Stalled plugin-container.app leads to invalid SSL certificate?
Firefox 59.0.2 (64-bit) OS X 10.11.6
Ran in to a very odd problem with Firefox today. Suddenly a few websites stopped responding and the network manager was indicating a problem with jQuery cdn.
An error occured: code.jquery.com uses an invalid security certificate. The certificate is only valid for the following domain names: *.ssl.hwcdn.net, ssl.hwcdn.net Error code: SSL_ERROR_BAD_CERT_DOMAIN
Somehow the browser was reading the wrong certificate? I cleared my entire history, cookies included and tried restarting to no avail. Did a bit of googling and only found a few links pertaining to malware involving hwcdn.net. Could this be a malware attack? To my knowledge there is nothing like this affecting OS X but hard to be sure.
I quit Firefox again and checked my processlist and found a few that look to be stalled processes. Here is the output of ps -A | grep -i firefox
:
22111 ?? 943:22.13 /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/MacOS/plugin-container.app/Contents/MacOS/plugin-container -childID 20 -isForBrowser -intPrefs 5:50|6:-1|18:0|28:1000|34:0|35:5|36:0|45:128|46:10000|51:0|53:400|54:1|55:0|56:0|61:0|62:120|63:120|99:2|100:1|115:5000|125:0|127:0|138:10000|158:24|159:32768|161:0|162:0|170:0|174:1048576|175:100|176:5000|178:600|188:20|191:3|204:60000| -boolPrefs 1:0|2:1|4:0|26:1|27:1|30:0|33:1|37:1|38:0|39:0|40:0|43:1|44:1|47:0|48:0|49:0|50:0|52:0|57:1|58:1|59:0|60:1|64:1|65:1|66:0|67:1|68:1|69:0|70:1|73:0|74:0|77:1|78:1|82:1|83:1|84:0|85:0|86:0|88:0|89:0|90:1|91:1|92:1|95:1|96:0|98:0|101:1|102:0|109:0|114:0|117:1|119:0|120:1|122:1|126:0|130:0|132:1|133:1|139:1|140:0|141:1|143:0|156:0|157:0|160:1|163:0|165:1|167:1|168:0|177:1|182:0|183:0|184:0|185:1|186:0|187:0|189:1|190:1|193:0|196:0|197:0|198:1|199:1|200:0|201:1|202:1|203:1|205:0|206:0|208:0|217:1|218:0|219:0|220:0|221:0| -stringPrefs 3:7;release|97:0;|142:3;1.0|154:332; �\240¼½¾�M^C�M^P̷̸�M^I�M^J�M^C״�M^I�M^J٪�M^T�M^A�M^B�M^C�M^D�M^EM^_�M^E\240�M^\��M^@M^@�M^@M^A�M^@M^B�M^@M^C�M^@M^D�M^@M^E�M^@M^F�M^@M^G�M^@M^H�M^@M^I�M^@M^J�M^@M^K�M^@M^N�M^@M^O�M^@M^P�M^@M^Y�M^@��M^@��M^@��M^@��M^@��M^@��M^@��M^@��M^@��M^@��M^@��M^@��M^AM^A�M^AM^D�M^AM^R�M^AM^_�M^EM^S�M^EM^T�M^EM^U�M^EM^V�M^EM^W�M^EM^X�M^EM^Y�M^EM^Z�M^EM^[�M^EM^\�M^EM^]�M^EM^^�M^EM^_�M^HM^U�M^H��M^N��M^U�⧶⧸⫻⫽⿰⿱⿲⿳⿴⿵⿶⿷⿸⿹⿺⿻�M^@M^@�M^@M^B�M^@M^T�M^@M^U�M^@��M^B\240�M^E��M^HM^]�M^HM^^�M^N��M^N��M^OM^F�M^OM^_�M^^M^I�M^T�M^U︿�M^]�M^^�M^N�M^O。�\240�|155:4;high|192:38;{23b98b90-a72b-6e40-80f8-54da5ec0d410}| -schedulerPrefs 0001,2 -greomni /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/Resources/omni.ja -appomni /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/Resources/browser/omni.ja -appdir /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/Resources/browser -profile /Users/zuma/Library/Application Support/Firefox/Profiles/pta4fzgm.default 11308 gecko-crash-server-pipe.11308 org.mozilla.machname.596158969 tab 57949 ?? 