hMailServer

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There is no set of practices that can guarantee that software will never have defects or vulnerabilities; even formal methods can fail if the specifications or assumptions are wrong. Nor is there any set of practices that can guarantee that a project will sustain a healthy and well-functioning development community. However, following best practices can help improve the results of projects. For example, some practices enable multi-person review before release, which can both help find otherwise hard-to-find technical vulnerabilities and help build trust and a desire for repeated interaction among developers from different companies. To earn a badge, all MUST and MUST NOT criteria must be met, all SHOULD criteria must be met OR be unmet with justification, and all SUGGESTED criteria must be met OR unmet (we want them considered at least). If you want to enter justification text as a generic comment, instead of being a rationale that the situation is acceptable, start the text block with '//' followed by a space. Feedback is welcome via the GitHub site as issues or pull requests There is also a mailing list for general discussion.

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These are the Baseline Level 1 criteria. These are criteria version v2026.08.28.

Baseline Series: Baseline Level 1 Baseline Level 2 Baseline Level 3

        

 Basics

  • General

    Note that other projects may use the same name.

    hMailServer is a free, open-source mail server for Windows and Linux, implementing SMTP, IMAP and POP3, with webmail, a REST API and a Control Panel. It is a maintained fork of Martin Knafve's hMailServer, brought up to date with a current toolchain, current cryptography, and the transport-security and authentication standards expected of a mail server in 2026.

    Please use SPDX license expression format; examples include "Apache-2.0", "BSD-2-Clause", "BSD-3-Clause", "GPL-2.0+", "LGPL-3.0+", "MIT", and "(BSD-2-Clause OR Ruby)". Do not include single quotes or double quotes.
    If there is more than one language, list them as comma-separated values (spaces optional) and sort them from most to least used. If there is a long list, please list at least the first three most common ones. If there is no language (e.g., this is a documentation-only or test-only project), use the single character "-". Please use a conventional capitalization for each language, e.g., "JavaScript".
    The Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) is a structured naming scheme for information technology systems, software, and packages. It is used in a number of systems and databases when reporting vulnerabilities.

    This entry replaces https://www.bestpractices.dev/en/projects/14187, which was made through a GitHub login. GitHub suspended the project account on 18 September 2026, so that entry can no longer be edited. The project has lived on GitLab since 22 September 2026: https://gitlab.com/Progressiverobot/hmailserver. Every answer here was checked again against the project on 26 September 2026.

 Controls 22/24 ●

  • Controls


    Enough for a badge!

    When a user attempts to read or modify a sensitive resource in the project's authoritative repository, the system MUST require the user to complete a multi-factor authentication process. [OSPS-AC-01.01]
    Enforce multi-factor authentication for the project's version control system, requiring collaborators to provide a second form of authentication when accessing sensitive data or modifying repository settings. Passkeys are acceptable for this control.

    Only the Owner account, Progressiverobot, can change project settings, CI/CD variables, protected branches and tags, or push master and v* tags, and it signs in with two-factor authentication. The two other members, zainulabidin1990 and chrisholloway5 (Developer), can read confidential issues, where security reports arrive, and also sign in with two-factor authentication. The project is in a personal namespace, so GitLab has no setting that enforces this for them. See https://gitlab.com/Progressiverobot/hmailserver/-/project_members


    Enough for a badge!

    When a new collaborator is added, the version control system MUST require manual permission assignment, or restrict the collaborator permissions to the lowest available privileges by default. [OSPS-AC-02.01]
    Most public version control systems are configured in this manner. Ensure the project's version control system always assigns the lowest available permissions to collaborators by default when added, granting additional permissions only when necessary.

    GitLab never grants project access by itself: a member is added only by an Owner or Maintainer inviting them with an explicitly chosen role, and access requests are turned off for this project. Today there are three members: Progressiverobot (Owner) and zainulabidin1990 and chrisholloway5 (Developer). See https://gitlab.com/Progressiverobot/hmailserver/-/project_members


    Not enough for a badge.

