"verify error:num=20" when connecting to gateway.sandbox.push.apple.com

Asked 28/4, 2014 at 14:33 Answered 4/2, 2016 at 2:38

Solved ssl openssl apple-push-notifications

I am attempting to run the Ray Wenderlich tutorial found at Apple Push Notification Services in iOS 6 Tutorial: Part 1/2.

I created an AppID and SSL certificate and keys and PEM files in a local directory. Afterwards, I got to the step to test whether the certificate works, and I invoked the following command from this local directory:

$ openssl s_client -connect gateway.sandbox.push.apple.com:2195 
-cert PushChatCert.pem -key PushChatKey.pem

This produced a lot of output. In the middle of the output was the following:

verify error:num=20:unable to get local issuer certificate
verify return:0

Is this an error, or is this a test for an error? If its an error, what would be the cause or what would you suggest to resolve it?

Here is the complete output (less the certificate data):

Enter pass phrase for PushChatKey.pem:    
CONNECTED(00000003)
depth=1 /C=US/O=Entrust, Inc./OU=www.entrust.net/rpa is incorporated by reference/OU=(c) 2009 Entrust, Inc./CN=Entrust Certification Authority - L1C
verify error:num=20:unable to get local issuer certificate
verify return:0
---
Certificate chain
 0 s:/C=US/ST=California/L=Cupertino/O=Apple Inc./OU=iTMS Engineering/CN=gateway.sandbox.push.apple.com
   i:/C=US/O=Entrust, Inc./OU=www.entrust.net/rpa is incorporated by reference/OU=(c) 2009 Entrust, Inc./CN=Entrust Certification Authority - L1C
 1 s:/C=US/O=Entrust, Inc./OU=www.entrust.net/rpa is incorporated by reference/OU=(c) 2009 Entrust, Inc./CN=Entrust Certification Authority - L1C
   i:/O=Entrust.net/OU=www.entrust.net/CPS_2048 incorp. by ref. (limits liab.)/OU=(c) 1999 Entrust.net Limited/CN=Entrust.net Certification Authority (2048)
---
Server certificate
-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----

<Long string of data removed>

-----END CERTIFICATE-----
subject=/C=US/ST=California/L=Cupertino/O=Apple Inc./OU=iTMS Engineering/CN=gateway.sandbox.push.apple.com
issuer=/C=US/O=Entrust, Inc./OU=www.entrust.net/rpa is incorporated by reference/OU=(c) 2009 Entrust, Inc./CN=Entrust Certification Authority - L1C
---
No client certificate CA names sent
---
SSL handshake has read 2731 bytes and written 2215 bytes
---
New, TLSv1/SSLv3, Cipher is AES256-SHA
Server public key is 2048 bit
Secure Renegotiation IS supported
Compression: NONE
Expansion: NONE
SSL-Session:
    Protocol  : TLSv1
    Cipher    : AES256-SHA
    Session-ID: 
    Session-ID-ctx: 
    Master-Key: <removed>
    Key-Arg   : None
    Start Time: 1398633302
    Timeout   : 300 (sec)
    Verify return code: 0 (ok)
---

The tutorial goes on to say that "If the connection is successful, you should be able to type a few characters. When you press enter, the server should disconnect." I was able to do this and the server disconnected.

But the tutorial goes on to say that you may have to look through the output to find an error. Hence the reason for this question.

Outhaul answered 28/4, 2014 at 14:33 Comment(2)

if i didn't add this certificate is there any problem for pushnotifiction...... – Rhizo 4/11, 2015 at 14:6

@KishoreKumar My certificate are correct and getting push even i got this error. – Aircondition 7/6, 2016 at 6:21

This produced a lot of output. In the middle of the output was the following:

verify error:num=20:unable to get local issuer certificate
verify return:0

You are missing a root certificate, and it should be specified either with -CAfile or with -CApath.

However, you may encounter a handshake alert after you fix the root certificate issue. I believe its a client certificate issue caused by me not having one (hence you may not experience it). Below, 0x14094410 is the OpenSSL error, and the SSL error (from the TLS protocol) is simply SSL alert number 40. Alert 40 is the handshake alert, and there's no additional information.

