gh-128110: Fix rfc2047 handling in email parser address headers

RFC 2047 Section 6.2 requires that "any 'linear-white-space' that separates a pair of adjacent 'encoded-word's is ignored." The modern header value parser correctly implements that for unstructured headers, but had missed a case in structured headers. This could cause a parsed address header to include extraneous spaces in a display-name. Fixed in get_atom() by converting a trailing CFWSList token after an encoded-word to an EWWhiteSpaceTerminal if another encoded-word follows. Deliberately left similar code in get_dotatom() unmodified. A dotatom can only appear within an addr-spec. RFC 2047 Section 5 prohibits use of an encoded-word in any portion of an addr-spec, so its appearance in a dotatom is invalid. Adding (and testing) special white-space handling in an invalid dotatom seems an unnecessary complication.
bitdancer · May 11, 2026 · Mar 1, 2025 · May 11, 2026 · May 11, 2026 · May 11, 2026
commit ef61984766d76f51fa65763d764b0b66f31856ca
@@ -1340,6 +1340,18 @@ def get_atom(value):
     atom.append(token)
     if value and value[0] in CFWS_LEADER:
         token, value = get_cfws(value)
+        # Peek ahead to ignore linear-white-space between adjacent encoded-words.
+        if (
+            atom[-1].token_type == 'encoded-word'
+            and value.startswith('=?')
+            and all(ws.token_type == 'fws' for ws in token)  # not comments
+        ):
+            try:
+                get_encoded_word(value)
+            except errors.HeaderParseError:
+                pass
+            else:
+                token = EWWhiteSpaceTerminal(token, 'fws')
         atom.append(token)
     return atom, value
 

@@ -1039,6 +1039,79 @@ def get_phrase_cfws_only_raises(self):
         with self.assertRaises(errors.HeaderParseError):
             parser.get_phrase(' (foo) ')
 
+    def test_get_phrase_adjacent_ew(self):
+        # In structured headers, the requirement to ignore linear-white-space
+        # between adjacent encoded-words is actually implemented by get_atom.
+        # But it's easier to see the results by testing get_phrase.
+        self._test_get_x(parser.get_phrase, '=?ascii?q?Joi?= \t =?ascii?q?ned?=', 'Joined', 'Joined', [], '')
+
+    def test_get_phrase_adjacent_ew_different_encodings(self):
+        self._test_get_x(
+            parser.get_phrase,
+            '=?utf-8?q?B=C3=A9r?= =?iso-8859-1?q?=E9nice?=', 'Bérénice', 'Bérénice', [], ''
+        )
+
+    def test_get_phrase_adjacent_ew_encoded_spaces(self):
+        self._test_get_x(
+            parser.get_phrase,
+            '=?ascii?q?Encoded?= =?ascii?q?_spaces_?= =?ascii?q?preserved?=',
+            'Encoded spaces preserved',
+            'Encoded spaces preserved',
+            [],
+            ''
+        )
+
+    def test_get_phrase_adjacent_ew_comment_is_not_linear_white_space(self):
+        self._test_get_x(
+            parser.get_phrase,
+            '=?ascii?q?Comment?= (is not) =?ascii?q?linear-white-space?=',
+            'Comment (is not) linear-white-space',
+            'Comment linear-white-space',
+            [],
+            '',
+            comments=['is not'],
+        )
+
+    def test_get_phrase_adjacent_ew_no_error_on_defects(self):
+        self._test_get_x(
+            parser.get_phrase,
+            '=?ascii?q?Def?= =?ascii?q?ect still joins?=',
+            'Defect still joins',
+            'Defect still joins',
+            [errors.InvalidHeaderDefect],  # whitespace inside encoded word
+            ''
+        )
+
+    def test_get_phrase_adjacent_ew_ignore_non_ew(self):
+        self._test_get_x(
+            parser.get_phrase,
+            '=?ascii?q?No?= =?join?= for non-ew',
+            'No =?join?= for non-ew',
+            'No =?join?= for non-ew',
+            [],
+            ''
+        )
+
+    def test_get_phrase_adjacent_ew_ignore_invalid_ew(self):
+        self._test_get_x(
+            parser.get_phrase,
+            '=?ascii?q?No?= =?ascii?rot13?wbva= for invalid ew',
+            'No =?ascii?rot13?wbva= for invalid ew',
+            'No =?ascii?rot13?wbva= for invalid ew',
+            [],
+            ''
+        )
+
+    def test_get_phrase_adjacent_ew_missing_space(self):
+        self._test_get_x(
+            parser.get_phrase,
+            '=?ascii?q?Joi?==?ascii?q?ned?=',
+            'Joined',
+            'Joined',
+            [errors.InvalidHeaderDefect],  # missing trailing whitespace
+            ''
+        )
+
     # get_local_part
 
     def test_get_local_part_simple(self):
@@ -2365,6 +2438,22 @@ def test_get_address_rfc2047_display_name(self):
         self.assertEqual(address[0].token_type,
                          'mailbox')
 
+    def test_get_address_rfc2047_display_name_adjacent_ews(self):
+        address = self._test_get_x(parser.get_address,
+            '=?utf-8?q?B=C3=A9r?= =?utf-8?q?=C3=A9nice?= <foo@example.com>',
+            'Bérénice <foo@example.com>',
+            'Bérénice <foo@example.com>',
+            [],
+            '')
+        self.assertEqual(address.token_type, 'address')
+        self.assertEqual(len(address.mailboxes), 1)
+        self.assertEqual(address.mailboxes,
+                         address.all_mailboxes)
+        self.assertEqual(address.mailboxes[0].display_name,
+                         'Bérénice')
+        self.assertEqual(address[0].token_type,
+                         'mailbox')
+
     def test_get_address_empty_group(self):
         address = self._test_get_x(parser.get_address,
             'Monty Python:;',

diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2025-03-01-13-36-02.gh-issue-128110.9wx_G0.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2025-03-01-13-36-02.gh-issue-128110.9wx_G0.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+Fix bug in the parsing of email address headers that could result in
+extraneous spaces in the decoded text when using a modern email policy.
+Space between pairs of adjacent rfc2047 encoded-words is now ignored, per
+rfc2047 section 6.2 (and consistent with existing parsing of unstructured
+headers like *Subject*).