    When a direct commit is attempted on the project's primary branch, an enforcement mechanism MUST prevent the change from being applied. [OSPS-AC-03.01]
    If the VCS is centralized, set branch protection on the primary branch in the project's VCS. Alternatively, use a decentralized approach, like the Linux kernel's, where changes are first proposed in another repository, and merging changes into the primary repository requires a specific separate act.

    master is a protected branch: force pushes are refused and only the Maintainer role or above may push or merge. Only the Owner account, Progressiverobot, holds that role, so every other account is refused a direct commit. But the maintainer lands changes by pushing master directly (a fast-forward after the full regression gate), and nothing prevents a direct commit from that account. See https://gitlab.com/Progressiverobot/hmailserver/-/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md#merge-requests


    Enough for a badge!

    When an attempt is made to delete the project's primary branch, the version control system MUST treat this as a sensitive activity and require explicit confirmation of intent. [OSPS-AC-03.02]
    Set branch protection on the primary branch in the project's version control system to prevent deletion.

    master is the default branch, and GitLab refuses to delete the default branch. master is also protected: a git push cannot delete it, and only the Maintainer role or above can unprotect it, which only the Owner account holds. See https://gitlab.com/Progressiverobot/hmailserver/-/branches


    Enough for a badge!

    When a CI/CD pipeline operates on untrusted metadata, those parameters MUST be sanitized and validated prior to use in the pipeline. [OSPS-BR-01.01]
    CI/CD pipelines should sanitize (quote, escape or exit on expected values) all metadata inputs which correspond to untrusted sources. This includes data such as branch names, commit messages, tags, pull request titles, and author information.

    The only CI job that handles metadata from outside the project is sign-off, which runs on a merge request from a fork. It reads commit authors, subjects and trailers into quoted shell variables, compares them as data and only prints them. Branch and tag names are compared in rules: and passed to scripts only as environment variables, never written into a command (SECURITY.md, "Branch and tag names in the pipelines"). See https://gitlab.com/Progressiverobot/hmailserver/-/blob/master/.gitlab-ci.yml


    Enough for a badge!

    When a CI/CD pipeline operates on untrusted code snapshots, it MUST prevent access to privileged CI/CD credentials and assets. [OSPS-BR-01.03]
    CI/CD pipelines should isolate untrusted code snapshots from privileged credentials and assets. In particular, projects should be careful to ensure that workflows which build or execute code prior to review by a collaborator do not have access to CI/CD credentials.

    The project's two runners, linix and bench150, are registered ref_protected and locked, and do not run untagged jobs. The jobs that use them run only for protected refs (master, batch*, v*), never for a merge request. A merge request from a fork runs its pipeline in the fork, or on GitLab's shared runners when a maintainer runs it here, and either way sees no protected variable. No job on master declares an ID token; in the next batch only the release jobs for protected v* tags do. See https://gitlab.com/Progressiverobot/hmailserver/-/blob/master/hmailserver/docs/ContinuousIntegration.md


    Enough for a badge!

    When the project lists a URI as an official project channel, that URI MUST be exclusively delivered using encrypted channels. [OSPS-BR-03.01]
    Configure the project's websites and version control systems to use encrypted channels such as SSH or HTTPS for data transmission. Ensure all tools and domains referenced in project documentation can only be accessed via encrypted channels.

    The project's channels are HTTPS only: the GitLab project, issues, wiki and releases, the update feed https://updates.progressiverobot.com and https://www.progressiverobot.com. The forums SUPPORT.md names are also HTTPS only: https://www.hmailserver.com/forum/ on master, and https://www.hmailserver.co.uk/ from the next batch. Each of those four sites redirects plain HTTP to HTTPS (checked 26 September 2026), and Git is served over HTTPS and SSH only. See https://gitlab.com/Progressiverobot/hmailserver/-/blob/master/SUPPORT.md


    Enough for a badge!

    When the project lists a URI as an official distribution channel, that channel MUST be protected from adversary-in-the-middle attacks using cryptographically authenticated channels. [OSPS-BR-03.02]
    Artifacts distributed by the project should be distributed through channels which ensure integrity and authenticity. Use of HTTPS for downloads, signed releases, or distribution through trusted package managers are all acceptable methods to protect against adversary-in-the-middle attacks.

