Emails with no attachments generate "Content Too Deep" or "Container Limit Exceeded" errors

Products

• Mail Security for Domino

Issue/Introduction

Symantec Mail Security generates a "Content Too Deep" scan error on messages that don't have attachments to scan.

Symptoms
Users or clients send mail with no attachments, or attachments that are not traditional containers, such as ZIP or RAR files. But Symantec Mail Security generates a scan error with either "Content Too Deep" or "Container Limit Exceeded" as if a traditional container is present.

Cause

Messages that contain MIME-encoded content, multiple replies, multiple forwards, or attachments with embedded content cause this problem. Each level of encoding that Symantec Mail Security must open to reach scannable content counts as a container. For example, a message that has been forwarded 5 times may have 5 headers Symantec Mail Security must parse to reach scannable content.

Resolution

Modify the container limits in Symantec Mail Security to allow for more levels of nested containers (up to 50).

Symantec Mail Security for Domino 5.0 or higher (Windows platform)

1. Open the settings database (SAV.NSF)
2. Open the Server group document
3. Go to the Configuration tab, and select the Scan Error subtab
4. Set your container limits appropriately for your environment

Symantec Mail Security for Domino Multi Platform Edition 3.2 or higher, or Symantec Mail Security for Domino 8.0 or higher (*NIX platform)

1. Open the settings database (SAVMPE.NSF), or (SAV.NSF for SMSDOM version 8+)
2. Go to Global Security Risk Options
3. On the Options tab, select the Container Limits subtab
4. Set your container limits appropriately for your environment

References

'Where to find Symantec Mail Security 8.0 for Domino documentation'
Document ID: 2009111912020854
http://service1.symantec.com/support/ent-gate.nsf/docid/2009111912020854?Open&seg=ent