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Self Signed Cert Questions

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  • K Offline
    K Offline
    Kevin Marois
    wrote on last edited by
    #1

    I created a .Net Web API and I'm trying to host it in IIS on my server which is running 2012 R2. I'm kind of new to setting this up, but it seems pretty simple, or so I thought. First, in IIS I went into Server Certificates and created a Self Signed Cert. I gave it the name "My Cert" and selected "Personal". Next, I addd a new Web Site called "My API", set the IP address to 1080, selected HTTPS and seleced the cert I created. Next, I opened port 1080 on the firewall. I then clicked Browse *:1080 and the browser opens, but it has a cert error that says

    There is a problem with this website's security certificate.

    The security certificate presented by this website was issued for a different website's address

    I dont understand what it means by "issued for a different website's address", as nowhere did I get asked to give the cert a website address. I'm guessing I'm doing this wrong somehow. I could use some help. Thanks

    If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.

    Richard DeemingR 1 Reply Last reply
    0
    • K Kevin Marois

      I created a .Net Web API and I'm trying to host it in IIS on my server which is running 2012 R2. I'm kind of new to setting this up, but it seems pretty simple, or so I thought. First, in IIS I went into Server Certificates and created a Self Signed Cert. I gave it the name "My Cert" and selected "Personal". Next, I addd a new Web Site called "My API", set the IP address to 1080, selected HTTPS and seleced the cert I created. Next, I opened port 1080 on the firewall. I then clicked Browse *:1080 and the browser opens, but it has a cert error that says

      There is a problem with this website's security certificate.

      The security certificate presented by this website was issued for a different website's address

      I dont understand what it means by "issued for a different website's address", as nowhere did I get asked to give the cert a website address. I'm guessing I'm doing this wrong somehow. I could use some help. Thanks

      If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.

      Richard DeemingR Offline
      Richard DeemingR Offline
      Richard Deeming
      wrote on last edited by
      #2

      A self-signed certificate created via IIS will only work for "localhost". If you want to create a self-signed cert for a different host, you'll need to specify the common name for it. For example, in Powershell:

      New-SelfSignedCertificate -DnsName "your-host-name" -CertStoreLocation "cert:\LocalMachine\My"

      New-SelfSignedCertificate (pki) | Microsoft Docs[^] If you're planning on accessing the API from outside of your own network, you'll want a real cert for a real external hostname. Assuming the DNS resolves correctly, you can probably use Let's Encrypt[^] to get a free cert.


      "These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer

      "These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined" - Homer

      K 3 Replies Last reply
      0
      • Richard DeemingR Richard Deeming

        A self-signed certificate created via IIS will only work for "localhost". If you want to create a self-signed cert for a different host, you'll need to specify the common name for it. For example, in Powershell:

        New-SelfSignedCertificate -DnsName "your-host-name" -CertStoreLocation "cert:\LocalMachine\My"

        New-SelfSignedCertificate (pki) | Microsoft Docs[^] If you're planning on accessing the API from outside of your own network, you'll want a real cert for a real external hostname. Assuming the DNS resolves correctly, you can probably use Let's Encrypt[^] to get a free cert.


        "These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer

        K Offline
        K Offline
        Kevin Marois
        wrote on last edited by
        #3

        I have my my server and a couple of Dev PC's sitting here. What I'd like is to test my app from multiple PC's all on my network. This will work for what I'm looking for? Thanks

        If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.

        1 Reply Last reply
        0
        • Richard DeemingR Richard Deeming

          A self-signed certificate created via IIS will only work for "localhost". If you want to create a self-signed cert for a different host, you'll need to specify the common name for it. For example, in Powershell:

          New-SelfSignedCertificate -DnsName "your-host-name" -CertStoreLocation "cert:\LocalMachine\My"

          New-SelfSignedCertificate (pki) | Microsoft Docs[^] If you're planning on accessing the API from outside of your own network, you'll want a real cert for a real external hostname. Assuming the DNS resolves correctly, you can probably use Let's Encrypt[^] to get a free cert.


          "These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer

          K Offline
          K Offline
          Kevin Marois
          wrote on last edited by
          #4

          Thanks for the info.

          Richard Deeming wrote:

          If you want to create a self-signed cert for a different host

          I'n not sure what 'host' means here. I'm not sure what the host is. I'm trying to connect from my Dev PC to my server via IP address (192.168.###.###).

