SDDC Manager fails to trust integrated components certificate with error "Failed to trust Certificate(s). Error while validating certificate"

Products

• VMware SDDC Manager / VCF Installer

Issue/Introduction

For example : 

• vCenter certificate status has an alert with message: "Connection cannot be established because certificate is not trusted".
  
  
• Upon selecting "review" option to attempt to trust the vCenter certificate, the certificate validation fails with error: "Failed to trust Certificate(s). Error while validating certificate"
• vCenter root and machine certificates had been recently renewed directly from the vCenter.
• /var/log/vmware/vcf/operationsmanager/operationsmanager.log
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS DEBUG [vcf_om, 16#####################, ar##] [c.v.v.s. t. DynamicTrustManager, om-exec-7] Error checking certificate chain
O=####, L=#####, ST=#####, C=##, CN=<vCenter-FQDN>. for validity.
sun. security. validator. ValidatorException: PKIX path building failed: sun. security.provider. certpath. SunCertPathBuilderException: unable to find valid certification path to requested target

Environment

• VMware Cloud Foundation 4.x
• VMware Cloud Foundation 5.x

Cause

This issue can occur if the certificate for the integrated components are updated or regenerated outside the SDDC Manager, but the SDDC Manager continues to reference the previous certificate chain in its database. 

Resolution

The following scripted procedure can be used to update the SDDC Manager trust store with the new vCenter certificate.

1. Take Snapshot of SDDC Manager Appliance from the vCenter
2. Upload the VcRootCaSync.py script attached to the KB to the /home/vcf directory on the SDDC Manager, and execute the script as the root user.
   python VcRootCaSync.py
3. Select the vCenter server which is in error state.
   
   Example:
   

   /home/vcf ]# python VcRootCaSync.py
Please provide SSO administrator user[[e-mail]]:
Provide password for [e-mail]:
Available vCenter Servers:
[1] ERROR | example.vCenter1.com
[2] ACTIVE | example.vCenter2.com

           Select a vCenter server by entering the corresponding number: 1
        Selected vCenter: example.vCenter1.com

            Session token created successfully
         Root certificate saved to /tmp/root.cer

   vCenter example.vCenter1.com Root Certificate Found:
-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
M#############################################b

   -----END CERTIFICATE-----

            vCenter Root certificate added to SDDC Manager trust stores.
         Refreshing certificate store
         Deleting root certificate from temp

4. Refresh the SDDC manager GUI and the status for vCenter certificate should be active.

For other components below methods can be referred to update the SDDC manager trust with the new certificate :

Manual method:

1. Extract the certificate from the integrated components.
2. Copy the certificate to the temp directory on the SDDC Manager.
   vi /tmp/certificate.cer
3. Obtain the trusted certificates key by issuing the following command
   pass=$(cat /etc/vmware/vcf/commonsvcs/trusted_certificates.key)
4. Import the certificate into the trusted_certificates_store with the keytool.
   keytool -importcert -alias <aliasname> -file <certificate file> -keystore /etc/vmware/vcf/commonsvcs/trusted_certificates.store -storepass <trust store key>
   
   example:
   keytool -importcert -alias new_mgmt_root -file /tmp/certificate.cer -keystore /etc/vmware/vcf/commonsvcs/trusted_certificates.store -storepass $pass
5. Import the certificate into the cacerts store.
   keytool -importcert -alias <aliasname> -file <certificate file> -keystore /etc/alternatives/jre/lib/security/cacerts --storepass changeit
   
   example:
   keytool -importcert -alias new_mgmt_certificate -file /tmp/certificate.cer -keystore /etc/alternatives/jre/lib/security/cacerts --storepass changeit
6. Verify the new certificate has been successfully added.
   keytool -list -v -keystore /etc/vmware/vcf/commonsvcs/trusted_certificates.store -storepass $pass  | less
7. Refresh the trusted certificates using the API from the SDDC-Manager
   curl -X POST localhost/appliancemanager/trustedCertificates/refresh

API method:

1. Convert the certificate on the integrated components into single line PEM format and copy the output.
   awk 'NF {sub(//, ""); printf "%s\\n",$0;}' /tmp/certificate.crt

   For example:
   # awk 'NF {sub(//, ""); printf "%s\\n",$0;}' /tmp/certificate.crt
-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
<certicate..............>
-----END CERTIFICATE-----\n
2. Navigate to the API Explorer in the SDDC UI and input the certificate and certificateUsageType.
   API Explorer > APIs for managing Trusted Certificates > POST
3. Input the certificate in one line PEM format in the certificate field.
4. Input "TRUSTED_FOR_OUTBOUND" into the certificateUsageType field.
   
5. Click on Execute. 

Additional Information

Steps to extract certificate for vCenter Server :

1. If using default certificate use the below command:
   /usr/lib/vmware-vmca/bin/certool --getrootca --cert=/tmp/root.cer
2. If using a custom root certificate.
   /usr/lib/vmware-vmafd/bin/vecs-cli entry list --store trusted_roots
3. Copy the root certificate to the temp directory on the SDDC Manager.
   vi /tmp/root.cer

Steps to extract certificate for NSX Manager :

1. Use a file transfer utility to copy the following certificates to the /tmp directory on the SDDC Manager Appliance.
   1. Extract NSX Manager's full certificate chain (Leaf - Intermediate - Root) for each of the NSX Manager nodes and NSX Manager VIP.
   2. Another certificate file for only the Root certificate.

Note: If the same CA is signing all three NSX manager nodes and VIP, only one Root certificate file is needed.

Steps to extract certificate for VxRAIL Manager :

1. Use a file transfer utility to copy the following certificates to the /tmp directory on the SDDC Manager Appliance.
   1. VXRail Manager's full certificate chain (leaf - intermediate - root)
   2. Another certificate file for only the Root certificate.