php / php/php-src

check_cert() and php_openssl_store_errors do not pick up validation errors

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Extension: openssl Feature
Dominant language
C
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Description

Description

The following code:

<?php

var_dump(openssl_x509_checkpurpose(file_get_contents('a.pem'), X509_PURPOSE_SSL_SERVER));
while ($msg = openssl_error_string())
    echo $msg . "<br />\n";"

where a.pem is

wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/fuzyll/defcon-vm/master/extras/hfd/server.pem -O a.pem

(or any other single certificate file that won't validate; without intermediates etc)

Resulted in this output:

$ php x.php
bool(false)

But I expected this output instead:

$ php x.php
bool(false)
error: certificate chain too long (depth 0)

(or similar error message).

Why this doesn't work currently? Because X509_verify_cert() in check_cert() validation errors need to be picked up by

error = X509_STORE_CTX_get_error(csc)
X509_verify_cert_error_string(error)
X509_STORE_CTX_get_error_depth(csc)

which is not done in php ext/openssl internals.

PHP Version

PHP 8.1.4

Operating System

No response

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start in the ext/openssl internals around check_cert() and php_openssl_store_errors(), then trace the X509_verify_cert() error path described in the issue. Run the supplied PHP reproduction with a.pem; the work is done when validation errors are exposed through openssl_error_string() alongside the false result.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
c, php
Domain
security
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
3/5
Estimated time
1-2 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
42/100

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