          Richard Deeming wrote:

          PowerShellCopy Code New-SelfSignedCertificate -DnsName "your-host-name" -CertStoreLocation "cert:\LocalMachine\My"

          I would run this on the server? Sorry, I've only set this up one and it was 10+ yeas ago.

          If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.

          Richard DeemingR 1 Reply Last reply
          0
          • K Kevin Marois

            Thanks for the info.

            Richard Deeming wrote:

            If you want to create a self-signed cert for a different host

            I'n not sure what 'host' means here. I'm not sure what the host is. I'm trying to connect from my Dev PC to my server via IP address (192.168.###.###).

            Richard Deeming wrote:

            PowerShellCopy Code New-SelfSignedCertificate -DnsName "your-host-name" -CertStoreLocation "cert:\LocalMachine\My"

            I would run this on the server? Sorry, I've only set this up one and it was 10+ yeas ago.

            If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.

            Richard DeemingR Offline
            Richard DeemingR Offline
            Richard Deeming
            wrote on last edited by
            #5

            The host is the name you're connecting to - typically the part between http(s):// and the port number or path. For example, when you connect to CodeProject, the host is "www.codeproject.com". Yes, you would need to run the Powershell to generate the cert on the server.


            "These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer

            "These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined" - Homer

            K 1 Reply Last reply
            0
            • Richard DeemingR Richard Deeming

              The host is the name you're connecting to - typically the part between http(s):// and the port number or path. For example, when you connect to CodeProject, the host is "www.codeproject.com". Yes, you would need to run the Powershell to generate the cert on the server.


              "These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer

              K Offline
              K Offline
              Kevin Marois
              wrote on last edited by
              #6

              I'm connecting from within my network via IP. So for the cert the hostname would be 192.168.###.###?

              If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.

              Richard DeemingR 1 Reply Last reply
              0
              • K Kevin Marois

                I'm connecting from within my network via IP. So for the cert the hostname would be 192.168.###.###?

                If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.

                Richard DeemingR Offline
                Richard DeemingR Offline
                Richard Deeming
                wrote on last edited by
                #7

                That should work, but I've never tried binding a cert to an IP address. Is there some reason you can't use the host name instead?


                "These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer

                "These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined" - Homer

                K 1 Reply Last reply
                0
                • Richard DeemingR Richard Deeming

                  That should work, but I've never tried binding a cert to an IP address. Is there some reason you can't use the host name instead?


                  "These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer

                  K Offline
                  K Offline
                  Kevin Marois
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #8

                  I guess I could. But I would be making one up as I have no host name. Could I just use "www.mysite.com"?

                  If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.

                  Richard DeemingR 1 Reply Last reply
                  0
                  • K Kevin Marois

                    I guess I could. But I would be making one up as I have no host name. Could I just use "www.mysite.com"?

                    If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.

                    Richard DeemingR Offline
                    Richard DeemingR Offline
                    Richard Deeming
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #9

                    Yes, if you can edit the hosts file on the machine that's making the connection. Otherwise, just use the name of the machine you're connecting to.


                    "These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer

                    "These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined" - Homer

                    K J 2 Replies Last reply
                    0
                    • Richard DeemingR Richard Deeming

                      Yes, if you can edit the hosts file on the machine that's making the connection. Otherwise, just use the name of the machine you're connecting to.


                      "These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer

                      K Offline
                      K Offline
                      Kevin Marois
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #10

                      OK, so I can do:

                      New-SelfSignedCertificate -DnsName "marois_dev_1" -CertStoreLocation "cert:\LocalMachine\My"

                      where marois_dev_1 is my server name? and run this in PowerShell on my server. Then use that cert in IIS on my server?

                      If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.

                      Richard DeemingR 1 Reply Last reply
                      0
                      • Richard DeemingR Richard Deeming

                        Yes, if you can edit the hosts file on the machine that's making the connection. Otherwise, just use the name of the machine you're connecting to.


                        "These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer

                        J Offline
                        J Offline
                        jsc42
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #11

                        Would a site name of localhost or 127.0.0.1 / 127.0.0.0 work?

