Using a custom keystore with Jetty's WebSocketClientFactory

Question

I have a Java project that is connecting to a CometD server over a secure WebSocket transport which uses a self-signed certificate. I'm configuring the WebSocketClientFactory in the following way:

wssFactory.getSslContextFactory().setKeyStorePath("/path/to/my/custom.jks");
wssFactory.getSslContextFactory().setKeyStorePassword("mypass");

And then create my BayeuxClient like so:

BayeuxClient client = new BayeuxClient(
        "wss://myserver.com/cometd",
        WebSocketTransport.create(clientOptions, wssFactory));

Indeed, when this first gets loaded, things seem to be configured properly:

[DEBUG] 2012-08-07 12:58:05,786 : starting org.eclipse.jetty.websocket.WebSocketClientFactory@75cfa3d2
[DEBUG] 2012-08-07 12:58:05,786 : starting qtp2005556553{8<=0<=0/254,-1}
[DEBUG] 2012-08-07 12:58:05,788 : STARTED qtp2005556553{8<=7<=8/254,0}
[DEBUG] 2012-08-07 12:58:05,788 : starting org.eclipse.jetty.websocket.WebSocketClientFactory$WebSocketClientSelector@50c8c3b8
[DEBUG] 2012-08-07 12:58:05,795 : STARTED org.eclipse.jetty.websocket.WebSocketClientFactory$WebSocketClientSelector@50c8c3b8
[DEBUG] 2012-08-07 12:58:05,795 : Starting Thread[qtp2005556553-33 Selector0,5,main] on org.eclipse.jetty.io.nio.SelectorManager$1@346fe350
[DEBUG] 2012-08-07 12:58:05,797 : starting SslContextFactory@4240eca3(/Users/apetresc/Downloads/infrastructure.jks,null)
[INFO ] 2012-08-07 12:58:05,981 : Enabled Protocols [SSLv2Hello, SSLv3, TLSv1] of [SSLv2Hello, SSLv3, TLSv1]
[DEBUG] 2012-08-07 12:58:05,981 : Enabled Ciphers   [SSL_RSA_WITH_RC4_128_MD5, SSL_RSA_WITH_RC4_128_SHA, TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA, TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA, TLS_DHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA, TLS_DHE_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA, TLS_DHE_DSS_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA, TLS_DHE_DSS_WITH_AES_256_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] of [SSL_RSA_WITH_RC4_128_MD5, SSL_RSA_WITH_RC4_128_SHA, TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA, TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA, TLS_DHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA, TLS_DHE_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA, TLS_DHE_DSS_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA, TLS_DHE_DSS_WITH_AES_256_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, SSL_RSA_WITH_NULL_MD5, SSL_RSA_WITH_NULL_SHA, SSL_DH_anon_WITH_RC4_128_MD5, TLS_DH_anon_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA, TLS_DH_anon_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA, SSL_DH_anon_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA, SSL_DH_anon_WITH_DES_CBC_SHA, SSL_DH_anon_EXPORT_WITH_RC4_40_MD5, SSL_DH_anon_EXPORT_WITH_DES40_CBC_SHA, TLS_KRB5_WITH_RC4_128_SHA, TLS_KRB5_WITH_RC4_128_MD5, TLS_KRB5_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA, TLS_KRB5_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_MD5, TLS_KRB5_WITH_DES_CBC_SHA, TLS_KRB5_WITH_DES_CBC_MD5, TLS_KRB5_EXPORT_WITH_RC4_40_SHA, TLS_KRB5_EXPORT_WITH_RC4_40_MD5, TLS_KRB5_EXPORT_WITH_DES_CBC_40_SHA, TLS_KRB5_EXPORT_WITH_DES_CBC_40_MD5]
[DEBUG] 2012-08-07 12:58:05,981 : STARTED SslContextFactory@4240eca3(/Users/apetresc/Downloads/infrastructure.jks,/Users/apetresc/Downloads/infrastructure.jks)
[DEBUG] 2012-08-07 12:58:05,981 : STARTED org.eclipse.jetty.websocket.WebSocketClientFactory@75cfa3d2

And, indeed, actually using the BayeuxClient works. However, it would work even if I didn't specify a keystore at all -- it just treats it as an unsigned certificate. And, indeed, that seems to be what is happening, judging by the error logs I keep getting every few seconds:

