Java Certificate Client SSL: unable to find valid certification path to requested target

Question

We require client authentication to send a RESTful request to some of our web services. I've installed a client cert (.pem) and key on the my local mac os via the key tool. These are not self signed.

openssl pkcs12 -export -name myservercert -in not_self_signed.crt -inkey server.key -out keystore.p12

...and converted to JKS format

keytool -importkeystore -destkeystore mykeystore.jks -srckeystore keystore.p12 -srcstoretype pkcs12 -alias myservercert

I'm trying to build a Java client to do the authentication. Here is what I've come up with so far:

import java.io.FileInputStream;
import java.security.KeyStore;

import javax.net.ssl.SSLContext;

import org.apache.http.HttpEntity;
import org.apache.http.client.methods.CloseableHttpResponse;
import org.apache.http.client.methods.HttpGet;
import org.apache.http.conn.ssl.SSLConnectionSocketFactory;
import org.apache.http.impl.client.CloseableHttpClient;
import org.apache.http.impl.client.HttpClients;
import org.apache.http.ssl.SSLContexts;
import org.apache.http.util.EntityUtils;


public class TestClientCustomSSL {

    public final static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {

        KeyStore keyStore = KeyStore.getInstance("JKS");
        keyStore.load(new FileInputStream("/Users/me/mykeystore.jks"), "mypassword".toCharArray());

        SSLContext sslContext = SSLContexts.custom().loadKeyMaterial(keyStore, "mypassword".toCharArray()).build();

        SSLConnectionSocketFactory sslsf = new SSLConnectionSocketFactory(
                sslContext,
                new String[] {"TLSv1"},
                null,
                SSLConnectionSocketFactory.getDefaultHostnameVerifier());

        CloseableHttpClient httpclient = HttpClients.custom().setSSLSocketFactory(sslsf).build();

        try {

            HttpGet httpget = new HttpGet("https://restful-service-i-am-calling/v1/endpoint/data?ip=0.0.0.1");

            System.out.println("Executing request " + httpget.getRequestLine());

            CloseableHttpResponse response = httpclient.execute(httpget);
            try {
                HttpEntity entity = response.getEntity();

                System.out.println("----------------------------------------");
                System.out.println(response.getStatusLine());
                EntityUtils.consume(entity);
            } finally {
                response.close();
            }
        } finally {
            httpclient.close();
        }
    }

}

Below is the stacktrace that I receive. But based on what I've read here my class should be able to send the request just fine.