First

Determine the root you need:

$ openssl s_client -connect gateway.sandbox.push.apple.com:2195
CONNECTED(00000003)
depth=1 C = US, O = "Entrust, Inc.", OU = www.entrust.net/rpa is incorporated by reference, OU = "(c) 2009 Entrust, Inc.", CN = Entrust Certification Authority - L1C
verify error:num=20:unable to get local issuer certificate
verify return:0
140067272132264:error:14094410:SSL routines:SSL3_READ_BYTES:sslv3 alert handshake failure:s3_pkt.c:1257:SSL alert number 40
140067272132264:error:140790E5:SSL routines:SSL23_WRITE:ssl handshake failure:s23_lib.c:177:
---
Certificate chain
 0 s:/C=US/ST=California/L=Cupertino/O=Apple Inc./OU=iTMS Engineering/CN=gateway.sandbox.push.apple.com
   i:/C=US/O=Entrust, Inc./OU=www.entrust.net/rpa is incorporated by reference/OU=(c) 2009 Entrust, Inc./CN=Entrust Certification Authority - L1C
 1 s:/C=US/O=Entrust, Inc./OU=www.entrust.net/rpa is incorporated by reference/OU=(c) 2009 Entrust, Inc./CN=Entrust Certification Authority - L1C
   i:/O=Entrust.net/OU=www.entrust.net/CPS_2048 incorp. by ref. (limits liab.)/OU=(c) 1999 Entrust.net Limited/CN=Entrust.net Certification Authority (2048)

So you need Entrust.net Certification Authority (2048). You can download it from Entrust Root Certificates. Its named entrust_2048_ca.cer and it appears to be in PEM format.

Second

Now, run openssl s_client again, but this time with -CAfile entrust_2048_ca.cer. Notice it completes with a Verify return code: 0 (ok):

$ openssl s_client -connect gateway.sandbox.push.apple.com:2195 -CAfile entrust_2048_ca.cer 
CONNECTED(00000003)
depth=2 O = Entrust.net, OU = www.entrust.net/CPS_2048 incorp. by ref. (limits liab.), OU = (c) 1999 Entrust.net Limited, CN = Entrust.net Certification Authority (2048)
verify return:1
depth=1 C = US, O = "Entrust, Inc.", OU = www.entrust.net/rpa is incorporated by reference, OU = "(c) 2009 Entrust, Inc.", CN = Entrust Certification Authority - L1C
verify return:1
depth=0 C = US, ST = California, L = Cupertino, O = Apple Inc., OU = iTMS Engineering, CN = gateway.sandbox.push.apple.com
verify return:1
140642906502824:error:14094410:SSL routines:SSL3_READ_BYTES:sslv3 alert handshake failure:s3_pkt.c:1257:SSL alert number 40
140642906502824:error:140790E5:SSL routines:SSL23_WRITE:ssl handshake failure:s23_lib.c:177:
---
Certificate chain
 0 s:/C=US/ST=California/L=Cupertino/O=Apple Inc./OU=iTMS Engineering/CN=gateway.sandbox.push.apple.com
   i:/C=US/O=Entrust, Inc./OU=www.entrust.net/rpa is incorporated by reference/OU=(c) 2009 Entrust, Inc./CN=Entrust Certification Authority - L1C
 1 s:/C=US/O=Entrust, Inc./OU=www.entrust.net/rpa is incorporated by reference/OU=(c) 2009 Entrust, Inc./CN=Entrust Certification Authority - L1C
   i:/O=Entrust.net/OU=www.entrust.net/CPS_2048 incorp. by ref. (limits liab.)/OU=(c) 1999 Entrust.net Limited/CN=Entrust.net Certification Authority (2048)
---
Server certificate
-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----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-----END CERTIFICATE-----
subject=/C=US/ST=California/L=Cupertino/O=Apple Inc./OU=iTMS Engineering/CN=gateway.sandbox.push.apple.com
issuer=/C=US/O=Entrust, Inc./OU=www.entrust.net/rpa is incorporated by reference/OU=(c) 2009 Entrust, Inc./CN=Entrust Certification Authority - L1C
---
No client certificate CA names sent
---
SSL handshake has read 2683 bytes and written 338 bytes
---
New, TLSv1/SSLv3, Cipher is AES256-SHA
Server public key is 2048 bit
Secure Renegotiation IS supported
Compression: NONE
Expansion: NONE
SSL-Session:
    Protocol  : TLSv1
    Cipher    : AES256-SHA
    Session-ID: 
    Session-ID-ctx: 
    Master-Key: A2F375CC440179ADF831179C32A35AF4...
    Key-Arg   : None
    PSK identity: None
    PSK identity hint: None
    SRP username: None
    Start Time: 1398721005
    Timeout   : 300 (sec)
    Verify return code: 0 (ok)

Third

This is kind of the old way of doing things, back when SSLv3 was still popular. That is, the POODLE attack was unknown:

$ openssl s_client -connect gateway.sandbox.push.apple.com:2195 -CAfile entrust_2048_ca.cer

You should probably switch to TLS 1.0 or above and use Server Name Indication (SNI). SNI is a TLS feature not present in SSL. You might need to force TLS 1.2 in 2016; and you can do so with -tls1_2.

