View Issue Details
ID | Project | Category | View Status | Date Submitted | Last Update |
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20317 | Bug reports | Survey participants (Tokens) | public | 2025-10-22 15:53 | 2025-10-22 16:13 |
Reporter | Mazi | Assigned To | |||
Priority | none | Severity | block | ||
Status | new | Resolution | open | ||
Product Version | 6.6.x | ||||
Summary | 20317: Automatic Opt-Out triggered by email security scanners – requires Two-Click confirmation mechanism | ||||
Description | We have recently encountered repeated cases where participants are automatically marked as Opted-Out immediately after the invitation email is delivered. This behavior has now been confirmed by multiple customers using different mail systems. It can be reproduced reliably when survey invitations containing the standard {OPTOUTURL} are sent to certain corporate domains. Our current analysis indicates that email security systems (URL scanning tools) automatically follow links in incoming emails to verify their safety. In some cases, these tools even execute the confirmation click on the Opt-Out page, which causes the participant to be marked as Opted-Out in LimeSurvey without any user action. As a result, entire customer surveys can no longer be conducted because all or most invited participants will not receive any further reminder emails. | ||||
Steps To Reproduce | Steps to reproduceSend an invitation email with the default opt-out placeholder to affected email addresses. Expected resultEmail is marked as opted-out immediately. Actual resultUsing two-click confirmation automatic opt-out actions can be prevented because the security tools are known to click a single link only and not take another action. | ||||
Tags | No tags attached. | ||||
Bug heat | 4 | ||||
Complete LimeSurvey version number (& build) | 6.15.16 | ||||
I will donate to the project if issue is resolved | No | ||||
Browser | |||||
Database type & version | MySQL/MariaDB | ||||
Server OS (if known) | |||||
Webserver software & version (if known) | |||||
PHP Version | 8.x | ||||
related to | 07494 | acknowledged | Feature requests | Adding List-Unsubscribe header for token |
@DenisChenu, I have added a relation to 07494 since a list-unsubscribe feature you are discussing at the ticket could also be another option to temporarily solve this. Unfortunately, Limesurvey is missing both, list unsubscribe and secure opt-out using two-click confirmation. |
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Opt out need a confirmation. It's not the cases in 3.X or 5.X ? |
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Potential systems causing this behavior (not tested) are: |
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@DenisChenu, at 3.x (and maybe 5.x) there was no confirmation at all. Clicking the link directly lead to opt-out. Suggested Solution: Implement a Two-Click Opt-Out procedure as follows: This would effectively prevent automated link scanners from triggering Opt-Outs and ensure compliance with best practices for secure and user-controlled unsubscribe flows. |
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OK, click on button/submit (the security system make it mad …)
You're right : current button is only a link.
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Sounds like a plan :-) @tibor.pacalat: Can you discuss this at the next meeting? We already have complaints by some companies considering Limesurvey useless for closed surveys with opt-out links due to this issue. |
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Date Modified | Username | Field | Change |
---|---|---|---|
2025-10-22 15:53 | Mazi | New Issue | |
2025-10-22 15:53 | Mazi | Relationship added | related to 07494 |
2025-10-22 15:54 | Mazi | Note Added: 83643 | |
2025-10-22 15:54 | Mazi | Bug heat | 0 => 2 |
2025-10-22 15:55 | DenisChenu | Note Added: 83644 | |
2025-10-22 15:55 | DenisChenu | Bug heat | 2 => 4 |
2025-10-22 15:56 | Mazi | Note Added: 83645 | |
2025-10-22 15:59 | Mazi | Note Added: 83646 | |
2025-10-22 16:08 | DenisChenu | Note Added: 83647 | |
2025-10-22 16:13 | Mazi | Note Added: 83648 |