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I get the error message SEC_ERROR_UNKNOWN_ISSUER on EVERY web page including Mozilla.org

  • 2 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 47 views
  • Last reply by agkb

agkb
agkb
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I just installed Firefox for the first time (version 61.0.2 (64-bit)) on my Mac (running OS 10.13.4) and every website I try to go to (including Mozilla.org) returns this error.

Here's a sample of what I get when I click on the SEC_ERROR_UNKNOWN_ISSUER link:

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl

Peer's Certificate issuer is not recognised.

HTTP Strict Transport Security: false HTTP Public Key Pinning: true

Certificate chain:

BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----

MIIDozCCAougAwIBAgICDNowDQYJKoZIhvcNAQELBQAwYjELMAkGA1UEBhMCQ1ox DTALBgNVBAgMBEJybm8xDDAKBgNVBAoMA0FWRzEdMBsGA1UECwwUU29mdHdhcmUg RGV2ZWxvcG1lbnQxFzAVBgNVBAMMDkFWRyB0cnVzdGVkIENBMB4XDTE4MDcyNDE2 MDg0OFoXDTE4MTAwMjE2MDAwMFowaDELMAkGA1UEBhMCVVMxEzARBgNVBAgMCkNh bGlmb3JuaWExFjAUBgNVBAcMDU1vdW50YWluIFZpZXcxEzARBgNVBAoMCkdvb2ds ZSBMTEMxFzAVBgNVBAMMDnd3dy5nb29nbGUuY29tMIIBIjANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQEF AAOCAQ8AMIIBCgKCAQEAyOhAian6BS6SOetsmXWr4ptq9pzrZEmr564tJUTCzGK7 YKtmG49oYinTBEHQsOoZ38rcRODQi0205ibLSEtBxL6+fu1Qx1UVmfy4Xs2uxHWD C0JFzMb65VIfylLDVLq+OKZW6hfBSAIwtiOxuek0HrBeY1yZmEvoptM0w/CNjNWX nmuYGDDDdTvDgYJRnXhKK0AnBM2/7FsqLAWN5DIshWBMdD73mgvZRTdOSELz0RLC DkAv7iXtnRwtt885vBnwFA9gCliGiedprb+dgYWLdhzV1p9EOPoUxaLS4zJggTzi AZn2GQZptI9iGmNnHmkW/sJ63ur+ZXi45slW24SZFwIDAQABo10wWzAdBgNVHQ4E FgQUHd1sSN0AksbI4SGhYHWfTKsC7uQwHwYDVR0jBBgwFoAUW3WGTEimQ4i/CdDk QWC+8iKiC20wGQYDVR0RBBIwEIIOd3d3Lmdvb2dsZS5jb20wDQYJKoZIhvcNAQEL BQADggEBAJE6id60iBYhRd6yZICbKYiAJGaRDL8f1fyDUtyZn8Hw+qaTfiE/LbwK iSXdZngl+44F3JPjX3kW8K7lyHVB6OI3L++11oxM6cKf69otelPxhZD03GNHxoOv gC14zI8loj0pHjwUKLXbQqClk6asfE3ph0LgnRg2Z2h4C0F+o0iLHiGyytFLlHzV Vj4ujd5Xob/6+VSHP/e3nuXvlIELHzl3/UmOesqI07kGvywwPhldweLUZYkri1xr UIqSqZA5EIyWINsJ866toSOnEgKdVaqokmybEq3KwYe3k5bwdY7GztuiZf7J8P8F BRJyAzL0v3eSnUIouT8RUGTEJ+swADw=