    Releases are distributed only over HTTPS, from GitLab's release pages and package registry (https://gitlab.com/Progressiverobot/hmailserver/-/releases) and the HTTPS update feed. Assets are also signed: Sigstore bundles for every asset up to 6.3.3, and Authenticode on the Windows installer from 6.3.1.


    Not enough for a badge.

    The project MUST prevent the unintentional storage of unencrypted sensitive data, such as secrets and credentials, in the version control system. [OSPS-BR-07.01]
    Configure .gitignore or equivalent to exclude files that may contain sensitive information. Use pre-commit hooks and automated scanning tools to detect and prevent the inclusion of sensitive data in commits.

    The repository holds no credential, but nothing on GitLab stops one from being committed today. GitLab's secret push protection needs Ultimate, and .gitignore excludes build output and logs but no secret-file patterns. A secret_detection job (GitLab's template, failing on any finding not listed in .gitleaksignore) comes in the next batch and has not run on GitLab yet. On 26 September 2026 a scan of the whole history with that job's image found no real secret. See https://gitlab.com/Progressiverobot/hmailserver/-/blob/master/SECURITY.md


    Enough for a badge!

    When the project has made a release, the project documentation MUST include user guides for all basic functionality. [OSPS-DO-01.01]
    Create user guides or documentation for all basic functionality of the project, explaining how to install, configure, and use the project's features. If there are any known dangerous or destructive actions available, include highly-visible warnings.

    README.md covers installation (Windows installer, Linux packages, unattended install), administration (Control Panel, REST API), and building, with a configuration reference. The 104 documents under hmailserver/docs cover operation, upgrade, migration and security, and the GitLab wiki (https://gitlab.com/Progressiverobot/hmailserver/-/wikis/home) has 63 pages of user guides. See https://gitlab.com/Progressiverobot/hmailserver/-/blob/master/README.md


    Enough for a badge!

    When the project has made a release, the project documentation MUST include a guide for reporting defects. [OSPS-DO-02.01]
    It is recommended that projects use their VCS default issue tracker. If an external source is used, ensure that the project documentation and contributing guide clearly and visibly explain how to use the reporting system. It is recommended that project documentation also sets expectations for how defects will be triaged and resolved.

    SUPPORT.md explains how to report a defect: a GitLab issue with the Bug template, and what to include (the log, the ERROR log, version, platform, database). It says what to expect and sends security problems to SECURITY.md. CONTRIBUTING.md, 'Reporting, asking and proposing', repeats the routes. See https://gitlab.com/Progressiverobot/hmailserver/-/blob/master/SUPPORT.md


    Enough for a badge!

    The project MUST have one or more mechanisms for public discussions about proposed changes and usage obstacles. [OSPS-GV-02.01]
    Establish one or more mechanisms for public discussions within the project, such as mailing lists, instant messaging, or issue trackers, to facilitate open communication and feedback.

    The GitLab issue tracker is public. Proposed changes and questions are discussed there, and a Question template adds the question label. Merge requests are open to forks. SUPPORT.md also points usage questions to the hMailServer forum. See https://gitlab.com/Progressiverobot/hmailserver/-/work_items


    Enough for a badge!

    The project documentation MUST include an explanation of the contribution process, or clearly state that public contributions are not accepted [OSPS-GV-03.01]
    Create a CONTRIBUTING.md or CONTRIBUTING/ directory to outline the contribution process including the steps for submitting changes, and engaging with the project maintainers.

    CONTRIBUTING.md explains the contribution process: how to report, ask and propose, then build, test, sign off, and open a merge request from a fork against master. It also explains how the maintainer reviews and lands the change. See https://gitlab.com/Progressiverobot/hmailserver/-/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md


    Enough for a badge!