                        Richard DeemingR 1 Reply Last reply
                        0
                        • K Kevin Marois

                          OK, so I can do:

                          New-SelfSignedCertificate -DnsName "marois_dev_1" -CertStoreLocation "cert:\LocalMachine\My"

                          where marois_dev_1 is my server name? and run this in PowerShell on my server. Then use that cert in IIS on my server?

                          If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.

                          Richard DeemingR Offline
                          Richard DeemingR Offline
                          Richard Deeming
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #12

                          Yes, that should work.


                          "These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer

                          "These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined" - Homer

                          1 Reply Last reply
                          0
                          • J jsc42

                            Would a site name of localhost or 127.0.0.1 / 127.0.0.0 work?

                            Richard DeemingR Offline
                            Richard DeemingR Offline
                            Richard Deeming
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #13

                            That would only work if your client was running on the server. The localhost name and the loopback address always point to the current computer.


                            "These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer

                            "These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined" - Homer

                            1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • Richard DeemingR Richard Deeming

                              A self-signed certificate created via IIS will only work for "localhost". If you want to create a self-signed cert for a different host, you'll need to specify the common name for it. For example, in Powershell:

                              New-SelfSignedCertificate -DnsName "your-host-name" -CertStoreLocation "cert:\LocalMachine\My"

                              New-SelfSignedCertificate (pki) | Microsoft Docs[^] If you're planning on accessing the API from outside of your own network, you'll want a real cert for a real external hostname. Assuming the DNS resolves correctly, you can probably use Let's Encrypt[^] to get a free cert.


                              "These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer

                              K Offline
                              K Offline
                              Kevin Marois
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #14

                              Richard Deeming wrote:

                              New-SelfSignedCertificate -DnsName "your-host-name" -CertStoreLocation "cert:\LocalMachine\My"

                              Can you clarify the -CertStoreLocation here? I don't understand where the cert was created? Thank you

                              If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.

                              Richard DeemingR 1 Reply Last reply
                              0
                              • K Kevin Marois

                                Richard Deeming wrote:

                                New-SelfSignedCertificate -DnsName "your-host-name" -CertStoreLocation "cert:\LocalMachine\My"

                                Can you clarify the -CertStoreLocation here? I don't understand where the cert was created? Thank you

                                If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.

                                Richard DeemingR Offline
                                Richard DeemingR Offline
                                Richard Deeming
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #15

                                It's created in the "computer account" certificate store, under the "Personal" folder. It won't appear in certutil.msc; you'll need to open up MMC, add the certificates snap-in, and select "computer account".


                                "These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer

                                "These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined" - Homer

                                K 1 Reply Last reply
                                0
                                • Richard DeemingR Richard Deeming

                                  It's created in the "computer account" certificate store, under the "Personal" folder. It won't appear in certutil.msc; you'll need to open up MMC, add the certificates snap-in, and select "computer account".


                                  "These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer

                                  K Offline
                                  K Offline
                                  Kevin Marois
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #16

                                  Richard, thanks for your help so far, however, I'm still stuck on this and could use some more help. Here's what I;ve done so far: 1 - Created a self-signed cert. [Here](https://1drv.ms/u/s!AlkRTpT49yCMmgjIjxa4aANDC90v?e=1RlBuD) 2 - The Cert appears in the cert store. [Here](https://1drv.ms/u/s!AlkRTpT49yCMmgYhLXfbTynXuPJn?e=kjN7sp) 3 - The cert appears in IIS. [here](https://1drv.ms/u/s!AlkRTpT49yCMmgebyjXbM1cp629-?e=l6PIVs) 4 - Add the API in IIS using the cert. [Here](https://1drv.ms/u/s!AlkRTpT49yCMmgXPTh4iuqJFvwC1?e=wPINDg) 5 - Browse the site in IIS. I still get the cert error. [Here](https://1drv.ms/u/s!AlkRTpT49yCMmgQ2QlVeta149Zu4?e=eDyG9i) I'm guessing that I'm still missing something.

                                  If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.

