I saw this error - SEC_ERROR_REUSED_ISSUER_AND_SERIAL, What should I do?
I've been experimenting a bit with self-issued certificates.
I set up a certificate authority, issued a certificate, and installed it on a web server. I later deleted that certificate without bothering to revoke it, and decremented the number in the serial.txt file which openssl was using. (There was no good reason to do so, but it seemed a harmless thing to do).
After that, I used the certificate authority to re-issue a new certificate. When I install that certificate on the web server and access it, Firefox shows me an error:
Your certificate contains the same serial number as another certificate issued by the certificate authority. Please get a new certificate containing a unique serial number. Error code: SEC_ERROR_REUSED_ISSUER_AND_SERIAL
I assume I am getting this error because of the fact that I decremented the serial.txt file, so the newly issued certificate had the same serial number as an older incarnation.
My questions are:
How does my browser know this? Does it keep a database somewhere of CA/serial numbers it has seen before?
Why does it care? What security risk would be entailed if my browser just ignored the duplicate serial number?
Regarding SEC_ERROR_REUSED_ISSUER_AND_SERIAL
Firefox seems to cache information about certificates which got used, at least until you restart the browser. If you've added an exception because you are using your own (maybe untrusted) CA then it might even have the information in the CA store. What security risk would be entailed if my browser just ignored the duplicate serial number? Revocation information about a certificate issued by a specific CA is checked by serial number only in CRL and OCSP. Thus reusing the same serial number would mean that the same revocation information gets applied.
Answer (1)
If Firefox detects that a website’s security certificate has already been utilized for a different website, it will generate the sec_error_reused_issuer_and_serial error message. This error indicates that there is a possible security risk connected with the website, prompting Firefox to obstruct access to the website as a protective measure for your safety and security.
Issues with faulty or duplicate certificates can cause the error. It may also result from corrupted browser caches or interference from security software like antivirus or firewalls. Additionally, problems with your router or its settings can trigger this issue.
How to fix the sec_error_reused_issuer_and_serial error.
1) Disable security measures – Antivirus & Firewall
2) Delete duplicate certificate
3) Clear browsing data and temporary files (cache)
4) Disable security certificate checking
5) Check your router
By following these steps, it can help to solve sec_error_reused_issuer_and_serial error