Tomcat 7 getting SSLv2Hello is disabled error when trying to make client server ssl authntication

Question

I have tried to setup a self-signed TLS configuration for both client and server where the server is Tomcat 7 and the client is Apache httpclient 4.1. The server configuration is taken from this here and the client code is taken from here.

My tomcat configuration looks like this:

 <Connector clientAuth="true" port="8443" minSpareThreads="5" maxSpareThreads="75"
           enableLookups="true" disableUploadTimeout="true"
           acceptCount="100" maxThreads="200"
           scheme="https" secure="true" SSLEnabled="true"
           keystoreFile="keys/server.jks" keystoreType="JKS" keystorePass="password"
           truststoreFile="keys/server.jks" truststoreType="JKS" truststorePass="password"
           SSLVerifyClient="require" SSLEngine="on" SSLVerifyDepth="2"
           sslProtocol="TLS" />

My client code looks like this:

final HttpParams httpParams = new BasicHttpParams();

// load the keystore containing the client certificate - keystore type is probably jks or pkcs12
final KeyStore keystore = KeyStore.getInstance("pkcs12");
FileInputStream keystoreInput =  = new FileInputStream("d:/dev/java/conf/keys/client.p12");;
// TODO get the keystore as an InputStream from somewhere
keystore.load(keystoreInput, "password".toCharArray());

// load the trustore, leave it null to rely on cacerts distributed with the JVM - truststore type is probably jks or pkcs12
KeyStore truststore = KeyStore.getInstance("JKS");
FileInputStream truststoreInput =  = new FileInputStream("d:/dev/java/conf/keys/client.jks");;
// TODO get the trustore as an InputStream from somewhere
truststore.load(truststoreInput, "password".toCharArray());

final SchemeRegistry schemeRegistry = new SchemeRegistry();
schemeRegistry.register(new Scheme("https", new SSLSocketFactory(keystore, keystorePassword, truststore), 443));

final DefaultHttpClient httpClient = new DefaultHttpClient(new ThreadSafeClientConnManager(httpParams, schemeRegistry), httpParams);

I launch Tomcat with the following CATALINA_OPTS:

set CATALINA_OPTS=%CATALINA_OPTS% -Dhttps.protocols=TLSv1,TLSv1.1,TLSv1.2  
set CATALINA_OPTS=%CATALINA_OPTS% -Djavax.net.debug=all

When launching, Tomcat gives me these errors in the log file:

INFO: Starting ProtocolHandler ["http-bio-8080"]
Oct 21, 2014 3:46:54 PM org.apache.coyote.AbstractProtocol start
INFO: Starting ProtocolHandler ["http-bio-8443"]
Ignoring unavailable cipher suite: TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA
Ignoring unavailable cipher suite: TLS_DHE_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA
Oct 21, 2014 3:46:54 PM org.apache.coyote.AbstractProtocol start
INFO: Starting ProtocolHandler ["ajp-bio-8009"]
Ignoring unavailable cipher suite: TLS_ECDH_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA
Ignoring unavailable cipher suite: TLS_DHE_DSS_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA256
Ignoring unavailable cipher suite: TLS_DHE_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA256
Oct 21, 2014 3:46:54 PM org.apache.catalina.startup.Catalina start
INFO: Server startup in 3060 ms
Ignoring unavailable cipher suite: TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA384
Ignoring unavailable cipher suite: TLS_ECDH_ECDSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA384
Ignoring unavailable cipher suite: TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA256
Ignoring unavailable cipher suite: TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA
Ignoring unavailable cipher suite: TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA384
Ignoring unavailable cipher suite: TLS_DHE_DSS_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA
Ignoring unavailable cipher suite: TLS_ECDH_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA384
Ignoring unavailable cipher suite: TLS_ECDH_ECDSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA
Ignoring unavailable cipher suite: TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA
Allow unsafe renegotiation: false
Allow legacy hello messages: true
Is initial handshake: true
Is secure renegotiation: false
http-bio-8443-Acceptor-0, setSoTimeout(60000) called
Ignoring unavailable cipher suite: TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA
Ignoring unavailable cipher suite: TLS_DHE_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA
Ignoring unavailable cipher suite: TLS_ECDH_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA
Ignoring unavailable cipher suite: TLS_DHE_DSS_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA256
Ignoring unavailable cipher suite: TLS_DHE_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA256
Ignoring unavailable cipher suite: TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA384
Ignoring unavailable cipher suite: TLS_ECDH_ECDSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA384
Ignoring unavailable cipher suite: TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA256
Ignoring unavailable cipher suite: TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA
Ignoring unavailable cipher suite: TLS_ECDHE_ECDSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA384
Ignoring unavailable cipher suite: TLS_DHE_DSS_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA
Ignoring unavailable cipher suite: TLS_ECDH_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA384
Ignoring unavailable cipher suite: TLS_ECDH_ECDSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA
Ignoring unavailable cipher suite: TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA
[Raw read]: length = 5
0000: 80 65 01 03 01                                     .e...
http-bio-8443-exec-1, handling exception: javax.net.ssl.SSLHandshakeException: SSLv2Hello is disabled
http-bio-8443-exec-1, SEND TLSv1 ALERT:  fatal, description = handshake_failure
http-bio-8443-exec-1, WRITE: TLSv1 Alert, length = 2
[Raw write]: length = 7
0000: 15 03 01 00 02 02 28                               ......(
http-bio-8443-exec-1, called closeSocket()
http-bio-8443-exec-1, IOException in getSession():  javax.net.ssl.SSLHandshakeException: SSLv2Hello is disabled
http-bio-8443-exec-1, called close()
http-bio-8443-exec-1, called closeInternal(true)

Why is SSLv2Hello disabled and how can I enable it?