                                  Richard DeemingR 1 Reply Last reply
                                  0
                                  • K Kevin Marois

                                    Richard, thanks for your help so far, however, I'm still stuck on this and could use some more help. Here's what I;ve done so far: 1 - Created a self-signed cert. [Here](https://1drv.ms/u/s!AlkRTpT49yCMmgjIjxa4aANDC90v?e=1RlBuD) 2 - The Cert appears in the cert store. [Here](https://1drv.ms/u/s!AlkRTpT49yCMmgYhLXfbTynXuPJn?e=kjN7sp) 3 - The cert appears in IIS. [here](https://1drv.ms/u/s!AlkRTpT49yCMmgebyjXbM1cp629-?e=l6PIVs) 4 - Add the API in IIS using the cert. [Here](https://1drv.ms/u/s!AlkRTpT49yCMmgXPTh4iuqJFvwC1?e=wPINDg) 5 - Browse the site in IIS. I still get the cert error. [Here](https://1drv.ms/u/s!AlkRTpT49yCMmgQ2QlVeta149Zu4?e=eDyG9i) I'm guessing that I'm still missing something.

                                    If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.

                                    Richard DeemingR Offline
                                    Richard DeemingR Offline
                                    Richard Deeming
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #17

                                    Your OneDrive links all return "Something went wrong" errors for me. What's the text of the error message?


                                    "These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer

                                    "These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined" - Homer

                                    K 1 Reply Last reply
                                    0
                                    • Richard DeemingR Richard Deeming

                                      Your OneDrive links all return "Something went wrong" errors for me. What's the text of the error message?


                                      "These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer

                                      K Offline
                                      K Offline
                                      Kevin Marois
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #18

                                      "There is a problem with this website's security certificate. The security certificate presented by this website was issued for a different website's address The security certificate presented by this website was not issued by a trusted certificate authority"

                                      If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.

                                      Richard DeemingR 1 Reply Last reply
                                      0
                                      • K Kevin Marois

                                        "There is a problem with this website's security certificate. The security certificate presented by this website was issued for a different website's address The security certificate presented by this website was not issued by a trusted certificate authority"

                                        If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.

                                        Richard DeemingR Offline
                                        Richard DeemingR Offline
                                        Richard Deeming
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #19

                                        Kevin Marois wrote:

                                        The security certificate presented by this website was not issued by a trusted certificate authority"

                                        Which is to be expected when you're using a self-signed certificate; it wasn't issued by a trusted certificate authority.

                                        Kevin Marois wrote:

                                        The security certificate presented by this website was issued for a different website's address

                                        That suggests you generated the cert for a different host name than the one you're using in the client. For example, if you generated a cert for "localhost", and try to connect to "my-super-pc-name", you'll get this error.


                                        "These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer

                                        "These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined" - Homer

                                        K 1 Reply Last reply
                                        0
                                        • Richard DeemingR Richard Deeming

                                          Kevin Marois wrote:

                                          The security certificate presented by this website was not issued by a trusted certificate authority"

                                          Which is to be expected when you're using a self-signed certificate; it wasn't issued by a trusted certificate authority.

                                          Kevin Marois wrote:

                                          The security certificate presented by this website was issued for a different website's address

                                          That suggests you generated the cert for a different host name than the one you're using in the client. For example, if you generated a cert for "localhost", and try to connect to "my-super-pc-name", you'll get this error.


                                          "These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer

                                          K Offline
                                          K Offline
                                          Kevin Marois
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #20

                                          Well, it seems that I can now access the API on my server from my Dev PC using Postman:

                                          https://marois_dev_1:8091/api/Person/GetPerson?personId=1

                                          This part appears to be resolved. Now, I tried to allow access to the API from OUTSIDE my home network I've opened the port on the firewall and router, but it throws

                                          "An error occurred while sending the request. "

                                          with 2 inner exceptions

                                          Inner Exception 1:
                                          WebException: The underlying connection was closed: Could not establish trust relationship for the SSL/TLS secure channel.

                                          Inner Exception 2:
                                          AuthenticationException: The remote certificate is invalid according to the validation procedure.

                                          I'm guessing the self-signed cert won't work for this? [UPDATE] This works, but I'd like to hear your thoughts on all of this [https://stackoverflow.com/questions/703272/could-not-establish-trust-relationship-for-ssl-tls-secure-channel-soap\](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/703272/could-not-establish-trust-relationship-for-ssl-tls-secure-channel-soap)

                                          //Trust all certificates
                                          System.Net.ServicePointManager.ServerCertificateValidationCallback =
                                          ((sender, certificate, chain, sslPolicyErrors) => true);

                                          If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.

                                          Richard DeemingR 1 Reply Last reply
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