END CERTIFICATE-----
I just installed Firefox for the first time (version 61.0.2 (64-bit)) on my Mac (running OS 10.13.4) and every website I try to go to (including Mozilla.org) returns this error. Here's a sample of what I get when I click on the SEC_ERROR_UNKNOWN_ISSUER link: https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl Peer's Certificate issuer is not recognised. HTTP Strict Transport Security: false HTTP Public Key Pinning: true Certificate chain: -----BEGIN CERTIFICATE----- MIIDozCCAougAwIBAgICDNowDQYJKoZIhvcNAQELBQAwYjELMAkGA1UEBhMCQ1ox DTALBgNVBAgMBEJybm8xDDAKBgNVBAoMA0FWRzEdMBsGA1UECwwUU29mdHdhcmUg RGV2ZWxvcG1lbnQxFzAVBgNVBAMMDkFWRyB0cnVzdGVkIENBMB4XDTE4MDcyNDE2 MDg0OFoXDTE4MTAwMjE2MDAwMFowaDELMAkGA1UEBhMCVVMxEzARBgNVBAgMCkNh bGlmb3JuaWExFjAUBgNVBAcMDU1vdW50YWluIFZpZXcxEzARBgNVBAoMCkdvb2ds ZSBMTEMxFzAVBgNVBAMMDnd3dy5nb29nbGUuY29tMIIBIjANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQEF AAOCAQ8AMIIBCgKCAQEAyOhAian6BS6SOetsmXWr4ptq9pzrZEmr564tJUTCzGK7 YKtmG49oYinTBEHQsOoZ38rcRODQi0205ibLSEtBxL6+fu1Qx1UVmfy4Xs2uxHWD C0JFzMb65VIfylLDVLq+OKZW6hfBSAIwtiOxuek0HrBeY1yZmEvoptM0w/CNjNWX nmuYGDDDdTvDgYJRnXhKK0AnBM2/7FsqLAWN5DIshWBMdD73mgvZRTdOSELz0RLC DkAv7iXtnRwtt885vBnwFA9gCliGiedprb+dgYWLdhzV1p9EOPoUxaLS4zJggTzi AZn2GQZptI9iGmNnHmkW/sJ63ur+ZXi45slW24SZFwIDAQABo10wWzAdBgNVHQ4E FgQUHd1sSN0AksbI4SGhYHWfTKsC7uQwHwYDVR0jBBgwFoAUW3WGTEimQ4i/CdDk QWC+8iKiC20wGQYDVR0RBBIwEIIOd3d3Lmdvb2dsZS5jb20wDQYJKoZIhvcNAQEL BQADggEBAJE6id60iBYhRd6yZICbKYiAJGaRDL8f1fyDUtyZn8Hw+qaTfiE/LbwK iSXdZngl+44F3JPjX3kW8K7lyHVB6OI3L++11oxM6cKf69otelPxhZD03GNHxoOv gC14zI8loj0pHjwUKLXbQqClk6asfE3ph0LgnRg2Z2h4C0F+o0iLHiGyytFLlHzV Vj4ujd5Xob/6+VSHP/e3nuXvlIELHzl3/UmOesqI07kGvywwPhldweLUZYkri1xr UIqSqZA5EIyWINsJ866toSOnEgKdVaqokmybEq3KwYe3k5bwdY7GztuiZf7J8P8F BRJyAzL0v3eSnUIouT8RUGTEJ+swADw= -----END CERTIFICATE-----

Chosen solution

Sorry for the inconvenience and thank you for sharing the certificate. It shows that the certificate was issued by "AVG trusted CA" instead of the true certificate issuer, an indication that your AVG security software is intercepting your web browsing.

A new installation of Firefox isn't set up to work with any "man in the middle" security suite like AVG, Avast, Bitdefender, ESET, or Kaspersky. Whta can you do? Either:

  • The security software will set up Firefox automatically at your next system startup or by using a button in the software's interface (simplest)
  • You can disable the "man in the middle" feature (see: How to troubleshoot security error codes on secure websites -- the new AVG is similar to Avast); this may improve performance by removing one level of filtering
  • If necessary, you can manually import AVG's signing certificate into Firefox's certificate store
  • You can set Firefox to trust certificates that MacOS X collects
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All Replies (2)

jscher2000 - Support Volunteer
jscher2000 - Support Volunteer
  • Top 10 Contributor
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Chosen Solution

Sorry for the inconvenience and thank you for sharing the certificate. It shows that the certificate was issued by "AVG trusted CA" instead of the true certificate issuer, an indication that your AVG security software is intercepting your web browsing.

A new installation of Firefox isn't set up to work with any "man in the middle" security suite like AVG, Avast, Bitdefender, ESET, or Kaspersky. Whta can you do? Either:

  • The security software will set up Firefox automatically at your next system startup or by using a button in the software's interface (simplest)
  • You can disable the "man in the middle" feature (see: How to troubleshoot security error codes on secure websites -- the new AVG is similar to Avast); this may improve performance by removing one level of filtering
  • If necessary, you can manually import AVG's signing certificate into Firefox's certificate store
  • You can set Firefox to trust certificates that MacOS X collects
agkb
agkb Question owner
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Hi, thanks for the information. Should have spotted that myself!