Javascript IMAP and SMTP client? [closed]

Asked 23/9, 2010 at 3:4 Answered 27/5, 2013 at 19:14

Is it possible to build a SMTP/IMAP client that can run in the browser that uses only Javascript?

Drub answered 23/9, 2010 at 3:4 Comment(6)

What about using signed Javascript, Flash, or the eval function in a creative way? – Drub 23/9, 2010 at 3:32

With flash and Java it would be possible. Using JavaScript's eval() function won't do it however. – Magdalenemagdalenian 23/9, 2010 at 3:33

Remove the XSS tag, the question has nothing to do with XSS. – Yesseniayester 23/9, 2010 at 7:36

what about trusted Javascript? – Drub 23/9, 2010 at 20:13

SSL support ? anyone ? – Stale 14/10, 2014 at 13:23

I don't think this question should have been closed. – Turenne 8/2, 2017 at 22:45

It's currently not possible to do in a normal web app in the browser. It is however possible to do in packaged apps with access to privileged APIs:

Firefox Apps use the emerging W3C standard TCPSocket
Chrome Apps use a proprietary API chrome.socket

If you're looking for a battle-proven library, whiteout.io develops and maintains a well-tested IMAP / SMTP / MIME-codec implementation in pure JS: emailjs.

It's MIT licensed and free to use.

Wrong answered 27/5, 2013 at 19:14 Comment(3)

Note to those (like me) looking to do this in a web page: this only works with Firefox the OS (not Firefox the browser) and Chrome extensions. – Alyosha 30/7, 2014 at 12:35

I contacted Andris Reinman a few days ago and he confirmed that "BrowserBox supports the latest versions of the browsers" when I asked him which versions of Firefox, Chrome and MSIE it supports. – Selenium 5/6, 2015 at 11:26

From whiteout.io: As of January 1st 2016 the Whiteout Mail service is no longer available. – Guild 12/8, 2019 at 7:59

Agree with Daniel, its not possible in javascript.

There is a new WebSockets API that's going to be added to browsers to allow communication over sockets, but even after that is introduced it will NOT be possible. WebSockets API goes to great lengths to ensure such a thing is not possible, because it is a security risk.

Yesseniayester answered 23/9, 2010 at 7:39 Comment(2)

What is the risk? I keep reading this but I can't get it. Is it all about the handshake? – Penitential 26/8, 2014 at 11:42

@themihai, the key risk, I believe, is phishing - or the art of gaining access to privileged information through appearing genuine or passing for other websites. Or spamming, that too. – Diametral 23/5, 2016 at 20:42

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