HTTPS request in c++ using Poco

Question

I am trying to write a client app in C++ using Poco Libraries (version poco-1.4.6p1-all) and compiling in Visual Studio 2010, that sends a HTTPS request to a server that has a self-written certificate. I have an error because the certificate is not recognized:

First-chance exception at 0x76e8c41f in httprequest.exe: Microsoft C++ exception: Poco::Net::SSLException at memory location 0x0044ed38..

I have tried changing the verify functions written in the library (in X509Certificate.h) so that they always return true and rebuilt the library. Same error.

Here is the code:

try{
    const Poco::URI uri("https://www.theServer.com");
    Poco::Net::Context::Ptr context =
        new Poco::Net::Context(Poco::Net::Context::CLIENT_USE, "",
        "","",Poco::Net::Context::VERIFY_RELAXED,
        9, true, "ALL:!ADH:!LOW:!EXP:!MD5:@STRENGTH");

    Poco::SharedPtr<Poco::Net::InvalidCertificateHandler> pAcceptCertHandler = new Poco::Net::AcceptCertificateHandler(true);
    Poco::Net::SSLManager::instance().initializeClient(NULL, pAcceptCertHandler, context);

    Poco::Net::HTTPSClientSession session(uri.getHost(), uri.getPort(), context );
    Poco::Net::HTTPRequest req(Poco::Net::HTTPRequest::HTTP_GET, "" );
    req.setContentType("application/x-javascript; charset=utf-8\r\n");
    req.setKeepAlive(true);

    Poco::Net::HTTPBasicCredentials cred("[email protected]", "lala");
    cred.authenticate(req);
    session.sendRequest(req);
    Poco::Net::HTTPResponse res;
    std::istream& rs = session.receiveResponse(res);
    std::string resp;

    std::vector<Poco::Net::HTTPCookie> cookies;
    res.getCookies( cookies );
    res.write(std::cout);
}
catch( const Poco::Net::SSLException& e )
{
    std::cerr << e.what() << ": " << e.message() << std::endl;
}
catch( const std::exception& e )
{
    std::cerr << e.what() << std::endl;;
}

Thank you!

Solution

I found the answer. I wasn't really getting the certificate. It works like this:

 try{
    Poco::Net::initializeSSL();
    Poco::SharedPtr<Poco::Net::InvalidCertificateHandler> ptrHandler = new AcceptCertificateHandler(false);
    Context::Ptr ptrContext = new Context(Context::CLIENT_USE, "", "", "", Context::VERIFY_RELAXED, 9, true, "ALL:!ADH:!LOW:!EXP:!MD5:@STRENGTH");
    SSLManager::instance().initializeClient(0, ptrHandler, ptrContext);

    Poco::Net::SocketAddress address("www.server.com:443");
    Poco::Net::SecureStreamSocket socket(address);
    if (socket.havePeerCertificate())
    {
        X509Certificate cert = socket.peerCertificate();
        std::cout<<cert.issuerName()<<"\n"; 
    }
    else
    {
        std::cout<<"No certificate";
    }

}catch (Poco::Exception& e) {
    std::cout << "Error: " << e.displayText() << "\n";
    return -1;
}

Comments

[Jonny Paton]

Is this not just bypassing the certificate by using an AcceptCertificateHandler (which always accepts certs, even when verification fails)?

[CJJ]

Yes, at the time, we used this solution temporarily, since we had an issue with our certificates.