Milter API

Contents

Library Control Functions

Before handing control to libmilter (by calling smfi_main), a filter may call the following functions to set libmilter parameters. In particular, the filter must call smfi_register to register its callbacks. Each function will return either MI_SUCCESS or MI_FAILURE to indicate the status of the operation.

None of these functions communicate with the MTA. All alter the library's state, some of which is communicated to the MTA inside smfi_main.

FunctionDescription
smfi_opensocketTry to create the interface socket.
smfi_registerRegister a filter.
smfi_setconnSpecify socket to use.
smfi_settimeoutSet timeout.
smfi_setbacklogDefine the incoming listen(2) queue size.
smfi_setdbgSet the milter library debugging (tracing) level.
smfi_stopCause an orderly shutdown.
smfi_mainHand control to libmilter.

Data Access Functions

The following functions may be called from within the filter-defined callbacks to access information about the current connection or message.

FunctionDescription
smfi_getsymvalReturn the value of a symbol.
smfi_getprivGet the private data pointer.
smfi_setprivSet the private data pointer.
smfi_setreplySet the specific reply code to be used.
smfi_setmlreplySet the specific multi-line reply to be used.

Message Modification Functions

The following functions change a message's contents and attributes. They may only be called in xxfi_eom. All of these functions may invoke additional communication with the MTA. They will return either MI_SUCCESS or MI_FAILURE to indicate the status of the operation. Message data (senders, recipients, headers, body chunks) passed to these functions via parameters is copied and does not need to be preserved (i.e., allocated memory can be freed).

A filter must have set the appropriate flag (listed below) in the description passed to smfi_register to call any message modification function. Failure to do so will cause the MTA to treat a call to the function as a failure of the filter, terminating its connection.

Note that the status returned indicates only whether or not the filter's message was successfully sent to the MTA, not whether or not the MTA performed the requested operation. For example, smfi_addheader, when called with an illegal header name, will return MI_SUCCESS even though the MTA may later refuse to add the illegal header.

FunctionDescriptionSMFIF_* flag
smfi_addheaderAdd a header to the message.SMFIF_ADDHDRS
smfi_chgheaderChange or delete a header.SMFIF_CHGHDRS
smfi_insheaderInsert a header into the message.SMFIF_ADDHDRS
smfi_chgfromChange the envelope sender address.SMFIF_CHGFROM
smfi_addrcptAdd a recipient to the envelope.SMFIF_ADDRCPT
smfi_addrcpt_parAdd a recipient including ESMTP parameter to the envelope. SMFIF_ADDRCPT_PAR
smfi_delrcptDelete a recipient from the envelope.SMFIF_DELRCPT
smfi_replacebodyReplace the body of the message.SMFIF_CHGBODY

Other Message Handling Functions

The following functions provide special case handling instructions for milter or the MTA, without altering the content or status of the message. They too may only be called in xxfi_eom. All of these functions may invoke additional communication with the MTA. They will return either MI_SUCCESS or MI_FAILURE to indicate the status of the operation.

Note that the status returned indicates only whether or not the filter's message was successfully sent to the MTA, not whether or not the MTA performed the requested operation.

FunctionDescription
smfi_progressReport operation in progress.
smfi_quarantineQuarantine a message.

Callbacks

The filter should implement one or more of the following callbacks, which are registered via smfi_register:

FunctionDescription
xxfi_connectconnection info
xxfi_heloSMTP HELO/EHLO command
xxfi_envfromenvelope sender
xxfi_envrcptenvelope recipient
xxfi_dataDATA command
xxfi_unknownUnknown SMTP command
xxfi_headerheader
xxfi_eohend of header
xxfi_bodybody block
xxfi_eomend of message
xxfi_abortmessage aborted
xxfi_closeconnection cleanup
xxfi_negotiateoption negotiattion

The above callbacks should all return one of the following return values, having the indicated meanings. Any return other than one of the below values constitutes an error, and will cause sendmail to terminate its connection to the offending filter.

Milter distinguishes between recipient-, message-, and connection-oriented routines. Recipient-oriented callbacks may affect the processing of a single message recipient; message-oriented callbacks, a single message; connection-oriented callbacks, an entire connection (during which multiple messages may be delivered to multiple sets of recipients). xxfi_envrcpt is recipient-oriented. xxfi_connect, xxfi_helo and xxfi_close are connection-oriented. All other callbacks are message-oriented.

Return valueDescription
SMFIS_CONTINUE Continue processing the current connection, message, or recipient.
SMFIS_REJECT For a connection-oriented routine, reject this connection; call xxfi_close.
For a message-oriented routine (except xxfi_eom or xxfi_abort), reject this message.
For a recipient-oriented routine, reject the current recipient (but continue processing the current message).
SMFIS_DISCARD For a message- or recipient-oriented routine, accept this message, but silently discard it.
SMFIS_DISCARD should not be returned by a connection-oriented routine.
SMFIS_ACCEPT For a connection-oriented routine, accept this connection without further filter processing; call xxfi_close.
For a message- or recipient-oriented routine, accept this message without further filtering.
SMFIS_TEMPFAIL Return a temporary failure, i.e., the corresponding SMTP command will return an appropriate 4xx status code. For a message-oriented routine (except xxfi_envfrom), fail for this message.
For a connection-oriented routine, fail for this connection; call xxfi_close.
For a recipient-oriented routine, only fail for the current recipient; continue message processing.
SMFIS_SKIP Skip further callbacks of the same type in this transaction. Currently this return value is only allowed in xxfi_body(). It can be used if a milter has received sufficiently many body chunks to make a decision, but still wants to invoke message modification functions that are only allowed to be called from xxfi_eom(). Note: the milter must negotiate this behavior with the MTA, i.e., it must check whether the protocol action SMFIP_SKIP is available and if so, the milter must request it.
SMFIS_NOREPLY Do not send a reply back to the MTA. The milter must negotiate this behavior with the MTA, i.e., it must check whether the appropriate protocol action SMFIP_NR_* is available and if so, the milter must request it. If you set the SMFIP_NR_* protocol action for a callback, that callback must always reply with SMFIS_NOREPLY. Using any other reply code is a violation of the API. If in some cases your callback may return another value (e.g., due to some resource shortages), then you must not set SMFIP_NR_* and you must use SMFIS_CONTINUE as the default return code. (Alternatively you can try to delay reporting the problem to a later callback for which SMFIP_NR_* is not set.)

Miscellaneous

FunctionDescription
smfi_versionlibmilter (runtime) version info
smfi_setsymlist Set the list of macros that the milter wants to receive from the MTA for a protocol stage.

ConstantDescription
SMFI_VERSIONlibmilter (compile time) version info


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