How to Fix an Incomplete or Broken SSL Certificate Chain (2024)
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is a crucial component of website security, and one of the key elements of SSL is the SSL certificate chain. This chain establishes trust and authenticity between the server and the client, and helps to ensure that information transmitted over the internet is secure and encrypted.
If your SSL certificate chain is incomplete or broken, it can lead to errors and warnings in web browsers, potentially making your website appear untrustworthy or insecure.
Fortunately, fixing an incomplete or broken SSL certificate chain is usually straightforward, and can be accomplished in a few simple steps.
1. Identify the problem. Examine the SSL certificate to see whether it is missing any intermediate certificates. You can use an online SSL checker tool or consult with your SSL certificate provider. Here’s an example of a website with a missing element in the SSL chain certificate:
2. Obtain the missing intermediate certificates. You can do this by downloading the missing certificates from your SSL certificate provider or by using an online SSL certificate repository. If you are unsure who issued the SSL certificates for your website, you can go back to the online SSL checker tool and click on Show to see the pertinent information:
3. The next step is to install the missing intermediate SSL certificates on your web server. The exact process for doing this will depend on your web server software, but typically involves copying the certificate files to a specific directory and configuring your web server to use the new certificates.
4. Test your SSL certificate chain to ensure that it is now complete and functioning correctly. Go back to your online SSL checker tool to check if the SSL certificate chain is now working as desired.
By following the steps outlined above, you can quickly and easily resolve issues with your SSL certificate chain and maintain the integrity and security of your website.
Answer: The "Certificate chain is incomplete" error means your certificate is missing intermediate and/or root certificates. Open your certificates with a text editor, then copy and paste the content of each certificate one after another, without empty lines between them.
Answer: The "Certificate chain is incomplete" error means your certificate is missing intermediate and/or root certificates. Open your certificates with a text editor, then copy and paste the content of each certificate one after another, without empty lines between them.
The order typically starts with the server certificate (End-entity certificate) followed by the first intermediate certificate, then the second intermediate certificate etc. and then the root (CA) certificate in the chain.
Verify that your truststore contains the proper 'signer certificate' for the certificate chain provided by the backend webservice. If the proper signer certificate(s) exist in the truststore, then the handshake should complete.
For an SSL certificate to be valid, domains need to obtain it from a certificate authority (CA). A CA is an outside organization, a trusted third party, that generates and gives out SSL certificates. The CA will also digitally sign the certificate with their own private key, allowing client devices to verify it.
If you encounter this problem, there are many possible solutions: Set the correct date and time on your system, as the SSL certificate is sensitive to your system's settings. Clear your browser's SSL state in the Google Chrome settings. Disable QUIC protocol which is enabled by default in Google Chrome.
You should see the C:\Windows\system32\cmd.exe dialog box appear (windows box with the black background) like below. In the C:\users\(your username here)>prompt, type in the following: certutil –urlcache * delete and then press the Enter key.
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