[NNTP] RFC 4643 user-pass-char question

[Julien ÉLIE]

Hi Antti-Juhani,

>   NOTE: a server implementation MAY parse AUTHINFO USER and AUTHINFO
>   PASS specially so as to allow white space to be used within the
>   username or password.  Such implementations accept the additional
>   syntax (making these two items inconsistent with "token" in Section
>   9.8 of [NNTP]):
>
>   user-pass-char =/ SP / TAB
>
> The question I was trying to resolve by reading the grammar was, is it
> permissible (or eve required) for a server to respond with 501 to an AUTHINFO
> USER with a username containing spaces.  However, given the above problem, I
> am unable to determine the answer from the document itself.

It is an interesting question, thanks!

I for one reckon it is a pretty good situation to answer 503.
According to RFC 3977:

   If the server recognizes the command but
   does not provide an optional feature (for example, because it does
   not store the required information), or if it only handles a subset
   of legitimate cases (see the HDR command, Section 8.5, for an
   example), the response code 503 MUST be returned.


Here, AUTHINFO USER/PASS is recognized but does not provide the
"white space" support and only handles a subset of legitimate
users and passwords!


Any comments about that?

-- 
Julien ÉLIE

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