How to Resolve the Secure Connection Failed Error in Firefox?

What is the “Secure Connection Failed” Error?

The “Secure Connection Failed” is a message that is typically provided to the user by their web browser when it is unable to securely connect with the website over HTTPS.

This error usually points to a problem in the SSL which is the TLS handshaking process which is essential in rendering data communicated between the user’s browser and the website’s server securely.

In this cycle, the browser first checks the SSL/TLS certificate presented from the website to ensure the connection is authentic and secured and then confirms the encryption is properly set up before creating a secure connection path for data transfer.

Why does the Secure Connection Failed Error Happen?

SSL/TLS Certificate Issues

The “Secure Connection Failed” error is a common hint that SSL/TLS certificates are the main cause of the issue.

Browsers will inform the user about the expired certificate or simply not accept the connection attempt if the certificate has expired.

Furthermore, incorrect setting up of the certificate chain – for instance, whether symbolic links or intermediate certificates are missing or not correctly installed is also a cause for this error.

Another cause is when the browser domain does not correspond with the domain of the certificate issued and makes the program dump security alerts.

In addition, if the certificate is created from an untrusted CA, the browser will not let a secure connection be made, and all connection attempts will fail.

Protocol Compatibility

Another important factor is to make sure that there is compatibility between the SSL/TLS protocols supported by clients and servers.

Despite this, older protocol versions that do not include support for fashionable cryptographic guidelines could cause a handshake to fail and display a “Secure Connection Failed” error.

Also Read: What is SSL Certificate Not Trusted Error? How to Fix ERR_SSL_PROTOCOL_ERROR?

Another reason is the server side misconfiguration of the supported SSL/TLS versions, cipher suites or security protocols that are necessary to complete a Handshake.

Both the client browser and the server should be configured to use similar SSL/TLS versions to avoid errors during connection to the secure channel.

Network and Firewall Issues

Technological problems affect the SSL/TLS handshake with problems occurring within the network environment areas like firewalls and security software causing connection problems.

Sometimes, firewalls or proxies that hinder the required SSL-TLS handshake packets or misconfigured proxy settings can be blamed for the “Secure Connection Failed” error.

Also Read: What is the Difference between DNS over TLS vs DNS over HTTPS?

It is even probable that DNS issues or setting up the wrong DNS will cause browsers problems when resolving the server’s IP address, increasing the rate of handshake and connection failures.

Server-Side Configuration

One important detail is settings on the server-side where misconfiguration may also lead to SSL/TLS handshake issues. This would entail correct cipher suites to be implemented and ensure they are usable by the browsers in the client machines.

Compatibility problems such as those occurring with the SSL/TLS protocol versions and cipher suites could be brought about by misconfigured server parameters.

Furthermore, poor server configuration or high server load can lead to time-outs and interruptions to the SSL/TLS connection phase while establishing secure connections.

How to Fix the “Secure Connection Failed” Error in Firefox?

Reset SSL Cache

You can reset the SSL cache and clear browsing the history.  You can find the SSL cache resetting option in Internet properties under the control panel >> Network and Internet>> View Network status and tasks>> Internet Options.

In Internet Properties, navigate to the content tab and click on the Clear SSL State button.

After that, you should clear your browsing history. In your latest Chrome Browser, click on three vertical dots in the top right and click on clear browsing data.

Check System Date and Time

This error is common for firefox and Chrome and it can be solved by changing the settings in your PC.

If the system’s date and time are incorrect, it can cause a failed connection error. The time and date should be accurate to avoid inconsistencies.

Before accessing a website, the browser checks for the SSL certificate’s signing and expiry date with the system’s date and time settings. You can correct it by browsing Settings on your PC and turning on “Set Time Automatically”.

Disable DoH protocol

DoH (DNS over HTTPS) encodes DNS queries for better privacy and security of a browser. It can cause a failed secure connection, and you should turn it off to allow the secure Connection.

• Open Firefox Browser and click on three horizontal lines.
• Click on Settings
  

• Navigate to Privacy & Security on the left

• Scroll down to the DNS over HTTPS section as you can see in the image below.
• Click the Manage Exceptions
  
  

• Enter the website address which you want to keep in the exception list and click on the Add.

• Click on Save changes.

Proxy Connection

In Firefox browser connection settings, turn off the proxy connection. It ensures that the browser connects to the website without intermediary servers.

• Check SSL settings. SSL settings in the Firefox Browser should be checked, and the below steps can be done.
• Open a new tab in Firefox browser
• Type this phrase about:config in the address bar and Enter.
  
  
• Check the option “Warn me when I attempt to access these preferences”.
• Click on Accept the Risk and Continue option.
  
  
• Locate “Search preference name” and type ssl.enable_ocsp_stapling.
  
  
• Click double time on the tab “True”.
• Now, check the settings changed to ‘False’ and revisit the site.

Deactivate HTTPS Scanning

Security software comes with an SSL scanning feature. This feature helps users by ensuring that they are visiting a secured SSL site. However, the SSL scanning feature prevents a web page from loading and results in a secure connection failed error.

To overcome this situation, browse the software’s security settings and uncheck the box against the SSL scanning option. Then, try revisiting the website.

Check your Security Software for SSL Scanning

• The first thing you need to do is type in the address bar of your Firefox browser the command “About:Config”

• A pop-up box should show up with the warning “This might void your warranty!” click on the option I accept the risk!

• In the search box that comes up, type the words “security.ssl.enable_ocsp_stapling”.
• The value of the new result that pops up will indicate “true” Double click on the value to change it to “false”.

• Try connecting to the website that you are trying to visit and see if this has fixed the error. If this doesn’t work, go to the next solution.

Use the Latest TLS Version in Firefox

For Firefox browsers, TLS 1.0 and 1.1 are outdated versions of SSL and TLS protocols, but these old protocols can cause failed secure connection errors in the Firefox browser. The default version of TLS is 1.2.

To solve this issue, you can ask the website owner to upgrade the TLS version to 1.2 or higher 1.3. However, this option was turned off in the Firefox 97 version. It is wise to use the latest Firefox browser.

Disable Add-ons for Firefox

Add-ons are culprits while you access a secure connection in the Firefox browser. Each add-on does not need to be compatible with the secure Connection you visit on a website.

To overcome this situation, you should browse ‘Manage Your Extension’ in the Firefox browser. Click on three dots against selected add-ons and remove that add-on that causes a failed error connection.

Conclusion

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