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Browser SSL Certificate Errors — NET::ERR_CERT Errors Explained

Errorsecurity

Overview

Comprehensive guide to browser SSL certificate errors including ERR_CERT_AUTHORITY_INVALID, ERR_CERT_DATE_INVALID, ERR_CERT_COMMON_NAME_INVALID, and HSTS errors.

Key Details

  • SSL certificate errors prevent the browser from establishing a secure HTTPS connection
  • ERR_CERT_AUTHORITY_INVALID: the certificate issuer is not trusted by the browser
  • ERR_CERT_DATE_INVALID: the certificate has expired or is not yet valid
  • ERR_CERT_COMMON_NAME_INVALID: the domain name does not match the certificate
  • HSTS errors (NET::ERR_CERT_AUTHORITY_INVALID on HSTS sites) cannot be bypassed

Common Causes

  • Certificate expired — SSL certificates must be renewed periodically (90 days for Let's Encrypt, 1 year for commercial)
  • Self-signed certificate not trusted by the browser's certificate store
  • Domain name mismatch: certificate issued for www.example.com but accessed via example.com
  • System clock wrong: if the computer's date/time is incorrect, valid certificates appear expired
  • Corporate SSL inspection (proxy re-signs certificates) causing authority trust issues

Steps

  1. 1Check the system clock: incorrect date/time causes valid certificates to appear expired
  2. 2Click the lock/warning icon in the URL bar > Certificate to see certificate details and expiry
  3. 3For AUTHORITY_INVALID: the site administrator needs to install the correct certificate or fix the chain
  4. 4For DATE_INVALID: the site administrator needs to renew the expired certificate
  5. 5For COMMON_NAME_INVALID: ensure the URL matches the certificate's domain (www vs non-www)
  6. 6Corporate proxy: install the organization's root certificate in your browser/OS trusted store

Tags

ssl-errorcertificatehttpserr-certsecurity

Related Items

chrome-err-cert-authority-invalidchrome-err-cert-date-invalidhttp-ssl-tls-handshake-errors

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Frequently Asked Questions

Only on sites you fully trust (like your own development server). Certificate errors on unknown sites may indicate a man-in-the-middle attack. Never bypass for banking, email, or social media sites.