874:29.17 /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/MacOS/plugin-container.app/Contents/MacOS/plugin-container -childID 80 -isForBrowser -intPrefs 5:50|6:-1|18:0|28:1000|34:0|35:5|36:0|45:128|46:10000|51:0|53:400|54:1|55:0|56:0|61:0|62:120|63:120|99:2|100:1|115:5000|125:0|127:0|138:10000|158:24|159:32768|161:0|162:0|170:0|174:1048576|175:100|176:5000|178:600|188:20|191:3|204:60000| -boolPrefs 1:0|2:1|4:0|26:1|27:1|30:0|33:1|37:1|38:0|39:0|40:0|43:1|44:1|47:0|48:0|49:0|50:0|52:0|57:1|58:1|59:0|60:1|64:1|65:1|66:0|67:1|68:1|69:0|70:1|73:0|74:0|77:1|78:1|82:1|83:1|84:0|85:0|86:0|88:0|89:0|90:1|91:1|92:1|95:1|96:0|98:0|101:1|102:0|109:0|114:0|117:1|119:0|120:1|122:1|126:0|130:0|132:1|133:1|139:1|140:0|141:1|143:0|156:0|157:0|160:1|163:0|165:1|167:1|168:0|177:1|182:0|183:0|184:0|185:1|186:0|187:0|189:1|190:1|193:0|196:0|197:0|198:1|199:1|200:0|201:1|202:1|203:1|205:0|206:0|208:0|217:1|218:0|219:0|220:0|221:0| -stringPrefs 3:7;release|97:0;|142:3;1.0|154:332; �\240¼½¾�M^C�M^P̷̸�M^I�M^J�M^C״�M^I�M^J٪�M^T�M^A�M^B�M^C�M^D�M^EM^_�M^E\240�M^\��M^@M^@�M^@M^A�M^@M^B�M^@M^C�M^@M^D�M^@M^E�M^@M^F�M^@M^G�M^@M^H�M^@M^I�M^@M^J�M^@M^K�M^@M^N�M^@M^O�M^@M^P�M^@M^Y�M^@��M^@��M^@��M^@��M^@��M^@��M^@��M^@��M^@��M^@��M^@��M^@��M^AM^A�M^AM^D�M^AM^R�M^AM^_�M^EM^S�M^EM^T�M^EM^U�M^EM^V�M^EM^W�M^EM^X�M^EM^Y�M^EM^Z�M^EM^[�M^EM^\�M^EM^]�M^EM^^�M^EM^_�M^HM^U�M^H��M^N��M^U�⧶⧸⫻⫽⿰⿱⿲⿳⿴⿵⿶⿷⿸⿹⿺⿻�M^@M^@�M^@M^B�M^@M^T�M^@M^U�M^@��M^B\240�M^E��M^HM^]�M^HM^^�M^N��M^N��M^OM^F�M^OM^_�M^^M^I�M^T�M^U︿�M^]�M^^�M^N�M^O。�\240�|155:4;high|192:38;{23b98b90-a72b-6e40-80f8-54da5ec0d410}| -schedulerPrefs 0001,2 -greomni /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/Resources/omni.ja -appomni /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/Resources/browser/omni.ja -appdir /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/Resources/browser -profile /Users/zuma/Library/Application Support/Firefox/Profiles/pta4fzgm.default 24320 gecko-crash-server-pipe.24320 org.mozilla.machname.1079351789 tab 58218 ?? 869:37.59 /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/MacOS/plugin-container.app/Contents/MacOS/plugin-container -childID 84 -isForBrowser -intPrefs 5:50|6:-1|18:0|28:1000|34:0|35:5|36:0|45:128|46:10000|51:0|53:400|54:1|55:0|56:0|61:0|62:120|63:120|99:2|100:1|115:5000|125:0|127:0|138:10000|158:24|159:32768|161:0|162:0|170:0|174:1048576|175:100|176:5000|178:600|188:20|191:3|204:60000| -boolPrefs 1:0|2:1|4:0|26:1|27:1|30:0|33:1|37:1|38:0|39:0|40:0|43:1|44:1|47:0|48:0|49:0|50:0|52:0|57:1|58:1|59:0|60:1|64:1|65:1|66:0|67:1|68:1|69:0|70:1|73:0|74:0|77:1|78:1|82:1|83:1|84:0|85:0|86:0|88:0|89:0|90:1|91:1|92:1|95:1|96:0|98:0|101:1|102:0|109:0|114:0|117:1|119:0|120:1|122:1|126:0|130:0|132:1|133:1|139:1|140:0|141:1|143:0|156:0|157:0|160:1|163:0|165:1|167:1|168:0|177:1|182:0|183:0|184:0|185:1|186:0|187:0|189:1|190:1|193:0|196:0|197:0|198:1|199:1|200:0|201:1|202:1|203:1|205:0|206:0|208:0|217:1|218:0|219:0|220:0|221:0| -stringPrefs 