[Fix] HTTPS Errors and Warning Messages on Secure Websites in Mozilla Firefox

PROBLEM SYMPTOM:

I have received emails from readers that suddenly Mozilla Firefox browser started showing SSL/TLS/certificate errors and warning messages on secure websites. Secure websites are those which require secure HTTPS connection to communicate with user’s computer. Firefox shows green padlock icon and https:// for secure websites in the address bar.

When users upgraded to the latest version of Firefox web browser, suddenly it started throwing error messages and warnings when users tried to open secure HTTPS websites.

Secure_Connection_Failed_Error_Mozilla_Firefox.png

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Following are some error messages and warnings received by users when tried to visit secure websites in Firefox:

  • Secure connection failed
  • Your connection is not secure
  • This connection is not secure
  • Secure connection cannot be established
  • Warning: Potential Security Risk Ahead
  • Did Not Connect: Potential Security Issue
  • An error occurred during a connection
  • The page you are trying to view cannot be shown because the authenticity of the received data could not be verified
  • Please contact the website owners to inform them of this problem

The errors and warning pages also contained error codes such as SSL_ERROR.

Interesting thing was the websites were opening fine in other browsers but Mozilla Firefox was showing HTTPS errors and warnings on secure websites.

PROBLEM REASON:

There might be several reasons behind this problem. First problem is corrupt cache data. Sometimes while upgrading browser to new version might corrupt browser cache (temporary files) which may result in such kind of errors and warnings.

Second reason behind this problem might be a known issue which is incorrect date and time in computer. If the date and time is not set correctly in computer, your browser may show SSL/HTTPS/certificate errors and warning messages on secure websites.

Third reason might be a new feature introduced in newer versions of Firefox browser. It’s called “Enterprise Roots Preference“. In previous Firefox versions, if the antivirus program installed in a user’s computer failed to register itself with Firefox as a valid issuer of TLS certificates required by websites, the antivirus program prevented data from being sent to Firefox which resulted the browser to display TLS connection error message for the visited website.

To overcome this problem, newer versions of Firefox come with Enterprise Roots preference which is used to import root certificate authorities (CA) that were added to the operating system to fix secure connection errors and warnings on HTTPS websites.

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So now in newer versions of Firefox, whenever a secure connection error occurs, Firefox automatically enables the Enterprise Roots preference and tries to connect to the secure website again. If the website now opens fine and issue is fixed, Firefox keeps the Enterprise Roots preference enabled.

For some users, this new Enterprise Roots preference is causing HTTPS errors and warning messages on secure websites.

PROBLEM SOLUTION:

If you are also facing this problem in Firefox after upgrading to a new version, you should try following solutions one by one:

SOLUTION 1:

First try to clear cache in Firefox to troubleshoot this problem.

Following tutorial will tell you how to clear cache and cookies in Firefox and other web browsers:

[Tip] How to Clear Cache and Cookies in Your Web Browser

SOLUTION 2:

If clearing cache doesn’t fix the problem, then make sure the date and time is set correct in your computer system. Check out following tutorial to learn more about this issue:

[Fix] SSL Error, Untrusted Connection, Security Certificate Problem With HTTPS Websites

SOLUTION 3:

If above solutions don’t work for you, then you’ll need to disable the new Enterprise Roots Preference to fix the issue.

1. Open Mozilla Firefox and type about:config in the addressbar and press Enter. It’ll show you a warning message, click on “I accept the risk!” button. It’ll open Firefox’s hidden secret advanced configuration page i.e. about:config page.

2. Now type enterprise_roots in Search filter box and look for following preferences in the window:

security.certerrors.mitm.auto_enable_enterprise_roots

security.enterprise_roots.enabled

3. Make sure both preferences are set to False. If any of the two preferences is set to True, double-click on the preference and set it to false. Alternatively, you can right-click on the preference and select Toggle option.

Disable_Enterprise_Roots_Preference_Mozilla_Firefox.png

That’s it. Now Firefox will no longer automatically import CAs that have been added to the operating system.

It should resolve secure connection errors and warning messages on HTTPS websites.

Also Check:

[Fix] Some Websites Fail to Load in Mozilla Firefox After Update

Fix “Corrupted Content Error” Message on Websites in Mozilla Firefox

[Fix] “This Connection is Untrusted” Problem with HTTPS Websites in Mozilla Firefox

[Fix] Mozilla Firefox Keeps Crashing Constantly on Startup

Published in: Mozilla Firefox, Troubleshooting Guides

About the author: Vishal Gupta (also known as VG) has been awarded with Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional) award. He holds Masters degree in Computer Applications (MCA). He has written several tech articles for popular newspapers and magazines and has also appeared in tech shows on various TV channels.

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