
+export function normalizeSMTPHeloHostname(hostname: string) {
+  const normalized = hostname.trim().replace(/\.$/, '');
+  if (!normalized) return undefined;
+  if (isValidSMTPAddressLiteral(normalized)) return normalized;
+  if (normalized.length > 253) return undefined;
+
+  const labels = normalized.split('.');
+  for (const label of labels) {
+    if (!label || label.length > 63) return undefined;
+    if (
+      !hostnameLabelRegexp.test(label) ||
+      label.startsWith('-') ||
+      label.endsWith('-')
+    ) {
+      return undefined;
+    }
+  }
+
+  return normalized;
+}
+
+function readSystemHostname() {
+  try {
+    return getHostname();
+  } catch {
+    return '';
+  }
+}
+
+export function resolveSMTPHeloHostname(configuredName: string) {
+  const normalizedConfiguredName = normalizeSMTPHeloHostname(configuredName);
+  if (normalizedConfiguredName) return normalizedConfiguredName;
+  return normalizeSMTPHeloHostname(readSystemHostname());
+}

packages/frontend/admin/src/config.json

@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@
   "mailer": {
     "SMTP.name": {
       "type": "String",
-      "desc": "Name of the email server (e.g. your domain name)",
+      "desc": "Hostname used for SMTP HELO/EHLO (e.g. mail.example.com). Leave empty to use the system hostname.",
       "env": "MAILER_SERVERNAME"
     },
     "SMTP.host": {
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@
     },
     "fallbackSMTP.name": {
       "type": "String",
-      "desc": "Name of the fallback email server (e.g. your domain name)"
+      "desc": "Hostname used for fallback SMTP HELO/EHLO (e.g. mail.example.com). Leave empty to use the system hostname."
     },
     "fallbackSMTP.host": {
       "type": "String",