ColdFusion 2023 Update 12 causing error Cannot find implementation class coldfusion.tagext.mail.Mail

[paul_durrant]

Last week we applied Update 12 to our ColdFusion 2023 and are now getting an error when trying to send emails from ColdFusion pages.

Error is : ColdFusion Cannot find implementation class coldfusion.tagext.mail.MailTag for the mail tag

Code example : 

<cfmail from="servicedeskplus@xxxx.uk" to="developer@xxxx.uk" subject="Test" type="html" server="smtprelay.xxx.uk">

Email sent

</cfmail>

C:\ColdFusion2023\cfusion\Mail\Undelivr and Spool are both empty

We had a problems (remote_user not found) following the Update 12 and Adobe support supplied these additional steps that resolved that issue (including clearing down folders ColdFusion2023\cfusion\wwwroot\WEB-INF\cfclasses and ColdFusion2023\cfusion\bin\felix-cache) : 

Step 16 : update jvm.config

Take the backup of existing the jvm.config file before making changes.

Add the below java flags in the jvm.config file under path C:\ColdFusion2023\cfusion\bin 

-Dcfdocument.metahttpequivrefresh.localfile=TRUE

-Dcoldfusion.encryption.useCFMX_COMPATAsDefault=TRUE

-Dcoldfusion.searchimplicitscopes=true

Add one by one without any extra gaps in the file.

Step 17 : Navigate to ColdFusion2023\cfusion\wwwroot\WEB-INF\cfclasses

Remove all the files

Step 18 : Clear the felix cache from the below directory:

ColdFusion2023\cfusion\bin\felix-cache.

[Charlie Arehart]

Well, no. Update 12 did indeed update a package: the pmtagent.

As such, it's not clear why you'd "archive off" the bundles folder as updated for 12.

[paul_durrant]

The "no package updates" comment was from Adobe Support.  But I will go with your statement.

Installing the original Bundle packages got the email working.

Intstalling the new Bundle packages stopped the email working.

[paul_durrant]

Hi Charlie,

You were right and Adobe Support was wrong.

I compared the update 11 and 12 zips, and there was a new file perfmon-2023.0.12.330713

In bundlesdependency.json there were 2 changes, one for this new package and administrator 2023.0.07.330663.

Based on support’s comments “and from update 11 to 12 there are no new packages have been included”, my assumption was the security fix for Update 12 was in the core application logic rather than a package. Thus my approach of using the original packages in the Bundle folder.

So next week I have two options – you opinion is valued :

Option 1
Try and repeat the Update 12 install again – which will probably stop email working.
Two reasons for this problem could be :
(1) I am doing something wrong or
(2) The offline zip package has a problem. I imagine most people have internet access and can just update this via the ColdFusion Admin application. To get this issue you need to be an Offline users who also uses cfmail – not sure how many of us there are.

Option 2
Copy the new PMT jar to the Bundles folder, add the pmtagent logic into bundlesdependency.json and then install it.

Thanks 

Paul

[BKBK]

@paul_durrant , your probblem has basically been solved. From what I have seen, the key stumbling block has been your server's inability to make a connection and download packages when needed. So, if I were you I wouldn't go through all the installation complications again. 

Instead, I would go for your Option 2, and do it as follows:

1.  Unzip the file hotfix-packages-cf2023-012-330713.zip that you downloaded earlier. You will see that it contains these 4 Performance Monitoring JARs,
   
   perfmon-2023.0.0.330468.jar
   perfmon-2023.0.05.330608.jar
   perfmon-2023.0.11.330706.jar
   perfmon-2023.0.12.330713.jar
   
   
2.  Copy the 4 files to the directory C:\ColdFusion2023\bundles, choosing to replace any copies that are already there. 
   
   
3.  Open C:\ColdFusion2023\bundles\bundlesdependency.json in an editor. Ensure that it contains 4 "bundles" settings matching the 4 PMTAgent/Perfmon file versions in step 1. 
   (I have attached an excerpt of the 4 "bundles" settings that should be present in C:\ColdFusion2023\bundles\bundlesdependency.json .) Save the edited file.
   
   
4.  Restart ColdFusion 2023.
   
   
5.  Restart each of the other ColdFusion services, such as Add-On (if present).
   
   
6.  Open the ColdFusion Administrator. Go to Package Manager > Packages . You should see the pmtagent package either under Installed Packages or under Available Packages. 
       Suppose the pmtagent package is under Available Packages and you wish to install and use the Performance Motnitoring Toolset. Then you can install it here. Just click on the pmtagent widget, then on Install.
   
   
7.  Check the ColdFusion logs to ensure nothig went wrong.

[paul_durrant · Accepted solution]

Thanks to both Charlie and BKBK whose work I am summrising here, which fixed the problem.

After the Offline install of CF2023 update 12 did these 2 fixes.