    The license for the source code MUST meet the OSI Open Source Definition or the FSF Free Software Definition. [OSPS-LE-02.01]
    Add a LICENSE file to the project's repo with a license that is an approved license by the Open Source Initiative (OSI), or a free license as approved by the Free Software Foundation (FSF). Examples of such licenses include the MIT, BSD 2-clause, BSD 3-clause revised, Apache 2.0, Lesser GNU General Public License (LGPL), and the GNU General Public License (GPL). Releasing to the public domain meets this control if there are no other encumbrances such as patents.

    The source is licensed AGPL-3.0-or-later, which is OSI-approved and FSF-free. The full text is in LICENSE, the source headers carry SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-or-later, and GitLab detects the licence. See https://gitlab.com/Progressiverobot/hmailserver/-/blob/master/LICENSE


    Enough for a badge!

    The license for the released software assets MUST meet the OSI Open Source Definition or the FSF Free Software Definition. [OSPS-LE-02.02]
    If a different license is included with released software assets, ensure it is an approved license by the Open Source Initiative (OSI), or a free license as approved by the Free Software Foundation (FSF). Examples of such licenses include the MIT, BSD 2-clause, BSD 3-clause revised, Apache 2.0, Lesser GNU General Public License (LGPL), and the GNU General Public License (GPL). Note that the license for the released software assets may be different than the source code.

    The released assets are the same AGPL-3.0-or-later software. The Windows installer shows the AGPL text at install time (LicenseFile=license.rtf, hmailserver/installation/License.rtf), and the .rpm declares License: AGPL-3.0-or-later. No other licence is applied to releases. See https://gitlab.com/Progressiverobot/hmailserver/-/blob/master/hmailserver/installation/License.rtf


    Enough for a badge!

    The license for the source code MUST be maintained in the corresponding repository's LICENSE file, COPYING file, LICENSES/ directory, or LICENSE/ directory. [OSPS-LE-03.01]
    Include the project's source code license in the project's LICENSE file, COPYING file, LICENSES/ directory, or LICENSE/ directory to provide visibility and clarity on the licensing terms. The filename MAY have an extension. If the project has multiple repositories, ensure that each repository includes the license file.

    The licence text is in the LICENSE file at the root of the project's only repository. See https://gitlab.com/Progressiverobot/hmailserver/-/blob/master/LICENSE


    Enough for a badge!

    The license for the released software assets MUST be included in the released source code, or in a LICENSE file, COPYING file, or LICENSE/ directory alongside the corresponding release assets. [OSPS-LE-03.02]
    Include the project's released software assets license in the released source code, or in a LICENSE file, COPYING file, or LICENSE/ directory alongside the corresponding release assets to provide visibility and clarity on the licensing terms. The filename MAY have an extension. If the project has multiple repositories, ensure that each repository includes the license file.

    Each GitLab release includes the source archives of its tag, which contain the root LICENSE (AGPL-3.0-or-later), and the Windows installer shows the licence text during setup. See https://gitlab.com/Progressiverobot/hmailserver/-/releases


    Enough for a badge!

    The project's source code repository MUST be publicly readable at a static URL. [OSPS-QA-01.01]
    Use a common VCS such as GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket. Ensure the repository is publicly readable. Avoid duplication or mirroring of repositories unless highly visible documentation clarifies the primary source. Avoid frequent changes to the repository that would impact the repository URL. Ensure the repository is public.

    The source code is publicly readable at the static URL https://gitlab.com/Progressiverobot/hmailserver (a public GitLab project, default branch master), the project's home since 22 September 2026, as the first lines of README.md say. The former GitHub copy has been unavailable since 18 September 2026. https://gitlab.com/Progressiverobot/hmailserver


    Enough for a badge!

    The version control system MUST contain a publicly readable record of all changes made, who made the changes, and when the changes were made. [OSPS-QA-01.02]
    Use a common VCS such as GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket to maintain a publicly readable commit history. Avoid squashing or rewriting commits in a way that would obscure the author of any commits.

    The git history on GitLab is publicly readable and records the author, committer and date of every commit: master's 1,425 commits are the whole history carried over from GitHub plus every commit since, kept linear by fast-forward, and force-push is refused on the protected master branch. https://gitlab.com/Progressiverobot/hmailserver/-/commits/master


    Enough for a badge!

