Sending email via SMTP using PHP

A couple of my users contacted me to say that their host had disabled sendmail and required any scripts they use to now use SMTP to send emails. This resulted in me quickly reading all I could about SMTP and the result is this slightly rough script I am sharing. It’s pretty self explanatory. Put your SMTP server details in the $mailCfg array. Next simply call the smtpMail function which uses the same variables as the standard PHP mail() function but with two additional variables. The additional variables are the email address we are sending from and $mailCfg. I could of put $mailCfg as a global but this way you can include the script in a different script and store the required information where ever you want. The from address is important as most SMTP servers will reject the message if it’s not included.

Just remember the code is far from perfect and was created to do a simple job.

It also has one nice extra function you might find useful…

The directMail function will look up the recipients SMTP server and try to deliver the email directly to it thereby bypassing the need for you to have access to an SMTP server to send through. Just remember your host may frown upon the use of this function.

/*
 * SMTP Email Sending
 * By Stewart Souter
 * Date Created: Thurs, 11 August 2011 17:15:37 GMT
 * Last Updated: Fri, 19 August 2011 10:54:35 GMT 
 * email: [email protected]
 * 
 * By using this script you are agreeing to leave this
 * comment and agreement in place and untouched. If you
 * use any part of this code you must make it clear where
 * it came from and give credit where it is due.
 */
 
$mailCfg['Server']    = '';    // Servername
$mailCfg['User']      = '';    // SMTP username if needed
$mailCfg['Pass']      = '';    // SMTP Password if needed
$mailCfg['Port']      = 25;    // SMTP server port. 25 is the usual and 465 if using SSL
$mailCfg['popServer'] = '';    // Name of the pop server. Leave empty if POP Auth not required
$mailCfg['popPort']   = 110;   // Port for the pop server. 110 is the usual and 995 if using SSL
$mailCfg['SSL']       = 0;     // Does your SMTP server need you to use SSL or TLS? 0 = no, 1 = SSL, 2 = TLS
 
// This function delivers the email directly to the recipients mail server so bypassing the need for your own
function directMail($mailTo, $mailSubject, $mailMsg, $mailHeaders = '', $mailFrom = '', $mailCfg)
{
  if(empty($mailFrom))
  {
    return false; // No from address == no sending
  }
  $mailParts = explode('@', $mailTo);  // Seperate the parts of the email address
  @getmxrr($mailParts[1], $mxHosts, $mxWeight); // Get the MX records for the emails domain
  for($i=0;$i<count($mxHosts);$i++) // Put the records and weights into an array
  {
      $mxServers[$mxHosts[$i]] = $mxWeight[$i];
  }
  asort($mxServers); // Sort the array so they are in weighted order
  foreach($mxServers as $key => $value)
  {
    $mailCfg['Server'] = $key; // Set the SMTP server to the current MX record
    if(smtpMail($mailTo, $mailSubject, $mailMsg, $mailHeaders, $mailFrom, $mailCfg)) // Send the email using the MX server
    {
      return true;  // The email was successfully sent
    }
  }
  return false;  // Houston we have a problem
}
 
// This function connects to the SMTP server and does the AUTH if needed. Can also do a POP login if server requires that.
function smtpMail($mailTo, $mailSubject, $mailMsg, $mailHeaders = '', $mailFrom = '', $mailCfg )
{
  if(empty($mailFrom))
  {
    return false; // No from address == no sending
  }
  $timeout = '30'; // How long to keep trying to connect
  $localhost = 'localhost'; // How to identify ourselves
  $logArray = array(); // For storing the replies
 
  /* * * * POP Login if required * * */ 
 
  if(!empty($mailCfg['popServer'])) // Can't really do POP Auth without a server
  {
    $ssl = ($mailCfg['SSL'] != 0) ? (($mailCfg['SSL'] == 1) ? 'ssl://' : 'tls://') : ''; // If SSL or TLS add it
    $popConnect = @fsockopen($ssl.$mailCfg['popServer'], $mailCfg['popPort'], $errno, $errstr, $timeout); // Connect
    if(!$popConnect) // If we fail to connect...
    {
      $logArray['POPconnect'] = $errstr . '(' . $errno . ')'; // Log the given reason...
      logMailError($logArray); // And output to the log file.
      return false;
    }
    else
    {
      $logArray['POPconnect'] = @fgets($popConnect, 515)); // POP servers only return single line replies. Or should.
      if(!mailPackets('AUTH LOGIN', $popConnect, 'SMTPauth')) //Request Auth Login
      {
        return false;
      }
      if(!mailPackets('USER ' . $smtpUser, $popConnect, 'POPuser')) // Send username. POP is plaintext
      {
        return false;
      }    
      if(!mailPackets('PASS ' . $smtpPass, $popConnect, 'POPpass')) // Send password, again in plaintext
      {
        return false;
      }
      if(!mailPackets('QUIT', $popConnect, 'POPquit')) // Say bye to the server
      {
        return false;
      }    
      fclose($popConnect); // Close connection
    }
  }
 