[DEBUG] 2012-08-07 13:20:37,348 : State update: CONNECTED -> CONNECTED
[DEBUG] 2012-08-07 13:20:37,348 : Connecting, transport org.cometd.websocket.client.WebSocketTransport@53ddbcb1
[DEBUG] 2012-08-07 13:20:37,348 : [Session-1, SSL_NULL_WITH_NULL_NULL] SslConnection@79c190a2 SSL NOT_HANDSHAKING i/o/u=0/0/0 ishut=false oshut=false {WebSocketClientConnection p=WebSocketParserRFC6455@5266db4e state=START buffer= g=WebSocketGeneratorRFC6455@5ec80825 closed=false buffer=-1} NOT_HANDSHAKING filled=0/0 flushed=0/0
[DEBUG] 2012-08-07 13:20:37,348 : Sending messages [{id=50, connectionType=websocket, channel=/meta/connect, clientId=2u16ol79fcq7hqe1wu52pr0ws4aw}]
[DEBUG] 2012-08-07 13:20:37,348 : Registering WebSocketExchange {id=50, connectionType=websocket, channel=/meta/connect, clientId=2u16ol79fcq7hqe1wu52pr0ws4aw}
[DEBUG] 2012-08-07 13:20:37,348 : [Session-1, SSL_NULL_WITH_NULL_NULL] SslConnection@79c190a2 SSL NOT_HANDSHAKING i/o/u=0/0/0 ishut=false oshut=false {WebSocketClientConnection p=WebSocketParserRFC6455@5266db4e state=OPCODE buffer= g=WebSocketGeneratorRFC6455@5ec80825 closed=false buffer=-1} NOT_HANDSHAKING filled=0/0 flushed=0/0
[DEBUG] 2012-08-07 13:20:37,348 : Sending messages [{"id":"50","connectionType":"websocket","channel":"/meta/connect","clientId":"2u16ol79fcq7hqe1wu52pr0ws4aw"}]
[DEBUG] 2012-08-07 13:20:37,348 : [Session-1, SSL_NULL_WITH_NULL_NULL] SslConnection@79c190a2 SSL NOT_HANDSHAKING i/o/u=0/0/0 ishut=false oshut=false {WebSocketClientConnection p=WebSocketParserRFC6455@5266db4e state=OPCODE buffer= g=WebSocketGeneratorRFC6455@5ec80825 closed=false buffer=116} NOT_HANDSHAKING filled=0/0 flushed=0/0
[DEBUG] 2012-08-07 13:20:37,349 : [Session-1, SSL_NULL_WITH_NULL_NULL] SslConnection@79c190a2 SSL NOT_HANDSHAKING i/o/u=0/0/0 ishut=false oshut=false {WebSocketClientConnection p=WebSocketParserRFC6455@5266db4e state=OPCODE buffer=null g=WebSocketGeneratorRFC6455@5ec80825 closed=false buffer=116} NOT_HANDSHAKING filled=0/0 flushed=0/0
[DEBUG] 2012-08-07 13:20:37,349 : [Session-1, SSL_NULL_WITH_NULL_NULL] wrap OK NOT_HANDSHAKING consumed=116 produced=137
[DEBUG] 2012-08-07 13:20:37,349 : [Session-1, SSL_NULL_WITH_NULL_NULL] SslConnection@79c190a2 SSL NOT_HANDSHAKING i/o/u=0/0/0 ishut=false oshut=false {WebSocketClientConnection p=WebSocketParserRFC6455@5266db4e state=OPCODE buffer=null g=WebSocketGeneratorRFC6455@5ec80825 closed=false buffer=0} NOT_HANDSHAKING filled=0/0 flushed=137/0
[DEBUG] 2012-08-07 13:20:37,349 : [Session-1, SSL_NULL_WITH_NULL_NULL] SslConnection@79c190a2 SSL NOT_HANDSHAKING i/o/u=0/0/0 ishut=false oshut=false {WebSocketClientConnection p=WebSocketParserRFC6455@5266db4e state=OPCODE buffer=null g=WebSocketGeneratorRFC6455@5ec80825 closed=false buffer=0} NOT_HANDSHAKING filled=0/0 flushed=0/0
[DEBUG] 2012-08-07 13:20:37,349 : [Session-1, SSL_NULL_WITH_NULL_NULL] handle SslConnection@79c190a2 SSL NOT_HANDSHAKING i/o/u=0/0/0 ishut=false oshut=false {WebSocketClientConnection p=WebSocketParserRFC6455@5266db4e state=OPCODE buffer=null g=WebSocketGeneratorRFC6455@5ec80825 closed=false buffer=-1} progress=false

To me this implies that the CometD handshake is completing, but the SSL handshake is not. I can't figure out why this is the case, though; an analogous approach is working for my HTTPS calls. It's only the WSS that's giving me a headache.

May also be worth mentioning that I can reproduce this in various different environments, including an Android app and from within a Jetty servlet container.

Has anyone successfully used WSS with a self-signed certificate? Care to shed some light on what I'm doing wrong?

Lapotin

As a short aside, does anyone find the error code SSL_NULL_WITH_NULL_NULL as hilariously uninformative as I do? :) – Lapotin

SSL_NULL_WITH_NULL_NULL almost certainly refers to the null cipher suite, which doesn't provide any authentication or encryption (and which should never be enabled...). – Galilean

@Bruno: Can you expand on that? Judging from the logging output, my cipher suite is anything but NULL (it appears to have dozens of entries). – Lapotin

Answer 1

In the second code block you are not getting any "error". That is the normal output for an unconfigured SslContextFactory, which provides the null cipher suite and a always approving certificate verifier. See also here for further SslContextFactory configuration.

From the logs you have it working in both cases.

For a more generic answer to your question, when you use self-signed certificates, you may want to configure the SslContextFactory with a trust store, so that the certificate verification can use it to verify the self signed certificate.

Other than that, seems to me that you have setup your code correctly.

Thimbu

Answer 2

I don't know much about WebSocketClientFactory, but as far as I understand, it's for client-side configuration, where you're essentially trying to connect to a server configured with a self-signed certificate, a copy of which is stored in your custom.jks file on the client.

What you need for accepting a self-signed certificate on the client side isn't to set its keystore (which is used for client-certificate authentication from this side), but to set its truststore.

Try replacing setKeyStore* with setTrustStore*.

Galilean