Node.js https.get via proxy generates SSL3_GET_RECORD wrong version number error

Question

TLDR

I get the following error when attempting to download a zip file from github using https.request via my company proxy:

An error occured whilst trying to download Casper.JS 140735122252160:error:1408F10B:SSL routines:SSL3_GET_RECORD:wrong version number:../deps/openssl/openssl/ssl/s3_pkt.c:337:

More information

I'm attempting to edit the grunt-casperjs install script to allow myself and my colleagues to install behind our proxy. The script fetches Casper from Github and downloads it. Originally the script didn't support a proxy so I copied the grunt-phantomjs proxy support. Phantomjs is downloaded via a http connection and this works fine via our proxy (if I change it to a https URL it fails with the same error).

I have attempted the following:

• I added https.globalAgent.options.secureProtocol = 'SSLv3_method'; as previously an unknown protocol error was displayed.
• Using curl, the request completes fine
• Updated OpenSSL and Node
• I added https.globalAgent.options.secureOptions = 'SSL_OP_NO_TLSv1'; but this results in node returning with no message after the request is made

Reduced test case

var https = require('https');
https.globalAgent.options.secureProtocol = 'SSLv3_method'

var url = require('url');
var downloadUrl = 'https://codeload.github.com/n1k0/casperjs/zip/1.0.3'
var proxy = 'https://username:password@IP:port';

var options = url.parse(proxy);
options.path = downloadUrl;
options.headers = { Host: url.parse(downloadUrl).host }
// If going through proxy, spoof the User-Agent, since may commercial proxies block blank or unknown agents in headers
options.headers['User-Agent'] = 'curl/7.21.4 (universal-apple-darwin11.0) libcurl/7.21.4 OpenSSL/0.9.8r zlib/1.2.5'
// Turn basic authorization into proxy-authorization.
options.headers['Proxy-Authorization'] = 'Basic ' + new Buffer(options.auth).toString('base64');
delete options.auth;

var request = https.get(options, function(response) {
    console.log('response received');
}).on('error', function(e) {
    console.log('An error occurred whilst trying to download Casper.JS ' + e.message);
});

Original Code

function downloadZipFromGithub() {
    var file = fs.createWriteStream(path.join(tmpPath, "archive.zip"));
    var lengthSoFar = 0;
    var npmconfDeferred = kew.defer();
    npmconf.load(npmconfDeferred.makeNodeResolver());

    npmconfDeferred.then(function(conf){
        var requestOptions = getRequestOptions(conf.get('https-proxy'));

        https.globalAgent.options.secureProtocol = 'SSLv3_method';

        var request = https.get(requestOptions, function(response) {
            if (response.statusCode === 301 || response.statusCode === 302) {
                downloadUrl = response.headers.location;
                downloadZipFromGithub();
            } else {
                response.pipe(file);
                response.on('data', function(chunk) {
                    console.log('Receiving ' + Math.floor((lengthSoFar += chunk.length) / 1024) + 'K...' );
                }).
                    on('end', unzipTheZippedFile).
                    on('error', function(e) {
                        console.log('An error occured whilst trying to download Casper.JS ' + e.message);
                        tidyUp();
                    });
            }
         }).on('error', function(e) {
            console.log('An error occured whilst trying to download Casper.JS ' + e.message);
            tidyUp();
        });
     });
 }

function getRequestOptions(proxyUrl) {
    if (proxyUrl) {
        var options = url.parse(proxyUrl);
        options.path = downloadUrl;
        options.headers = { Host: url.parse(downloadUrl).host }
        // If going through proxy, spoof the User-Agent, since may commerical proxies block blank or unknown agents in headers
       options.headers['User-Agent'] = 'curl/7.21.4 (universal-apple-darwin11.0) libcurl/7.21.4 OpenSSL/0.9.8r zlib/1.2.5'
        // Turn basic authorization into proxy-authorization.
        if (options.auth) {
            options.headers['Proxy-Authorization'] = 'Basic ' + new Buffer(options.auth).toString('base64');
            delete options.auth;
        }

        return options;
    } else {
        return url.parse(downloadUrl);
    }
}

Answer 1

None of the above solutions worked for me, but I was able to resolve my issues by updating the https-proxy URL from an httpS URL to an http URL

Answer 2

It looks like this error is caused when squid (the proxy) does not have https enabled or you're connecting to the wrong port.

Source: https://github.com/joyent/node/issues/6779