Remove Exim version number

Question

I'm trying to get rid of the version number that you see when you get an email sent from Exim.

Received: from user1 by site.org with local (Exim 4.72)

I'v tried editing smtp_banner in these two files

/etc/exim4/conf.d/main/02_exim4-config_options
/etc/exim4/exim4.conf.template

But deleting the version number from there, then reloading Exim's config doesn't work.

I send my test emails like so:

echo "Message Content" | mail -s "Subject goes here" email@email.com -v

Update 1

comp1:/etc/exim4# ls -l /etc/exim4/
total 96
drwxr-xr-x 9 root root         4096 Jul 30  2010 conf.d
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root        76239 Jan 21 08:24 exim4.conf.template
-rw-r----- 1 root Debian-exim   204 Sep 30  2008 passwd.client
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root         1462 Jan 21 07:39 update-exim4.conf.conf

score 9 · Accepted Answer · answered Jan 21 '12 at 08:39

9

Open the file /etc/exim.conf and find the key smtp_banner, then change that line in this way :

From

smtp_banner = "${primary_hostname} ESMTP Exim ${version_number} \

To

smtp_banner = "${primary_hostname} ESMTP \

answered Jan 21 '12 at 08:39

aleroot

3,160
5
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I don't have a exim.conf file, Debian uses splt config. ls: cannot access /etc/exim.conf: No such file or directory. Check out update one on my org post. – Mint Jan 21 '12 at 09:57
1

`grep version_number -R /etc` and find where it's located then – Tom O'Connor Jan 21 '12 at 11:07
1

Use `grep -r smtp_banner /etc/exim/` to find the correct file. – joschi Jan 21 '12 at 11:07
first one comes up with `/etc/exim4/conf.d/main/02_exim4-config_options:` I'v changed this deleted the version number + restart but it still shows when sending an email. The 2nd one comes up with the two files listed in my org post, which I have already changed and it had no effect. – Mint Jan 22 '12 at 00:20
It is strange there is something wrong in the setup ... The file /etc/exim.conf should exist in a standard setup ... How have you installed Exim ? – aleroot Jan 22 '12 at 07:32
I don't recall installing it, pretty sure it came pre-installed. But if I did, it would of been `apt-get install exim4`. From what I'v read it seems Debian is a bit different then other *nix distros when it comes to exim's config, which makes it rather hard to get conventional help from the internet. – Mint Jan 22 '12 at 10:06
Did you run `update-exim4.conf` after you changed the config file? – growse Jan 23 '12 at 18:51
Yes, but it still shows up in emails. – Mint May 05 '12 at 16:03

score 4 · Answer 2 · answered Jan 21 '12 at 10:41

smtp_banner modifies the banner displayed to the client upon connection, but it looks like you want to change what's being put in the Received: header.

For that, you'll want to define received_header_text, probably in /etc/exim4/conf.d/main/02_exim4-config_options. The option isn't in the file by default, but per the documentation the default setting is

received_header_text = Received: \
  ${if def:sender_rcvhost {from $sender_rcvhost\n\t}\
  {${if def:sender_ident \
  {from ${quote_local_part:$sender_ident} }}\
  ${if def:sender_helo_name {(helo=$sender_helo_name)\n\t}}}}\
  by $primary_hostname \
  ${if def:received_protocol {with $received_protocol}} \
  ${if def:tls_cipher {($tls_cipher)\n\t}}\
  (Exim $version_number)\n\t\
  ${if def:sender_address \
  {(envelope-from <$sender_address>)\n\t}}\
  id $message_exim_id\
  ${if def:received_for {\n\tfor $received_for}}

So you should be able to just paste the above text into your config, making whatever changes you'd like.

I also tried that. Still no luck – Mint Jan 21 '12 at 22:33 — Mint, Jan 21 '12 at 22:33

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Jan 21 '12 at 10:43

0

you have to edit /etc/exim4/exim4.conf.template:

$ grep  smtp_banner /etc/exim4/*
/etc/exim4/exim4.conf.template:# smtp_banner = $smtp_active_hostname ESMTP Exim $version_number $tod_full

There do what aleroot suggested.

answered Jan 21 '12 at 10:43

ThorstenS

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I'v tried that, it doesn't make any difference. I even done a system restart. – Mint Jan 21 '12 at 22:33
did you ran update-exim4.conf ? – ThorstenS Jan 22 '12 at 13:08

score 0 · Answer 4 · answered Sep 06 '19 at 04:16

The post shows the macros that need to be set, but is not clear about how to set them. If you are using a Debian/Ubuntu system you can define them in /etc/exim4/exim.conf.localmacros. If you are using the split configuration, then you should create a symlink to this file with a name like 00_exim-conf-localmacros in /etc/exim4/conf.d/main. Once you have done this you can restart.

Check the configuration in /var/lib/exim/conf.autogenerated to ensure your macros are included.

If you are using other systems, the configuration file may be provided using a different mechanism. The default configuration may be /etc/exim4/exim4.conf. Debian/Ubuntu systems will use this it it exists.

It appears you may need to make a number of configuration changes. On a Debian/Ubuntu system I would suggest you use the split configuration. If you make your changes using the documented mechanism, version updates should not break or loose your configuration changes.

Remove Exim version number

4 Answers4

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