Failed to start The Apache HTTP Server - AH02564: Failed to configure encrypted (?) private key CA_IMAG_VAPP:443:0

Products

• CA Identity Manager

Issue/Introduction

getting an error when trying to upload the httpd service of a vapp server, the uploaded "key and cer" certificates worked on all the vapp servers except one.

Trying to start httpd service.

#systemctl status httpd.service

 httpd.service - The Apache HTTP Server
   Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/httpd.service; enabled; vendor preset: disabled)
  Drop-In: /etc/systemd/system/httpd.service.d
           └─vapp_env.conf
   Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Fri 2022-06-17 16:30:59 EST; 4 days ago
     Docs: man:httpd.service(8)
  Process: 2651976 ExecReload=/usr/sbin/httpd $OPTIONS -DFOREGROUND (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)
  Process: 2651875 ExecReload=/usr/CA/.VAPP_install/apache/apache_start_pre.sh (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
  Main PID: 2651976 (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)
   Status: "Reading configuration.."

    ............Failed to start The Apache HTTP Server

- The file ssl_vappAdminUI_error_log is concerning about they key

[Fri Jun 17 09:21:22.822951 2022] [ssl:error] [pid 2482311:tid 140511840225600] AH02579: Init: Private key not found
[Fri Jun 17 09:21:22.823031 2022] [ssl:error] [pid 2482311:tid 140511840225600] SSL Library Error: error:0D0680A8:asn1 encoding routines:asn1_check_tlen:wrong tag
[Fri Jun 17 09:21:22.823062 2022] [ssl:error] [pid 2482311:tid 140511840225600] SSL Library Error: error:0D08303A:asn1 encoding routines:asn1_template_noexp_d2i:nested asn1 error
[Fri Jun 17 09:21:22.823084 2022] [ssl:error] [pid 2482311:tid 140511840225600] SSL Library Error: error:0D0680A8:asn1 encoding routines:asn1_check_tlen:wrong tag
[Fri Jun 17 09:21:22.823108 2022] [ssl:error] [pid 2482311:tid 140511840225600] SSL Library Error: error:0D07803A:asn1 encoding routines:asn1_item_embed_d2i:nested asn1 error (Type=RSAPrivateKey)
[Fri Jun 17 09:21:22.823131 2022] [ssl:error] [pid 2482311:tid 140511840225600] SSL Library Error: error:04093004:rsa routines:old_rsa_priv_decode:RSA lib
[Fri Jun 17 09:21:22.823151 2022] [ssl:error] [pid 2482311:tid 140511840225600] SSL Library Error: error:0D0680A8:asn1 encoding routines:asn1_check_tlen:wrong tag
[Fri Jun 17 09:21:22.823173 2022] [ssl:error] [pid 2482311:tid 140511840225600] SSL Library Error: error:0D07803A:asn1 encoding routines:asn1_item_embed_d2i:nested asn1 error (Type=PKCS8_PRIV_KEY_INFO)
[Fri Jun 17 09:21:22.823204 2022] [ssl:emerg] [pid 2482311:tid 140511840225600] AH02564: Failed to configure encrypted (?) private key CA_IMAG_VAPP:443:0, check /etc/pki/tls/private/localhost.key

 

Environment

Release : 14.4

Component : httpd service

Cause

localhost.key primary key certificate altered

Resolution

Troubleshooting :

a) Check the localhost.key file Permission

ls -l /etc/pki/tls/private/localhost.key
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 69 Nov 19  2021 /etc/pki/tls/private/localhost.key -> /opt/CA/VirtualAppliance/custom/apache-ssl-certificates/localhost.key

**the above output if the expected.

b) Check if the key certificate is correct :

openssl rsa -in /etc/pki/tls/private/localhost.key -check

ie :  unable to load Private key
1223344556677889:error:0909006C:PEM routines:get_name_no start line:crypto/pem/pem_lib.c:745:Expecting: ANY PRIVATE KEY

** this indicate the key certificate is wrong.

a good output should looks like :

RSA key ok
writing RSA key
-----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----

....

-----END RSA PRIVATE KEY-----

c) Check the certificate:
openssl x509 -in /etc/pki/tls/certs/localhost.crt -text -noout

it should shows 

Certificate:
    Data:
        Version: 3 (0x2)
        Serial Number:

etc...

How to Resolve the issue :

1. copy key certificate file (/etc/pki/tls/private/localhost.key) from a working vapp server

2. copy into the problematic server (same folder) and restart httpd service