This got the emails working : 

Got it working using cfpm install all with old Bundles folder.

• When tried this with new Bundles folder it stopped working and lost the two CF ODBC services.

Use Original Bundles folder contents.

• Ensure original Bundles folder is the one being used (update 12 Bundle folder archived off).
• Cd c:\ColdFusion2023\cfusion\bin
• Cfpm
• install all

Then to get the update 12 security feature working again : 

1. Unzip the file hotfix-packages-cf2023-012-330713.zip that you downloaded earlier. You will see that it contains these 4 Performance Monitoring JARs,
   
   perfmon-2023.0.0.330468.jar
   perfmon-2023.0.05.330608.jar
   perfmon-2023.0.11.330706.jar
   perfmon-2023.0.12.330713.jar
   
   
2.  Copy the 4 files to the directory C:\ColdFusion2023\bundles, choosing to replace any copies that are already there. 
   
   
3.  Open C:\ColdFusion2023\bundles\bundlesdependency.json in an editor. Ensure that it contains 4 "bundles" settings matching the 4 PMTAgent/Perfmon file versions in step 1. 
   (I have attached an excerpt of the 4 "bundles" settings that should be present in C:\ColdFusion2023\bundles\bundlesdependency.json .) Save the edited file.
   
   
4.  Restart all ColdFusion 2023 services.
   
   
5. Open the ColdFusion Administrator. Go to Package Manager > Packages . You should see the pmtagent package either under Installed Packages or under Available Packages.   Upgrade PMT agent to latest version.
   
   
6.  Check the ColdFusion logs to ensure nothing went wrong.

 Restart all ColdFusion 2023 services.

[BKBK]

Hi @paul_durrant ,

Thanks for the summary and for sharing your findings with the forum.

[TheNephalim]

Hello,

I wanted to add to this discussion.

Like Mr. Durant, I had the same issue(s).

I had a colleague update from ColdFusion 2023 Update 12 directly to Update 14.  This instance of ColdFusion was also installed on a server that does not have internet access and so updates need to be installed manually.  The same will be the case in production.

When I accessed the website to check out the update, I received the same error message:  
Error is : ColdFusion Cannot find implementation class coldfusion.tagext.mail.MailTag for the mail tag

Following the thread, I downloaded the package repository from Adobe because there were some questions about access to the bundlesdependency.json file.  I created a subdirectory under CFHOME called bundles_01.  

I updated packageUrl and defaultPackageUrl entries in neo_updates.xml after making a backup of the file.  I used the format provided f:///<fully qualified path to the JSON file>. However, like Mr. Durant, I received the same notification that the file was not accessible even though it did exist and could provide it by using the test provided by @BKBK .

I wondered if it was the directory name so I renamed the old bundles directory to bundles_02 and renamed bundles_01 to bundles.  This also failed.

I decided that it most likely was the path and not a permissions issue because System, the ColdFusion service account, and the Administrators group all had full control to the directory, subfolders, and files.  It was confusing from the discusion as to what path to actually use.  After some experimentation, I arrived at:

<packagesurl>E:/myCfHome/bundles/bundlesdependency.json</packagesurl>
<defaultpackagesurl>E:/myCfHome/bundles/bundlesdependency.json</defaultpackagesurl>

I entered CFPM and used Install All and, like Mr. Durant, everything started working again.
One question I have is, I'm making the assumption that this new folder is now the new repository containing all requisite files for ColdFusion. 

Can I safely delete the backed up folder?

Up until recently, I have safely gotten away with just running the the update installer and everything worked.
Am I correct in assuming that this is not a proper course of action and that I should follow the following installation path:

1.   Download the hotfix installer.
2.   Download the package repository
3.   Backup the bundles folder to a folder of a different name
4.   Create a new bundles folder under the CFHOME and extract the repository contents to that folder
5.   Run the hotfix installer

I believe that this is the same installation path that this article encourages.

I appreciate any advice that anyone can offer.  Thanks in advance.  I also apologize if any of the above is confusing.

[BKBK]

@TheNephalim ,

I think the list of things to do is getting too long.  I would suggest returning to basics and starting with something simple.

Do the following and see if it solves your problem:

1. In Update 14, undo all the changes you've described, and revert each setting to its original value or state. Don't delete anything, with the exception of felix-cache. That is the subject of Step 2.

2. Empty - that is, delete everything from - the directory {CF_INSTANCE_HOME}/bin/felix-cache.

3. Restart ColdFusion.

Recently, developers have discovered that emptying felix-cache resolves a wide variety of issues. 

[TheNephalim]

Thanks for the update.  I might have to try that, although I'm not sure how to go about reverting all of the packages that were updated using "INSTALL ALL" in CFPM.  

One item of confusion though, the update path I stated above seems to be the guidance from Adobe on how to perform a manual update.  Yet, most people seem to be reticient with having anything to do with updating the packages repository.  Is there a reason for this?