I'm launching the client with this configuration:

-Dhttps.protocols=TLSv1,TLSv1.1,TLSv1.2 -Djavax.net.debug=all

Here is what httpclient logs when trying to connect to the server:

adding as trusted cert:
  Subject: CN=GTE CyberTrust Root 5, OU="GTE CyberTrust Solutions, Inc.", O=GTE Corporation, C=US
  Issuer:  CN=GTE CyberTrust Root 5, OU="GTE CyberTrust Solutions, Inc.", O=GTE Corporation, C=US
  Algorithm: RSA; Serial number: 0x1b6
  Valid from Fri Aug 14 17:50:00 IDT 1998 until Thu Aug 15 02:59:00 IDT 2013

adding as trusted cert:
  Subject: CN=UTN-USERFirst-Object, OU=http://www.usertrust.com, O=The USERTRUST Network, L=Salt Lake City, ST=UT, C=US
  Issuer:  CN=UTN-USERFirst-Object, OU=http://www.usertrust.com, O=The USERTRUST Network, L=Salt Lake City, ST=UT, C=US
  Algorithm: RSA; Serial number: 0x44be0c8b500024b411d3362de0b35f1b
  Valid from Fri Jul 09 21:31:20 IDT 1999 until Tue Jul 09 21:40:36 IDT 2019

adding as trusted cert:
  Subject: CN=UTN - DATACorp SGC, OU=http://www.usertrust.com, O=The USERTRUST Network, L=Salt Lake City, ST=UT, C=US
  Issuer:  CN=UTN - DATACorp SGC, OU=http://www.usertrust.com, O=The USERTRUST Network, L=Salt Lake City, ST=UT, C=US
  Algorithm: RSA; Serial number: 0x44be0c8b500021b411d32a6806a9ad69
  Valid from Thu Jun 24 21:57:21 IDT 1999 until Mon Jun 24 22:06:30 IDT 2019

adding as trusted cert:
  Subject: CN=Sonera Class2 CA, O=Sonera, C=FI
  Issuer:  CN=Sonera Class2 CA, O=Sonera, C=FI
  Algorithm: RSA; Serial number: 0x1d
  Valid from Fri Apr 06 09:29:40 IST 2001 until Tue Apr 06 10:29:40 IDT 2021

adding as trusted cert:
  Subject: CN=TC TrustCenter Class 2 CA II, OU=TC TrustCenter Class 2 CA, O=TC TrustCenter GmbH, C=DE
  Issuer:  CN=TC TrustCenter Class 2 CA II, OU=TC TrustCenter Class 2 CA, O=TC TrustCenter GmbH, C=DE
  Algorithm: RSA; Serial number: 0x2e6a000100021fd752212c115c3b
  Valid from Thu Jan 12 16:38:43 IST 2006 until Thu Jan 01 00:59:59 IST 2026