  /* * * * End of POP Login * * * * */
 
  /* * * * Start of SMTP stuff * * * */
 
  $ssl = ($mailCfg['SSL'] != 0) ? (($mailCfg['SSL'] == 1) ? 'ssl://' : 'tls://') : ''; // Set the encryption if needed
  $smtpConnect = @fsockopen($ssl.$mailCfg['Server'], $mailCfg['Port'], $errno, $errstr, $timeout); // Connect
  if(!$smtpConnect) // If we fail to connect...
  {
    $logArray['SMTPconnect'] = $errstr . '(' . $errno . ')'; // Add the reason to the log...
    logMailError($logArray); // Then output the log
    return false;
  }
  else
  {
    $cnectKey = 0; // A counter for when we receive multiple lines in reply
    do
    {
      $smtpResponse = @fgets($smtpConnect, 515); // Get the reply
      $cnectKey++; // Increment the counter
      $logArray['SMTPconnect' . $cnectKey] = $smtpResponse; // Log the response
      $responseCode = substr($smtpResponse, 0, 3); // Grab the response code from start of the response
      // If we get an error terminate the connection and log the results so far
      if($responseCode >= 400)
      {  
        logMailError($logArray, $smtpConnect);
        return false;
      }        
    }  
    while((strlen($smtpResponse) > 3) && (strpos($smtpResponse, ' ') != 3)); // Loop until we get told it's the last line
      $ehlo = mailPackets('EHLO ' . $localhost, $smtpConnect, $logArray, 'SMTPehlo'); // Let's try using EHLO first
      if($ehlo != 250) // Server said it didn't like EHLO so drop back to HELO
      {
        if(!mailPackets('HELO ' . $localhost, $smtpConnect, $logArray, 'SMTPhelo')) // Send HELO. No EHLO means server doesn't support AUTH
        {
          return false;
        }
      }
      if(!empty($mailCfg['User']) && ($ehlo == 250)) // We have a username and server supports EHLO so send login credentials
      {
        if(!mailPackets('AUTH LOGIN', $smtpConnect, $logArray, 'SMTPauth')) // Request Auth Login
        {
          return false;
        }
        if(!mailPackets(base64_encode($mailCfg['User']), $smtpConnect, $logArray, 'SMTPuser')) // Send username
        {
          return false;
        }
        if(!mailPackets(base64_encode($mailCfg['Pass']), $smtpConnect, $logArray, 'SMTPpass')) // Send password
        {
          return false;
        }
      }
      if(!mailPackets('MAIL FROM:<' . $mailFrom . '>', $smtpConnect, $logArray, 'SMTPfrom')) // Email From
      {
        return false;
      }
      if(!mailPackets('RCPT TO:<' . $mailTo . '>', $smtpConnect, $logArray, 'SMTPrcpt')) // Email To
      {
        return false;
      }
      if(!mailPackets('DATA', $smtpConnect, $logArray, 'SMTPmsg')) // We are about to send the message
      {
        return false;
      }
      // First lets make sure both the message and additional headers do not contain anythign that might be seen as end of message marker
      $mailMsg = preg_replace(array("/(?<!\r)\n/", "/\r(?!\n)/", "/\r\n\./"), array("\r\n", "\r\n", "\r\n.."), $mailMsg);
      $mailHeaders = (!empty($mailHeaders)) ? "\r\n" . preg_replace(array("/(?<!\r)\n/", "/\r(?!\n)/", "/\r\n\./"), array("\r\n", "\r\n", "\r\n.."), $mailHeaders) : '';
      // Create the default headers, attach any additonal headers
      $mailHeaders = "To: <".$mailCfg['To'].">\r\nFrom: <".$mailCfg['From'].">\r\nSubject: ".$mailCfg['Subject']."\r\nDate: " . gmdate('D, d M Y H:i:s') . " -0000".$mailHeaders;
      if(!mailPackets($mailHeaders."\r\n\r\n".$mailMsg."\r\n.", $smtpConnect, $logArray, 'SMTPbody')) // The message
      {
        return false;
      }
      mailPackets('QUIT', $smtpConnect, $logArray, 'SMTPquit'); // Say Bye to SMTP server
      fclose($smtpConnect); // Be nice and close the connection
      return true; // Return the fact we sent the message
  }
}
 
// This function sends the actual packets then logs the reponses and parses the reponse code
function mailPackets($sendStr,$mailConnect,&$logArray,$logName = '')
{
  $newLine = "\r\n"; // LEAVE THIS ALONE  
  $keyCount = 0;  // Just an incremental counter for when we get more than a single line response
  @fputs($mailConnect,$sendStr . $newLine); // Send the packet 
  do // Start grabbing the responses until we either get a terminal error or told we are at the end
  {
    $mailResponse = @fgets($mailConnect, 515); // Receive the response
    $keyCount++; // Incrememnt the key count
    $logArray[$logName . $keyCount] = $mailResponse; // Put the response in to the log array
    $responseCode = substr($smtpResponse, 0, 3); // Grab the response code from start of the response
    // Check for error codes except on ehlo, auth, and user details as they are not always fatal
    if((($logName != 'SMTPauth') && ($logName != 'SMTPuser') && ($logName != 'SMTPehlo') && ($logName != 'SMTPpass')) && ($responseCode >= 400))
    {  
       logMailError($logArray,$mailConnect);
       return false;
    }
    elseif((substr($responseCode, 0, 1) == 4) || ($responseCode >= 521) && ($logName != 'SMTPehlo'))
    {  
       logMailError($logArray,$mailConnect);
       return false;
    }
  }
  while((strlen($mailResponse) > 3) && (strpos($mailResponse, ' ') != 3)); // Loop until we get the end response
  return $responseCode; // Return the response code
}
 
function logMailError(&$logArray, $mailServer = false)
{
  if($mailServer)
  { 
    fclose($mailServer); // Be nice and close the connection
  }
  $fd = @fopen ('smtplog.txt', 'a'); // open the log file
  $mailResults = print_r($logArray, true); // Create a nice printable version of logArray
  @fwrite($fd,$mailResults); // Write the log
  @fclose ($fd); // Close the file
}

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