Fix "SSL Certificate Problem: Unable to Get Local Issuer Certificate" Error

Experiencing SSL Certificate Issues During Testing?

If you are experiencing "SSL Certificate Problem: Unable to Get Local Issuer Certificate" errors and your tests won't run because of this Kubernetes error, here is an article to help you troubleshoot. This error occurs at the Kubernetes cluster level and is not caused by something you did while testing with Testkube. Our cloud-native continuous testing platform runs tests directly in your Kubernetes clusters, so cluster-level SSL certificate issues can prevent test execution.

What is the "ssl certificate problem unable to get local issuer certificate" error?

The ssl certificate problem unable to get local issuer certificate error is a security error that occurs when a Kubernetes cluster is configured to use a self-signed certificate. A self-signed certificate is a certificate that is not signed by a trusted certificate authority. This means that the certificate cannot be verified by the client, which prevents the client from establishing a secure connection to the server.

This error sometimes can be shortened to "ssl git error". It is the Git Error that plagues local clusters on setup. It is hard to get self service security certificates perfect, but hopefully this page can be a good starting point. While security certificates are not unique to K8s, it is a common error that DevOps engineers face when deploying Kubernetes and running continuous testing workflows.

What causes the SSL Certificate Error?

The ssl certificate problem unable to get local issuer certificate error is caused by the misconfiguration of the SSL certificate on the Kubernetes cluster. When a client attempts to connect to the cluster, the client will not be able to verify the certificate because it is not signed by a trusted certificate authority. This will result in the error message ssl certificate problem unable to get local issuer certificate.

Quick Tip: Sometimes detecting the error message is the hardest part, most of the time requiring sifting through cluster logs using the command line interface. Modern Kubernetes troubleshooting tools can assist with this labor intensive process by providing:

• Real-time alerts to shared channels when this error occurs to allow for immediate action
• Automated log pulling and filtering capabilities
• Centralized observability across all cluster resources and test executions

How can you fix the "ssl certificate problem unable to get local issuer certificate" errors?

There are two ways to fix the ssl certificate problem unable to get local issuer certificate errors:

1. You can add the self-signed certificate to the trusted certificate store on the client. This will allow the client to verify the certificate and establish a secure connection to the cluster.
2. You can use a certificate signed by a trusted certificate authority. This will ensure that the certificate can be verified by the client and that the connection to the cluster is secure.

How to Prevent the Error in the Future?

To prevent ssl certificate problem unable to get local issuer certificate errors, you should use a certificate signed by a trusted certificate authority. You can also add the self-signed certificate to the trusted certificate store on the client.

Here are the steps on how to add a self-signed certificate to the trusted certificate store on a Linux machine:

1. Open the file /etc/ssl/certs/ca-certificates.crt
2. Add the self-signed certificate to the file
3. Save the file
4. Restart the web browser

Here are the steps on how to install a certificate signed by a trusted certificate authority:

1. Obtain the certificate from the certificate authority
2. Import the certificate into the trusted certificate store on the client
3. Restart the web browser

Solving the Issue with Modern Kubernetes Troubleshooting

When troubleshooting SSL certificate issues in your Kubernetes cluster, follow these systematic steps:

Step 1 - Identify the Problem

‍Start by examining your cluster logs and identifying which namespace, pod, or service is causing the 'SSL Certificate Problem: Unable to Get Local Issuer Certificate Error'. Modern observability tools can help scan all the resources in your cluster to pinpoint the source.

Step 2 - Locate the Specific Resource

‍Once you've identified where the error is occurring, examine the specific service or ingress configuration that's causing the certificate validation to fail.

Step 3 - Determine the Fix Strategy

‍After identifying the problematic resource, you'll need to decide whether to:

• Update the certificate configuration
• Add the certificate to your trusted store
• Replace with a properly signed certificate

Step 4 - Resolve at the DNS Level‍

Unlike some other Kubernetes issues that can be resolved with kubectl commands, SSL certificate problems typically require action at the DNS provider level. You'll need to go to your DNS provider and renew, reapply, or correct the SSL certificate tied to the domain of the service. The most common domain name service providers are: GoDaddy, Cloudflare, Namecheap, or Google Domains. You will need admin access to the DNS and simply reverify the certificate of the service causing the issue.

Conclusion

Anything related to DNS or SSL certificates is going to be tricky. Adding an issue like that on top of Kubernetes management and continuous testing can be a time-consuming repair. Hopefully our help guide above was able to point you in the right direction.

For teams running continuous testing in Kubernetes environments, having proper SSL certificate management is crucial for maintaining reliable test execution. Testkube's cloud-native continuous testing platform runs directly in your Kubernetes clusters, making it essential to have proper certificate configuration to ensure your testing workflows run smoothly.

Frequently Asked Questions