trigger seeding of SecureRandom
done seeding SecureRandom
2014-10-21 16:36:15,296 pool-1-thread-1 DEBUG [SingleClientConnManager] Get connection for route HttpRoute[{s}->https://127.0.0.1:8443]
 2014-10-21 16:36:15,316 pool-1-thread-1 DEBUG [DefaultClientConnectionOperator] Connecting to /127.0.0.1:8443
 pool-1-thread-1, setSoTimeout(500000) called
Allow unsafe renegotiation: false
Allow legacy hello messages: true
Is initial handshake: true
Is secure renegotiation: false
%% No cached client session
*** ClientHello, TLSv1
RandomCookie:  GMT: 1413902175 bytes = { 166, 163, 15, 231, 223, 206, 71, 224, 11, 205, 126, 133, 216, 162, 9, 70, 183, 228, 17, 4, 187, 149, 177, 90, 209, 175, 23, 186 }
Session ID:  {}
Cipher Suites: [SSL_RSA_WITH_RC4_128_MD5, SSL_RSA_WITH_RC4_128_SHA, TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA, TLS_DHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA, TLS_DHE_DSS_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA, SSL_RSA_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA, SSL_DHE_RSA_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA, SSL_DHE_DSS_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA, SSL_RSA_WITH_DES_CBC_SHA, SSL_DHE_RSA_WITH_DES_CBC_SHA, SSL_DHE_DSS_WITH_DES_CBC_SHA, SSL_RSA_EXPORT_WITH_RC4_40_MD5, SSL_RSA_EXPORT_WITH_DES40_CBC_SHA, SSL_DHE_RSA_EXPORT_WITH_DES40_CBC_SHA, SSL_DHE_DSS_EXPORT_WITH_DES40_CBC_SHA, TLS_EMPTY_RENEGOTIATION_INFO_SCSV]
Compression Methods:  { 0 }
***
[write] MD5 and SHA1 hashes:  len = 75
0000: 01 00 00 47 03 01 54 46   6F 5F A6 A3 0F E7 DF CE  ...G..TFo_......
0010: 47 E0 0B CD 7E 85 D8 A2   09 46 B7 E4 11 04 BB 95  G........F......
0020: B1 5A D1 AF 17 BA 00 00   20 00 04 00 05 00 2F 00  .Z...... ...../.
0030: 33 00 32 00 0A 00 16 00   13 00 09 00 15 00 12 00  3.2.............
0040: 03 00 08 00 14 00 11 00   FF 01 00                 ...........
pool-1-thread-1, WRITE: TLSv1 Handshake, length = 75
[write] MD5 and SHA1 hashes:  len = 101
0000: 01 03 01 00 3C 00 00 00   20 00 00 04 01 00 80 00  ....<... .......
0010: 00 05 00 00 2F 00 00 33   00 00 32 00 00 0A 07 00  ..../..3..2.....
0020: C0 00 00 16 00 00 13 00   00 09 06 00 40 00 00 15  ............@...
0030: 00 00 12 00 00 03 02 00   80 00 00 08 00 00 14 00  ................
0040: 00 11 00 00 FF 54 46 6F   5F A6 A3 0F E7 DF CE 47  .....TFo_......G
0050: E0 0B CD 7E 85 D8 A2 09   46 B7 E4 11 04 BB 95 B1  ........F.......
0060: 5A D1 AF 17 BA                                     Z....
pool-1-thread-1, WRITE: SSLv2 client hello message, length = 101
[Raw write]: length = 103
0000: 80 65 01 03 01 00 3C 00   00 00 20 00 00 04 01 00  .e....<... .....
0010: 80 00 00 05 00 00 2F 00   00 33 00 00 32 00 00 0A  ....../..3..2...
0020: 07 00 C0 00 00 16 00 00   13 00 00 09 06 00 40 00  ..............@.
0030: 00 15 00 00 12 00 00 03   02 00 80 00 00 08 00 00  ................
0040: 14 00 00 11 00 00 FF 54   46 6F 5F A6 A3 0F E7 DF  .......TFo_.....
0050: CE 47 E0 0B CD 7E 85 D8   A2 09 46 B7 E4 11 04 BB  .G........F.....
0060: 95 B1 5A D1 AF 17 BA                               ..Z....
[Raw read]: length = 5
0000: 15 03 01 00 02                                     .....
[Raw read]: length = 2
0000: 02 28                                              .(
pool-1-thread-1, READ: TLSv1 Alert, length = 2
pool-1-thread-1, RECV TLSv1 ALERT:  fatal, handshake_failure
pool-1-thread-1, called closeSocket()
pool-1-thread-1, handling exception: javax.net.ssl.SSLHandshakeException: Received fatal alert: handshake_failure
pool-1-thread-1, IOException in getSession():  javax.net.ssl.SSLHandshakeException: Received fatal alert: handshake_failure
pool-1-thread-1, called close()
pool-1-thread-1, called closeInternal(true)
2014-10-21 16:36:15,336 pool-1-thread-1 DEBUG [DefaultClientConnection] Connection closed
 2014-10-21 16:36:15,336 pool-1-thread-1 DEBUG [HttpClientImpl] retry count:1
 2014-10-21 16:36:15,336 pool-1-thread-1 DEBUG [DefaultClientConnection] Connection shut down
 pool-1-thread-1, called close()
pool-1-thread-1, called closeInternal(true)
2014-10-21 16:36:15,336 pool-1-thread-1 DEBUG [SingleClientConnManager] Releasing connection org.apache.http.impl.conn.SingleClientConnManager$ConnAdapter@1a73d30
 Exception postHttpReqest function from http client :javax.net.ssl.SSLPeerUnverifiedException: peer not authenticated
Threads done working

Does anyone know why I can't connect my client to me server?

Answer 1

You should probably not do this (please, just let SSL die!), but you can enable the SSLv2Hello protocol for clients using this shockingly obvious technique:

-Dhttps.protocols=TLSv1,TLSv1.1,TLSv1.2,SSLv2Hello

As for the server, Tomcat configures its own SSL endpoint(s) using the sslProtocol and sslEnabledProtocols configuration settings. you should use those on the server side. For example:

<Connector
 sslProtocol="TLS"
 sslEnabledProtocols="TLSv1,TLSv1.1,TLSv1.2,SSLv2Hello"
 ...
 />

You can find out more information about how to diagnose SSL/TLS issues on Oracle's blog about the subject.