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Verisign Certificate Expiration Causes Multiple Problems

Posted by michael on from the rot-at-the-root dept.

We had to do a little sleuthing today. Many readers wrote in with problems that turned out to be related. A certificate which Verisign used for signing SSL certificates has expired. When applications which depend on that certificate try to make an SSL connection, they fail and try to access crl.verisign.com, the certificate revocation list server. This has effectively DOS'ed that site, and Verisign has now updated the DNS record for that address to include several non-routable addresses, reducing the load on their servers. Some applications affected include older Internet Explorer browsers, Java, and Norton Antivirus (which may manifest itself as Microsoft Word being very slow to start). Hope this helps a few people, and if you have other apps with problems, please post about them below.

10 of 360 comments (clear)

  1. Now I'm confused. by grub · · Score: 5, Funny


    (which may manifest itself as Microsoft Word being very slow to start)

    But.. I thought this SSL certificate expired just today..

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  2. The reason is obvious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    In an effort to have us forget about SiteFinder, they're going for an even bigger fuck-up.

    Nice try, guys... now turn the CRL server back on.

  3. Hmmmm... by TWX · · Score: 5, Funny

    Well, it's good to know that not only crackers or script kiddies are good at taking down Verisign's services, that their own staff is good at it too.

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  4. A little testy... by tcopeland · · Score: 5, Funny
    ...from the article:


    Although VeriSign has been providing instructions on how to manually install
    the new Global Server Intermediate Root CA to all GSID customers since
    December, 2001, it is possible that some customers may not have noticed the
    reminder and are unaware of this issue.


    Heh.
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    1. Re:A little testy... by schon · · Score: 5, Funny

      Although VeriSign has been providing instructions on how to manually install the new Global Server Intermediate Root CA to all GSID customers since December, 2001, it is possible that some customers may not have noticed the reminder and are unaware of this issue.

      Of course they neglected to include that the notice was on display on the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying 'Beware of the Leopard.'

  5. Progress by Patrik_AKA_RedX · · Score: 5, Funny
    they fail and try to access crl.verisign.com, the certificate revocation list server. This has effectively DOS'ed that site
    They DOSed their own site? Damn, they've made script kiddies obsolete.
  6. Duke Nukem by pantycrickets · · Score: 5, Funny

    and if you have other apps with problems, please post about them below.

    I can't get the DOS version of Duke Nukem to run in Windows XP. Is this at all somehow related? Is there a fix??

  7. Re:Who needs them? by John+Hasler · · Score: 5, Funny

    > ...when you're about to enter a credit card number
    > online it's assuring to see that the SSL cert is
    > signed by a real organization...

    Unfortunately, we usually have to settle for Verisign instead.

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  8. What are you talking about? by Pieroxy · · Score: 5, Funny

    Unless you have a P75, I don't see what you are talking about. MSWord has always started in less that 3 seconds on my system (PIII 700) and I can tell you that sometimes it is terribly bloated (My system, not Word).

    Wait, did I just admit running Windows on slashdot? Bye bye Karma.

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  9. Re:Fixed this today... by nettdata · · Score: 5, Funny

    Or, in the case of MS:

    Lesson: If __________________, reboot the thing.

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