$ openssl s_client -connect gateway.sandbox.push.apple.com:2195 \
  -tls1 -servername gateway.sandbox.push.apple.com -CAfile entrust_2048_ca.cer

Below is information from other comments and answers. I'm gathering them up for convenience. You should upvote the comment or answer as appropriate.

Client Certificate

Korbbit provides additional information below. It addresses the statement I made, "alert handshake failure ... I believe its a client certificate issue caused by me not having one". You should provide feedback for Korbbit if its helpful to you:

if you look at the tutorial again you are meant to type...
-cert PushChatCert.pem -key PushChatKey.pem

With Korbbit's feedback, the answer becomes:

$ openssl s_client -connect gateway.sandbox.push.apple.com:2195 \
  -tls1 -servername gateway.sandbox.push.apple.com \
  -cert PushChatCert.pem -key PushChatKey.pem -CAfile entrust_2048_ca.cer

ca-certificates bundle and -CApath

From Timur Bakeyev, Entrust.net is a well-known Root Certificate Authority, so it's certificate comes in the common CA certificates bundle (ca-certificates in Debian). It is usually installed, among others, into the /etc/ssl/certs directory and, alternatively, can be referred with the -CApath /etc/ssl/certs/ option.

You can use -CApath in place of -CAfile as follows.

$ openssl s_client -connect gateway.sandbox.push.apple.com:2195 -CApath /etc/ssl/certs/

Stringboard answered 28/4, 2014 at 21:38 Comment(9)

hello i am downloaded entrust_2048_ca.cer installed in key chain access after that i entered in terminal wht u r given following command but still error is coming..can u tell me why its coming.. – Muggy 25/7, 2014 at 9:32

@mahesh - perhaps you should ask a new question. We have no idea what your problem is. – Stringboard 26/7, 2014 at 11:9

If the root certificate is in the OS's trust store, -CApath /etc/ssl/certs will work too. – Forbidden 21/12, 2014 at 15:5

@Stringboard I faced the same and fixed it and getting " Verify return code:0". So I assume its connected.. But How can I know its successfully connected or not.. Because last line display "---" when I press enter its showing "read:errno=104 " – Sandwich 8/1, 2015 at 7:4

@nyuszika7h how does it come that this is not the default when i fire up openssl s_client? when i do it from one host i got verify ok, on the other i have to use -CApath /etc/ssl/certs to get verify ok – Strobila 11/3, 2015 at 9:47

@Strobila Now that's a good question that I don't know the answer to. It should be the default, but on some systems (including my server) it's not for some reason. – Forbidden 11/3, 2015 at 14:30

@Strobila - I think Dave Thompson was saying its a bug in s_client. That is, s_client is supposed to use the certs from /etc/ssl/certs unless its overridden. But it does not. – Stringboard 26/5, 2015 at 7:43

what is the use to remove this error in terminal @Stringboard – Rhizo 4/11, 2015 at 14:45

@KishoreKumar - "what is the use to remove this error in terminal..." - For me, none. I don't carre if I experience it with s_client because I know how to fix it in production. For the OP and his question, you will have to ask him. – Stringboard 13/7, 2017 at 10:14

I just did the same tutorial and the accepted answer might not be what you want. if you look at the tutorial again you are meant to type:

openssl s_client -connect gateway.sandbox.push.apple.com:2195 
    -cert PushChatCert.pem -key PushChatKey.pem

not just:

openssl s_client -connect gateway.sandbox.push.apple.com:2195

if you type it as one line it will work:

openssl s_client -connect gateway.sandbox.push.apple.com:2195 -cert PushChatCert.pem -key PushChatKey.pem

Hankins answered 4/2, 2016 at 2:38 Comment(2)

Actually, this question and answer concerned itself with the error "“verify error:num=20” when connecting to gateway.sandbox.push.apple.com". I added your suggestion to the answer since there appears to be some cross-pollination going on. Thanks. – Stringboard 28/2, 2016 at 15:29

If I dont add this certificate will there be any problem for push notification? I am getting the error "verify error:num=20:unable to get local issuer certificate". So I just want to know if there is any problem with my certificates. – Gladisgladney 18/3, 2016 at 6:11

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