require-starttls option may cause XML parse error (not well-formed (invalid token)) - mcabber and perl Net::Jabber can't connect

[Annihitek]

Jabberd versions: 2.2.9 and older

More information about this: http://forum.jabberpl.org/index.php?showtopic=7391

My simple solution:

in c2s.xml:

add require-starttls='true'

in line:

<id pemfile='/path/to/servercert.pem' require-starttls='true' register-enable='true' password-change='true'>servername.tld</id>

If require-starttls='true', jabberd2 also bind to 5223 port, then (line <ssl-port>5223</ssl-port> must be uncommented of course) mcabber xmpp client and perl script with Net::Jabber module can connect to server.

Setting require-starttls to 'false' require standard port to connect (default 5222), and cause this bug. But other clients (ex: Psi) works fine.

[Tomasz Sterna (smoku)]

require-starttls option has nothing to do with legacy SSL port 5223. This option enforces STARTTLS encrypted communication on 5222 port. If this option is set the first thing client must do after establishing stream is to begin STARTTLS negotiation (this is signalled by <required/> element of starttls stream feature). No other packets are allowed before STARTTLS negotiation. Unfortunately current implementation has no way of signaling unwanted packets and just drops them. This may trigger the XML parsing error.

The other aspect is that <id ... /> options are triggered by its mere presence, so setting require-starttls='false' does not mean what it looks like and the option is on. I know it is confusing, but this is the way the jabberd2 config parser works.

[Tomasz Sterna (smoku)]

This is how it currently works.
If you have any suggestion how to fix it, feel free to reopen the bug.