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Dovecot cannot be started on Plesk 18.0.73: 99-warden.conf line 9: Unknown section name: plugin

Benjamin Woellhardt
Updated
Plesk for Linux kb: technical

Symptoms

  • Dovecot was upgraded to 2.4.1

  • Dovecot service cannot be started:

    CONFIG_TEXT: Sep 30 13:39:56 www dovecot[39029]: doveconf: Fatal: Error in configuration file /etc/dovecot/conf.d/99-warden.conf line 9: Unknown section name: plugin

As long as Dovecot is affected, Plesk Premium Email webmail login fails with Connection to storage server failed, showing on /var/log/roundcubemail/errors.log:

CONFIG_TEXT: [25-Oct-2025 11:31:02 UTC] PHP Deprecated: Creation of dynamic property rcmail::$imap is deprecated in /usr/share/roundcubemail/program/lib/Roundcube/rcube.php on line 329 [25-Oct-2025 11:31:02 UTC] PHP Warning: stream_socket_client(): Unable to connect to localhost:9143 (Connection refused) in /usr/share/roundcubemail/program/lib/Roundcube/rcube_imap_generic.php on line 1059 [2025-Oct-25 11:31:02 +0000]: <9a7f782b> IMAP Error: Login failed for plesk_support@example.com against localhost from 203.0.113.2. Could not connect to localhost:9143: Connection refused in /usr/share/roundcubemail/program/lib/Roundcube/rcube_imap.php on line 211 (POST /?_task=login&_action=login)

It is needed to either update and fix Warden or (if not possible to remove it) to disable it and rename it's conflicting configuration file. ).

 

Cause

The Warden extension pushes the incorrect config for the Dovecot service. 

Resolution

Danami Support has already published a solution in their knowledge base.
How can I fix the error: doveconf: Fatal: Error in configuration file /etc/dovecot/conf.d/99-warden.conf line 9: Unknown section name: plugin after upgrading to Plesk 18.0.73? - Knowledgebase - Danami

If the fix cannot be implemented the Warden extension should be removed.

 

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Comments

1 comment
Date Votes
  • Avatar
    Mustafa GULER
    (Edited )

    If you wish to continue using Warden Anti-spam and Virus Protection without upgrading to version 5.04, I have made the necessary adjustments as follows.

    Edit the /etc/dovecot/conf.d/99-warden.conf file as shown below;

    service imap {
  vsz_limit = 512MB
}
 
protocol imap {
  mail_plugins = imap_sieve
  sieve_plugins = sieve_imapsieve sieve_extprograms
}

    Then edit the /etc/dovecot/conf.d/90-plesk-sieve.conf file as follows;

    protocols {
  sieve = yes
}
 
protocol sieve {
}
 
protocol lda {
  mail_plugins = sieve
}
 
sieve_script plesk {
  path = ~/sieve
  active_path = ~/.dovecot.sieve
 
  sieve_extensions {
    enotify = yes
    imap4flags = yes
  }
}
 
managesieve_logout_format = "rcvd=%{input}, sent=%{output}"

    Since Warden will occasionally update these files to the syntax of the old version during system updates, make these two files read-only.

    chattr +i /etc/dovecot/conf.d/99-warden.conf
chattr +i /etc/dovecot/conf.d/90-plesk-sieve.conf

    Reload and restart the dovecot server.

    dovecot reload
systemctl restart dovecot

     

    1

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