Exception in thread "main" javax.net.ssl.SSLHandshakeException: sun.security.validator.ValidatorException: PKIX path building failed: sun.security.provider.certpath.SunCertPathBuilderException: unable to find valid certification path to requested target
    at sun.security.ssl.Alerts.getSSLException(Alerts.java:192)
    at sun.security.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.fatal(SSLSocketImpl.java:1884)
    at sun.security.ssl.Handshaker.fatalSE(Handshaker.java:276)
    at sun.security.ssl.Handshaker.fatalSE(Handshaker.java:270)
    at sun.security.ssl.ClientHandshaker.serverCertificate(ClientHandshaker.java:1439)
    at sun.security.ssl.ClientHandshaker.processMessage(ClientHandshaker.java:209)
    at sun.security.ssl.Handshaker.processLoop(Handshaker.java:878)
    at sun.security.ssl.Handshaker.process_record(Handshaker.java:814)
    at sun.security.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.readRecord(SSLSocketImpl.java:1016)
    at sun.security.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.performInitialHandshake(SSLSocketImpl.java:1312)
    at sun.security.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.startHandshake(SSLSocketImpl.java:1339)
    at sun.security.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.startHandshake(SSLSocketImpl.java:1323)
    at org.apache.http.conn.ssl.SSLConnectionSocketFactory.createLayeredSocket(SSLConnectionSocketFactory.java:394)
    at org.apache.http.conn.ssl.SSLConnectionSocketFactory.connectSocket(SSLConnectionSocketFactory.java:353)
    at org.apache.http.impl.conn.DefaultHttpClientConnectionOperator.connect(DefaultHttpClientConnectionOperator.java:134)
    at org.apache.http.impl.conn.PoolingHttpClientConnectionManager.connect(PoolingHttpClientConnectionManager.java:353)
    at org.apache.http.impl.execchain.MainClientExec.establishRoute(MainClientExec.java:380)
    at org.apache.http.impl.execchain.MainClientExec.execute(MainClientExec.java:236)
    at org.apache.http.impl.execchain.ProtocolExec.execute(ProtocolExec.java:184)
    at org.apache.http.impl.execchain.RetryExec.execute(RetryExec.java:88)
    at org.apache.http.impl.execchain.RedirectExec.execute(RedirectExec.java:110)
    at org.apache.http.impl.client.InternalHttpClient.doExecute(InternalHttpClient.java:184)
    at org.apache.http.impl.client.CloseableHttpClient.execute(CloseableHttpClient.java:82)
    at org.apache.http.impl.client.CloseableHttpClient.execute(CloseableHttpClient.java:107)
    at com.mycompany.main(ClientCustomSSL.java:101)
Caused by: sun.security.validator.ValidatorException: PKIX path building failed: sun.security.provider.certpath.SunCertPathBuilderException: unable to find valid certification path to requested target
    at sun.security.validator.PKIXValidator.doBuild(PKIXValidator.java:385)
    at sun.security.validator.PKIXValidator.engineValidate(PKIXValidator.java:292)
    at sun.security.validator.Validator.validate(Validator.java:260)
    at sun.security.ssl.X509TrustManagerImpl.validate(X509TrustManagerImpl.java:326)
    at sun.security.ssl.X509TrustManagerImpl.checkTrusted(X509TrustManagerImpl.java:231)
    at sun.security.ssl.X509TrustManagerImpl.checkServerTrusted(X509TrustManagerImpl.java:126)
    at sun.security.ssl.ClientHandshaker.serverCertificate(ClientHandshaker.java:1421)
    ... 20 more
Caused by: sun.security.provider.certpath.SunCertPathBuilderException: unable to find valid certification path to requested target
    at sun.security.provider.certpath.SunCertPathBuilder.engineBuild(SunCertPathBuilder.java:196)
    at java.security.cert.CertPathBuilder.build(CertPathBuilder.java:268)
    at sun.security.validator.PKIXValidator.doBuild(PKIXValidator.java:380)
    ... 26 more

Any pointers are appreciated.

EDIT:::

FYI I am able to get a 200 response from the server using the same pem and key that I added to the trust store using wget.

wget --certificate ~/Desktop/my.cert.pem --private-key ~/Desktop/my.key.key https://mycompany.com/v1/939044?data=0.0.0.1

EDIT 2:::*

Based on @EJP answer below, also added the cert from the server site:

openssl x509 -in <(openssl s_client -connect the.api.i.am.calling.com:443 -prexit 2>/dev/null) -out ~/Desktop/the.api.i.am.calling.crt

...then I imported the cert to the same keystore:

keytool -importcert -file ~/Desktop/the.api.i.am.calling.crt -alias the.api.i.am.calling.com -keystore /Users/me/mykeystore.jks -storepass mypassword

Running the list command shows that both certs are in the keystore:

keytool -list -keystore /Users/me/mykeystore.jks 
Enter keystore password:  *********

Keystore type: JKS
Keystore provider: SUN

Your keystore contains 2 entries

my.auth.client.cert.com, Oct 17, 2015, PrivateKeyEntry, 
Certificate fingerprint (SHA1): 3D:95:32:E5:F9:9E:4A:53:84:EB:AB:1B:B9:A2:4C:A5:1B:5E:DA:76
the.api.i.am.calling.com, Oct 18, 2015, trustedCertEntry, 
Certificate fingerprint (SHA1): 7C:4A:7B:CE:9B:0B:92:C0:4F:C0:DA:84:CF:F2:24:CF:99:83:0B:3F

But am still receiving the same error.

