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FIX for: "Safari can't verify the identity of the website" - certificate not valid

If you are getting a message like this:

Safari can't verify the identity of the website "static.ak.facebook.com" (or ANY other address)

This certificate is not valid (host name mismatch)

There is an EASY FIX for this...

Go to:

/Applications/Utilities/KeyChain Access

Select "KeyChain First Aid" from "KeyChain Access" (menu choice)

Make sure the radio button for "Verify" is selected, and then click the "Start" button.

Once completed, it will tell you if any problems were found just above "Verification Completed".

(In my case "no problems found").

It is not necessary to perform a "repair" if no problems were found.

If problems were found, follow up the verification process with the "repair" process.

FYI: "KeyChain Access" stores info for Certificates. If a "mismatch" occurs, or a certificate is deamed "invalid" you get a warning. (This is part of your security). Performing "KeyChain First Aid" will verify ALL certificates and correct any "mismatching" by updating the certificate OR will tell you there was a problem (ie. a website using a fake certificate), in which case you need to follow through with "repair" and if necessary, not use the problematic website. BUT, in most cases, this message is NOT about anything malicious, its just part of the security settings that are trying to ensure ALL certificates associated to ANY website is correct, and since certificates expire and/or get updated, these conflicts can occur.

MacBook, Mac OS X (10.6.8), White, Model A1342

Posted on Oct 24, 2012 1:31 AM

Best reply

canucksgirl01 Author

Level 1

57 points

Posted on Oct 24, 2012 2:04 PM

Here is the LATEST UPDATE:

The Akamai Network (the hosting service for many websites like Apple, Microsoft, Facebook and Twitter) which uses the a248.e.akamai.net URL (in this case for Facebook), has FINALLY become aware of this issue and is pushing out the fix as I type...

For everyone who was able to go through the KeyChain First Aid process (described above in the start of this thread) has been able to correct the problem already. For everyone else, the "fix" may take some time to populate over ALL the websites that are affected (i.e. millions...) so, you may have to be patient. I don't have specific help available for all iOS devices, but the update from Akamai will correct this problem.

*** Just be aware that websites have different schedules for when they push out updates. Some do this once a day, but others can do this as infrequently as once a week (depends on the website you're having trouble with).

View in context

112 replies

S. G.

Level 1

86 points

Jan 9, 2014 7:31 PM in response to David Utts

Just to clarify, my easy fix was simply to download and reapply one the latest combo updates to the OS I was using, not a full erase+reinstall, and not installing a new OS. It should not harm anything on your system, it's pretty easy and worth a try. For OS 10.8.5, I guess the file would be here: http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1676?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

Jan 9, 2014 7:39 PM in response to David Utts

Glad it worked for you. I was just about to point you to the start of my thread...

Jan 10, 2014 1:03 PM in response to canucksgirl01

I am not able to get email for three of my accounts and it's been a long time. I have no idea who to call or how to get help. User uploaded file

What should I do?

User uploaded file

Jan 10, 2014 1:04 PM in response to carrie222

I tried to put in a screen shot to show you what it says 'the certificate has expired'

Jan 13, 2014 8:51 PM in response to canucksgirl01

Okay very weird... waht is this **** thing! It's back and I used canucksgirl01's terminal command. It cleared for a day. I was adding an opt in form for my website through a plug in and it kicked back in. I have run the terminal command serveral times, cleared the history, ran it again and it still happens. Its like a virus that finds me again.

Jan 14, 2014 6:11 AM in response to David Utts

Jan 14, 2014 7:24 AM in response to David Utts

Installing 10.8.5 update worked and fixed it this time

Feb 3, 2014 1:55 PM in response to canucksgirl01

Grrrr its back again! I rean the thing in terminal and the **** script keeps running. where does this thing come from?

BDN620

Level 1

0 points

Feb 10, 2014 1:17 PM in response to canucksgirl01

thank you very much this has been annoying me for a long time and it looks to finally be gone. i ran the keychain test and verified on my macbook pro and it worked. and as i like to quote... "people helpin' people... powerful stuff!" 🙂

Feb 11, 2014 2:41 PM in response to canucksgirl01

Again, I have repaired key chain, run the terminal command, updated current OSX and deleted all browsers and reinstalled ... the error still plays on some of my websites. Very frustrating. If anyone has another solution that works after that let me know.

MadMacs0

Level 5

5,221 points

Feb 11, 2014 4:04 PM in response to David Utts

David Utts wrote:

the error still plays on some of my websites.

It always will on a few websites that don't have valid certificates for some reason, until you agree to trust those sites in spite of their certificate. If this happens with many sites, then I would agree that you have a stubborn issue.

Feb 12, 2014 10:58 AM in response to canucksgirl01

This is sporatic on some sites but one of them is my business website. How do I crate a valid certificate for the site so it does not do this? I imagine I add it to keychain somehow but how do you do that for specific sites?

manprit

Level 1

0 points

Oct 6, 2014 2:21 PM in response to canucksgirl01

update date and time and have proper time zone … fixed mine instatnly

MadMacs0

Level 5

5,221 points

Oct 6, 2014 2:52 PM in response to manprit

manprit wrote:

update date and time and have proper time zone … fixed mine instatnly

Great! Everybody should certainly check this, but unfortunately it doesn't seem to be the universal fix for all situations and/or certificates.

BBobM

Level 1

8 points

Jan 13, 2015 2:57 AM in response to canucksgirl01

This certificate error problem has just begun happening to me in early 2015, in on many, many webpages across a range of embedded URLs: Facebook, youtube, tumbler, and other less ubiquitous urls.

it is happening under Safari on both my MBP with Mavericks, and my iPad with iOS8

it is happening in my home as well as outside (in a public location with probably a different ISP than at home)

I have tried many solutions suggested here or on other threads on this topic things:

cleared various caches

deleted various plists

updated and confirmed the sync of the time on my hosts and firewall/router

when I inspect the certificates being flagged, they sometimes are issued by fairly obscure sounding authorities in odd places. I know this doesn't necessarily mean trouble, but a Facebook cert from a xxx.ru issuer ?!? It does make me afraid to just click "always trust".

this is making surfing and internet use really difficult

How do these system root certificates even get into my computer, through Apple Safari updates only? Can a hacker sneak rogue certs in there and then use them to do naughty things? Can anyone point to some article or help forum which really explains the problem thoroughly and provides a real fix?

FIX for: "Safari can't verify the identity of the website" - certificate not valid