NET::ERR_CERT_AUTHORITY_INVALID with self-signed CA in Windows

I created a (self-signed) root certificate and signed a web server certificate using a system I developed in Java (the web certificate is used in Apache 2.4.41).

The certificates work without issues in Linux and Mac (tested in different Webkit browsers and Firefox). The certificate and the server setup scores A+ using testssl.sh.

The CA certificate is correctly installed without any warning, but not accepted (still showing the red-triangle warning and the NET::ERR_CERT_AUTHORITY_INVALID error) in Windows (tested with 2 Windows 10 devices, one which is a fresh install). Tested in Chrome, Edge and Firefox.

I have tried many things:

  • installing them using certlm.msc, certutil.exe, through settings or by double-clicking the files
  • either Local or User scope
  • regenerating the root certificate with different settings
  • changing Apache settings
  • restarting browsers and the computers
  • stopping antivirus software

I have read related questions in this site (none seems to fix it) and I have look into other websites for solutions, but without success.

This is a fake CA certificate generated by the same system (with the same settings, except the key length here is 1024 to reduce the size of this post):

Key and Certificate:

-----BEGIN PRIVATE KEY-----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-----END PRIVATE KEY-----

-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----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-----END CERTIFICATE-----

CA Summary

Version: 3
         SerialNumber: 6873848332899071428
             IssuerDN: CN=Fake Authority,C=US,ST=CA,L=LA,O=Example LTD,OU=None,[email protected]
           Start Date: Thu Nov 11 06:06:53 JST 2021
           Final Date: Fri Nov 11 00:00:00 JST 2022
            SubjectDN: CN=Fake Authority,C=US,ST=CA,L=LA,O=Example LTD,OU=None,[email protected]
           Public Key: RSA Public Key [b8:07:ef:1f:8e:91:c0:ab:12:db:38:3f:76:e7:0a:7f:21:9d:fe:49],[56:66:d1:a4]
        modulus: 983fc7e042334c460e2682a9ce61fbcdf0ae367f1d5c5a67b1872bb83fb1c6b87ef175290b800eac7e8837de8713696798428e602c8018169086dc13431dfc2eacad24564b8fc47a800f4601492b693948d0b42f54082340ca734c52ef2f4246a7283c5594b7b9dc51ebb04591a60cc61b362a9c6a68230967e720f441ee4815
public exponent: 10001

  Signature Algorithm: SHA256WITHRSA
            Signature: 610d8fbef7d049ef56b46ea9789e01e766c6d4cc
                       ec53e8c4f71738a1611fbde924a633a467875b93
                       cf6005578066c4b175f7dc41f14fc91284f6fb9b
                       62b77dc6e7a6500184e7567232a25631ac05471b
                       57755d5ee9ad4e4c7d6a2a4b3ad686f0b51b9104
                       ec1ea145b82ab3928022c1dd58665ca55e609895
                       869bc90b1ce2fcc2
       Extensions: 
                       critical(true) BasicConstraints: isCa(true)
                       critical(true) KeyUsage: 0x6
                       critical(false) 2.5.29.14 value = DER

Server Certificate

-----BEGIN PRIVATE KEY-----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-----END PRIVATE KEY-----

-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----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-----END CERTIFICATE-----

Cert Summary

Version: 3
         SerialNumber: 6648705147606043571
             IssuerDN: CN=Fake Authority,C=US,ST=CA,L=LA,O=Example LTD,OU=None,[email protected]
           Start Date: Thu Nov 11 06:08:37 JST 2021
           Final Date: Fri Nov 11 00:00:00 JST 2022
            SubjectDN: CN=fake.example.com,C=US,ST=CA,L=LA,O=Example LTD,OU=None,[email protected]
           Public Key: RSA Public Key [2e:cd:8e:16:02:6f:b3:27:16:01:21:cb:1a:2b:9b:27:18:71:86:87],[56:66:d1:a4]
        modulus: 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
public exponent: 10001

  Signature Algorithm: SHA256WITHRSA
            Signature: 88dd18b477a5ba113a2145a18a2d2a87e520dfff
                       f8340bdb76ae9da8c7ca68063b803253c7b519fa
                       6df302eb122cab39e30d86529e2d9810c7fa6012
                       e2be299ba3dad80b5f04fc8e6ee4ab2abc86becd
                       ee5565de54ecef3ee3ef1469ff91fd17b881d7fb
                       789de3d3688fe1df3029ebdf51f0fc55cb9d771f
                       66ad6aa5b8211929
       Extensions: 
                       critical(true) BasicConstraints: isCa(false)
                       critical(false) 2.5.29.35 value = Sequence
    Tagged [0] IMPLICIT 
        DER Octet String[20] 

                       critical(true) KeyUsage: 0xa8
                       critical(false) 2.5.29.17 value = Sequence
    Tagged [1] IMPLICIT 
        DER Octet String[16] 
    Tagged [2] IMPLICIT 
        DER Octet String[16] 
    Tagged [2] IMPLICIT 
        DER Octet String[20] 

                       critical(false) 2.5.29.14 value = DER

What is wrong with my setup?


There are two issues with the certificates posted in the question:

  1. Both certificates are using one shared key. As a certificate should bind a key to its owner (Subject) it really doesn't make sense to use one key for two subjects.
  2. As a consequence of the above, the Subject Key Identifier and Authority Key Identifier hashes are the same across both certificates.

Note that you also have a rather complex Authority Key Identifier in the end-entity certificate. It is usual to just have the hash in here, copied directly from the Subject Key Identifier of the issuing CA's certificate. That is, leave out the Directory and Serial entries. What you have may work, but why risk it?