EDIT 3:::

One more thing I forgot to mention. The only thing I ever gave the server-side team was our client cert names... Ie something like dev.auth.client.com. Do I really have to get the server-side cert to store in the keystore?

Solution 1

1. Use openssl to generate your P12 file

   openssl pkcs12 -export -in /Users/me/test.authclient.int.com.crt -inkey /Users/me/test.authclient.int.com.key -out authClient.p12 -name authClientCert

2. Generate the trust store key

   keytool -genkey -dname "cn=CLIENT" -alias trustStoreKey -keyalg RSA -keystore authClient-truststore.jks -keypass mypassword -storepass mypassword

3. Now, import the trust store key

   keytool -import -keystore authClient-truststore.jks -file /Users/me/test.authclient.int.com/test.authclient.int.com.crt -alias.test.authclient.int.com

4. Get the remote cert

   openssl x509 -in <(openssl s_client -connect the.ssl.api.i.want.to.call.com:443 -prexit 2>/dev/null) -out the.api.i.want.to.call.crt

5. Add the server cert to the trust store

   keytool -importcert -file the.api.i.want.to.call.crt -alias the.api.i.want.to.call.com -keystore /Users/me/authClient-truststore.jks -storepass mypassword

Here's the client that I used to call the api that needed authentication.

    KeyStore clientStore = KeyStore.getInstance("PKCS12");
    clientStore.load(new FileInputStream("/Users/me/authClient.p12"), "mypassword".toCharArray());

    KeyManagerFactory kmf = KeyManagerFactory.getInstance(KeyManagerFactory.getDefaultAlgorithm());
    kmf.init(clientStore, "mypassword".toCharArray());
    KeyManager[] keyManagers = kmf.getKeyManagers();

    KeyStore trustStore = KeyStore.getInstance("JKS");
    trustStore.load(new FileInputStream("/Users/me/authClient-truststore.jks"), "mypassword".toCharArray());

    TrustManagerFactory tmf = TrustManagerFactory.getInstance(TrustManagerFactory.getDefaultAlgorithm());
    tmf.init(trustStore);
    TrustManager[] tms = tmf.getTrustManagers();

    SSLContext sslContext = SSLContext.getInstance("TLS");
    sslContext.init(keyManagers, tms, new SecureRandom());

    SSLConnectionSocketFactory sslsf = new SSLConnectionSocketFactory(sslContext);
    CloseableHttpClient httpclient = HttpClients.custom().setSSLSocketFactory(sslsf).build();

    HttpGet httpget = new HttpGet(requestUrl);

    httpclient.execute(httpget);

That't it. Let me know if I can help by expanding, but this should be all you need.

Solution 2

It has nothing to you with your client certificate. Your truststore doesn't trust the server certificate.

Comments

[Matt]

Thanks EJP. If you wouldn't mind providing some details on how to get it to trust the server cert that would be helpful. I'm running this locally.

[user207421]

The real question is why isn't the server certificate signed? If they're all your certificates, export the server certificate from the server KeyStore and import it as a trusted cert into your client truststore, with the keytool.

[Matt]

If this were the case, would I be able to send this? Which works fine from my local. wget --certificate ~/Desktop/my.cert.pem --private-key ~/Desktop/my.key.key mycompany.com/v1/939044?data=0.0.0.1

[Matt]

I've added the server cert to the keystore. Edit 2 shows this update... Still the same result. Any additional pointers are appreciated.

[user207421]

I can't make head or tail of this. Step 1 doesn't use the keytool. Step 2 generates a key pair, which goes in a keystore. Step 3 imports a certificate, not a key. You have the client KeyStore and truststore all mixed up. Steps 4-5 are exactly what you claimed didn't work.

[Matt]

I'm sure others will find it useful

[treize]

@MattB, thanks for the solution. This is the only one that works for a authClient authentication.

[caraca]

@MattB, in my case I'm connecting with a Kafka server. I was missing steps 4 and 5, just with that I could successfully connect. Thanks!