3:7;release|97:0;|142:3;1.0|154:332; �\240¼½¾�M^C�M^P̷̸�M^I�M^J�M^C״�M^I�M^J٪�M^T�M^A�M^B�M^C�M^D�M^EM^_�M^E\240�M^\��M^@M^@�M^@M^A�M^@M^B�M^@M^C�M^@M^D�M^@M^E�M^@M^F�M^@M^G�M^@M^H�M^@M^I�M^@M^J�M^@M^K�M^@M^N�M^@M^O�M^@M^P�M^@M^Y�M^@��M^@��M^@��M^@��M^@��M^@��M^@��M^@��M^@��M^@��M^@��M^@��M^AM^A�M^AM^D�M^AM^R�M^AM^_�M^EM^S�M^EM^T�M^EM^U�M^EM^V�M^EM^W�M^EM^X�M^EM^Y�M^EM^Z�M^EM^[�M^EM^\�M^EM^]�M^EM^^�M^EM^_�M^HM^U�M^H��M^N��M^U�⧶⧸⫻⫽⿰⿱⿲⿳⿴⿵⿶⿷⿸⿹⿺⿻�M^@M^@�M^@M^B�M^@M^T�M^@M^U�M^@��M^B\240�M^E��M^HM^]�M^HM^^�M^N��M^N��M^OM^F�M^OM^_�M^^M^I�M^T�M^U︿�M^]�M^^�M^N�M^O。�\240�|155:4;high|192:38;{23b98b90-a72b-6e40-80f8-54da5ec0d410}| -schedulerPrefs 0001,2 -greomni /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/Resources/omni.ja -appomni /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/Resources/browser/omni.ja -appdir /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/Resources/browser -profile /Users/zuma/Library/Application Support/Firefox/Profiles/pta4fzgm.default 24320 gecko-crash-server-pipe.24320 org.mozilla.machname.1479863359 tab
After manually killing these three processes everything started to work again and I am now seeing the correct certificate.
Edeziri
All Replies (7)
You may have corrupt cert8.db [v58+]cert9.db file. cert8.db, cert9.db stores all your security certificate settings
Type about:support<enter> in the address bar.
Under the page logo on the left side, you will see Application Basics. Under this find Profile Folder. To its right press the button Show Folder. This will open your file browser to the current Firefox profile. Now Close Firefox.
Locate the above file. Then rename or delete it. Restart Firefox.
Thanks FredMcD - If those either of those files were corrupt would it just suddenly start working again without removing them? Did you look at the details in my post about the processes which were causing this?
It could have been just a bad entry in the cert file. By removing the file, Firefox will collect new certificates.
Ok, well I've removed those files but I suppose it's impossible to say at this point if these were related to the original issue. Again, did you look at the details about the processes that were causing the certificate issue? Do you think a corrupt certificate file could cause these plugin processes to stall?
Edeziri
The only way to know is if the issue returns.
Are you sure that the website needs to be accessed via a secure connection and not via an open HTTP connection?
Are you using an extension that can force a secure connection (HTTPS Everywhere)?
@Cor-el - code.jquery.com is the official jQuery cdn. Any site that uses SSL needs to serve it via ssl.
No I'm not using any extensions to force anything, simply requesting the certificate was failing. It really looks to me like Firefox was referencing the wrong certificate. I don't see why their ssl certificate should be read as valid for a different domain. As best I can tell, it's either malware or a Firefox bug.