    When the package management system supports it, the source code repository MUST contain a dependency list that accounts for the direct language dependencies. [OSPS-QA-02.01]
    This may take the form of a package manager or language dependency file that enumerates all direct dependencies such as package.json, Gemfile, or go.mod.

    Every .NET project with a PackageReference has a committed NuGet lock file (packages.lock.json), and three legacy test tools list theirs in packages.config; the Python tooling's requirements are pinned with hashes (build/requirements-dev.txt). The C++ server has no package manager: OpenSSL, Boost and libpq are pinned by version and source-archive hash in the libraries/build-*.ps1 scripts, and every binary build input is listed in hmailserver/docs/third-party-binaries.json (checked by SHA-256, by version for the MSVC runtime, and for presence for two of Windows' own type libraries). https://gitlab.com/Progressiverobot/hmailserver/-/blob/master/hmailserver/docs/ThirdPartyBinaries.md


    Enough for a badge!

    Projects with multiple repositories MUST document a list of codebases that are part of the project. [OSPS-QA-04.01]
    Document any additional subproject code repositories produced by the project and compiled into a release. This documentation should include the status and intent of the respective codebase.

    hMailServer is a single-repository project: the C++ server, the .NET tools, the Control Deck and webmail, the tests, fuzz harnesses, installer, packaging and documentation are all built into releases from https://gitlab.com/Progressiverobot/hmailserver alone. The wiki belongs to the same GitLab project and is compiled into nothing.


    Enough for a badge!

    The version control system MUST NOT contain generated executable artifacts. [OSPS-QA-05.01]
    Remove generated executable artifacts in the project's version control system. It is recommended that any scenario where a generated executable artifact appears critical to a process such as testing, it should be instead be generated at build time or stored separately and fetched during a specific well-documented pipeline step.

    No generated executable is in version control. The one there was, the COM interop wrapper Interop.hMailServer.dll, has been generated at build time by build/generate-com-wrapper.ps1 since 11 September 2026. None of master's 6,983 tracked files has a PE, ELF or Mach-O header (checked 26 September 2026); the CI's Binary-Artifacts check (build/ci/repo-hygiene.py) tests the same. https://gitlab.com/Progressiverobot/hmailserver/-/blob/master/hmailserver/source/Tools/Interop/README.md


    Enough for a badge!

    The version control system MUST NOT contain unreviewable binary artifacts. [OSPS-QA-05.02]
    Do not add any unreviewable binary artifacts to the project's version control system. This includes executable application binaries, library files, and similar artifacts. It does not include assets such as graphical images, sound or music files, and similar content typically stored in a binary format.

    Since 11 September 2026 the repository holds no executable or library binary: the forty third-party DLLs, MSIs and EXEs were removed, and the build fetches or gathers each one it still needs, checked against hmailserver/docs/third-party-binaries.json (SHA-256 for the fetched ones, version for the MSVC runtime, presence for two of Windows' own type libraries). What remains binary is images (icons, the Fat Cow icon archive, installer bitmaps), licence texts (RTF) and test fixtures (PST files, certificates, OpenPGP samples, fuzz regression inputs). https://gitlab.com/Progressiverobot/hmailserver/-/blob/master/hmailserver/docs/ThirdPartyBinaries.md


    Enough for a badge!

    The project documentation MUST contain security contacts. [OSPS-VM-02.01]
    Create a security.md (or similarly-named) file that contains security contacts for the project.

    SECURITY.md at the repository root gives the security contacts: a confidential GitLab issue (Security template) or email to the project's Service Desk address, contact-project+progressiverobot-hmailserver-86730559-issue-@incoming.gitlab.com, both reaching the maintainers, whom GOVERNANCE.md names. https://gitlab.com/Progressiverobot/hmailserver/-/blob/master/SECURITY.md



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Project badge entry owned by: christopher holloway.
Entry created on 2026-09-26 05:28:20 UTC, last updated on 2026-09-26 06:16:51 UTC. Last achieved passing badge on 2026-09-26 05:45:21 UTC.