javax.net.ssl.SSLHandshakeException: sun.security.validator.ValidatorException: End user tried to act as a CA
Article ID: 262947
Updated On:
Products
Issue/Introduction
Customer recently changed their CA Root certificates (from DigCert to Entrust) used for back end application.
After the change, one of the back application works fine, but another back end application proxy does not work.
User gets Noodle exception over the browser, and in agent trace log, shows error:
03/28/2023][13:16:11][559][<tid>][<TransactionID>][execute][Retrying to send the request to backend web server.Retry count: 1]
[03/28/2023][13:16:11][559][<tid>][<TransactionID>][execute][Sending request to backend = <backend server name> url = https://<backend server name>/favicon.ico]
[03/28/2023][13:16:11][559][<tid>][<TransactionID>][requestConnection(): ][Get connection: {s}->https://<backend server name>:443, timeout = 900000]
[03/28/2023][13:16:11][559][<tid>][<TransactionID>][openConnection()][Connecting to <backend server name>/#.#.#.#:443]
[03/28/2023][13:16:11][559][<tid>][<TransactionID>][releaseConnection(): ][Released connection is not reusable.]
[03/28/2023][13:16:11][559][<tid>][<TransactionID>][execute][javax.net.ssl.SSLHandshakeException: sun.security.validator.ValidatorException: End user tried to act as a CA]
[03/28/2023][13:16:11][559][<tid>][<TransactionID>][execute][Retrying to send the request to backend web server.Retry count: 2]
[03/28/2023][13:16:11][559][<tid>][<TransactionID>][execute][Sending request to backend = <backend server name> url = https://<backend server name>/favicon.ico]
[03/28/2023][13:16:11][559][<tid>][<TransactionID>][requestConnection(): ][Get connection: {s}->https://<backend server name>:443, timeout = 900000]
[03/28/2023][13:16:11][559][<tid>][<TransactionID>][openConnection()][Connecting to <backend server name>/#.#.#.#:443]
[03/28/2023][13:16:11][559][<tid>][<TransactionID>][releaseConnection(): ][Released connection is not reusable.]
[03/28/2023][13:16:11][559][<tid>][<TransactionID>][execute][javax.net.ssl.SSLHandshakeException: sun.security.validator.ValidatorException: End user tried to act as aCA]
[03/28/2023][13:16:11][559][<tid>][<TransactionID>][execute][Retrying to send the request to backend web server.Retry count: 3]
[03/28/2023][13:16:11][559][<tid>][<TransactionID>][execute][Tried to send the request to backend web server three times.Throwing the exception to client. ]
[03/28/2023][13:16:11][559][<tid>][<TransactionID>][Noodle::doGet][com.ca.sso.smssl.SMSSLException: javax.net.ssl.SSLHandshakeException: sun.security.validator.ValidatorException: End user tried to act as a CA at com.ca.sso.smssl.socket.SMSSLSocketImpl.startHandshake(SMSSLSocketImpl.java:403)]
[03/28/2023][13:16:11][559][<tid>][<TransactionID>][ErrorPageImpl::displayMessage][Custom Error Pages : Custom message is not an URL. If URL is specified then it mightnot be in proper format. Considering it as plain text message.]
[03/28/2023][13:16:11][559][<tid>][<TransactionID>][ProxyValve::invoke][Leaving the agent.]
Environment
Release : 12.8.03
Cause
Have verified ca-bundle.cert was updated on both Access gateways with new rootCA cert chain from Entrust.
External web sites indicate missing Basic Constraints extension within the certificate itself could be the possible root cause, but that is not the issue here either.
After compared the certificates chains from DigCert to Entrust, no major difference. Basic Constraints extension are present.
- In intermediate cert:
- In RootCA cert:
When testing SSL connection using below command to get new root certificate, unfortunately, the response certificate chain was broken.
openssl s_client -connect <backend server name>:443 -showcerts
Access gateway never received the complete root cert chain as it supposes to. Similar command to other back end server does return cert chain properly.
Since Access gateway did not receive the rootCA cert chain at all, the error "End user tried to act as a CA" occurs, aka, missing "Basic Constraints extension within the certificate".
Resolution
The backend application didn't import the intermediate certificate when they were importing into their Application Load Balancer's.
After Application Load Balancer reimported the required certs and then it works as expected.
Additional Information
Feedback
