Receiving an invalid certificate warning while browsing to secured sites through the Finjan proxy


  • Description
    An invalid certificate warning is displayed to the user when browsing SSL sites through a Finjan proxy that terminates and inspects HTTPS (secured) traffic.

  • Symptoms
    The user is informed that an invalid certificate (untrusted issuer) is used for the visited site.

    Internet Explorer 6 invalid certificate pop-up:




    Internet Explorer 7 invalid certificate message:


  • Cause
    The site's certificate is signed by an untrusted certificate issuer.
    This is because the Finjan appliance terminates the HTTPS connection in order to inspect the content. The appliance is located between the SSL site and the user and has a different SSL session with each of them.

    The SSL session with the user is built using a certificate created on the fly for the requested site and is signed by a Finjan certificate on the appliance.
    The user will receive a certificate warning because the Finjan signing certificate is by default not in the browser's trusted certificate issuers list.

  • Solution
    It is possible to have the signed certificate imported into your browser.
    In order to do so, please follow the steps below:
    Save the certificate below with a .cer extension and import it into your browser as  "Trusted Root Certification Authorities". The screenshots show the steps to do this:





    To automate this process for all users in your company you can use Group Policy Objects (GPO) in the Active Directory to distribute the Finjan certificate.

    Add a GPO to the Active Directory server and link at the appropriate level:
    Computer Settings -> Windows Settings -> Security -> Public Key Policies. Add the root CA certificate under "Trusted Root Certification Authorities".

    The Finjan signed certificate that needs to be imported to the browser is attached to this article (finjan.pem).
    You can also find it below:
     -----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
    MIICtDCCAh2gAwIBAgIJAK7xcFlVJL+4MA0GCSqGSIb3DQEBBQUAMIGSMQswCQYD
    VQQGEwJJTDEPMA0GA1UECBMGU2hhcm9uMRAwDgYDVQQHEwdOZXRhbnlhMQ8wDQYD
    VQQKEwZGaW5qYW4xFzAVBgNVBAsTDlZpdGFsIFNlY3VyaXR5MRMwEQYDVQQDEwpG
    aW5qYW4uY29tMSEwHwYJKoZIhvcNAQkBFhJzYWxlc2lzQGZpbmphbi5jb20wHhcN
    MDcwNTI5MTgxODI2WhcNMjcwNTI0MTgxODI2WjCBkjELMAkGA1UEBhMCSUwxDzAN
    BgNVBAgTBlNoYXJvbjEQMA4GA1UEBxMHTmV0YW55YTEPMA0GA1UEChMGRmluamFu
    MRcwFQYDVQQLEw5WaXRhbCBTZWN1cml0eTETMBEGA1UEAxMKRmluamFuLmNvbTEh
    MB8GCSqGSIb3DQEJARYSc2FsZXNpc0BmaW5qYW4uY29tMIGfMA0GCSqGSIb3DQEB
    AQUAA4GNADCBiQKBgQCarbcmg9MMkjFbOoknfmg0sWiyCiwtnIZ1vyP4cGRoC9Ly
    8hwowO+kW9AjkGCcHgCbssfFIvqOSoxFFXwH7k3Cg3sU6vvjC8eMBZEYpeOEJ9dN
    fsyqxrKG9ELr7q3PODu91pFdYnE3BHxKDw0yRXdTFk1SBpyofWo4mdW6KrmTmwID
    AQABoxAwDjAMBgNVHRMEBTADAQH/MA0GCSqGSIb3DQEBBQUAA4GBAEo5s2ZCnPT0
    i13PZ8vNdRIARbEv5mgXooyvE1Z3XyQVjbm6k6hQDdCgWw8+XxuBXrY4NgSi6uI3
    dIXmNxhaEozMNOcGKGLC363q05iYc5druMSd/cq8GmCM0cvJtsbCsigLBkIZNJKb
    cbkxqCtOkha2KiCKy/JqpuLU0MuXsOOQ
    -----END CERTIFICATE-----

  • Software Version
    8.5.0

  • This article applies to:
    NG 1000
    NG 5000
    NG 6000
    NG 8000
    This article was previously published as:
    Finjan KB 1615

    Last Modified 3/23/2009.
    https://support.trustwave.com/kb/KnowledgebaseArticle13446.aspx