Why Am I Getting a 'Received fatal alert: handshake_failure' Error in My SSL Connection?

Handshake Failure in SSL Connection: Troubleshooting "Received fatal alert: handshake_failure"

The "Received fatal alert: handshake_failure" error in SSL connections can result from several underlying causes:

1. Cipher Suite Mismatch: Incompatible cipher suites between the client and the server must be resolved by enabling a shared cipher suite.
2. SSL Version Mismatch: Ensure that both the client and server support compatible SSL/TLS versions.
3. Incomplete Trust Path: The server's certificate may not be trusted by the client due to an incomplete certificate chain in the client's trust store.
4. Certificate Domain Mismatch: The server's certificate must match the server domain; otherwise, a more verbose error message would be displayed.

To troubleshoot the issue, enable SSL debugging using the -Djavax.net.debug=all flag. This will provide insights into the handshake process and reveal the specific failure point.

Most Common Cause: Incomplete Trust Path

In this specific case, the handshake failure is most likely caused by an incomplete certificate trust path. The server's certificate authority (CA) is missing from the client's trust store.

Solution:

To resolve the issue, add the server's CA certificate to the client's trust store using the Java keytool utility. This allows the client to establish a trusted connection with the server.

Understanding the JSSE Trace Output

When debugging SSL handshake failures, the JSSE trace output can provide valuable information. It lists the keystore and trust stores used. Look for the following sections:

• Initialization Section: Identifies the keystore and trust store used by the client.
• Certificate Chain Section: Displays the server's certificate chain. Verify if the server's CA is listed as a trusted certificate.
• ClientHello and ServerHello Sections: Analyze supported cipher suites and chosen cipher suite.

By identifying the specific failure point in the trace output, you can take appropriate action to resolve the issue and establish a secure SSL connection.

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