How to Fix “VPN Certificate Validation Failure” Error
The “VPN certificate validation failure” error is exclusive to the Cisco AnyConnect VPN client for Windows, Mac, and Linux. An added reason for a quick solution is that the software is frequently used in a business setting, interconnecting computers into a secure, efficient network. And while it performs wonderfully most of the time, things sure can go wrong unexpectedly. What’s more, employees can’t always reach a network engineer and are often left to their own devices. That’s precisely when we’d like to swoop in and save the day. Let’s demonstrate how to fix the “VPN certificate validation failure” error.
1. Go through standard troubleshooting steps
Before you get into an array of unnecessary steps, make sure the problem isn’t a glitch, bug, or temporary downtime. By this, we mean going through steps 1 through 6 in our “VPN connection failed. The Request was aborted” error fix guide. Once you’ve tried that and it didn’t work, press on.
2. Double-check the VPN client profile
In essence, you need to verify the hostname and host address are still valid. Even if you haven’t made changes manually, your network admin might have, to the server or the client. To demonstrate this, we’ll use Cisco AnyConnect VPN client profile on macOS:
- Find the profile file with a .XML extension in the “/opt/cisco/anyconnect/profile” folder.
- Confirm that the bolded parts are still correct:
<ServerList>
<HostEntry>
<HostName> Hostname for VPN </HostName>
<HostAddress> FQDN (Fully Qualified Domain Name) or server’s IP address </HostAddress>
</HostEntry>
</ServerList>
3. Has the SSL/TLS certificate expired?
A common cause of the “VPN certificate validation failure” error is the expiration of the SSL certificate. While in the past they were issued for longer, in 2021 the period is reduced to either 12 months or 13 months (397 days). Although there are many ways to do this, we’ll use the ASDM client to demonstrate checking SSL/TLS certificate expiration date:
- Open the ASDM interface for your device and operating system. We’ll use Windows Cisco ASDM for ASA.
- Switch to the Configuration tab in the top left corner.
- Go to Device Management, then Certificate Management.
- Select CA Certificates.
- Click the Show Details button on the right-hand side.
- In the General tab, check the dates listed under Valid From and Valid To.
4. Install a new SSL or TLS certificate
If your certificate expired, then you know regenerating them is the way to fix the “VPN certificate validation failure” error. Here’s what to do:
- Follow steps 1 through 4 above.
- Highlight expired certificates and click on the Delete button to remove them.
- Download renewed certificates.
Tip. We’ll demonstrate this using “DigiCert CA” chain certificates: High Assurance EV Root CA and SHA2 High Assurance Server CA, available at www.digicert.com/digicert-root-certificates.htm. - After downloading, go back to the CA Certificates window and click on the Add button.
- On the Install Certificate window, click on the Install from a file button.
- Click on Browse…, select a digital certificate file, then click on Install.
- Finally, click on Install Certificate, then Send at the Preview CLI Commands prompt.
- Repeat steps 4-8 for the other certificate file.
I want to use the PEM client certificate. What should I do?
So, you’re using AnyConnect VPN on Linux or Mac. If you haven’t installed certificates yet, download the client certificate and its private key and place them here:
Clarification. The certificate must end with .pem while the private key must end with .key. Also, they must have identical file names.
5. Configure cryptography
Although there are ways to do this within the GUI, it’s much quicker and easier to simply run CLI (command-line interface) commands. Here’s what you can try:
1. Allowing SSL client certificates to be used on the outside
This is a step Cisco itself recommends as a permanent fix for the “VPN certificate validation failure” error. It simply makes client-side certificates available externally. Here’s how to proceed:
- Launch Cisco Client CLI like this:
- Windows. Go to “C:/Program Files/Cisco/Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client” then open a file named vpncli.exe.
- Mac or Linux. Visit the “/opt/cisco/anyconnect/bin/” location and open the file named vpn.
2. Fixing TLS version mismatch and changing cryptography method
There’s a chance that your VPN client isn’t up to date, or that there’s some sort of conflict which makes it use TLS 1.0 or TLS 1.1. This creates a problem when your cryptography tries to negotiate TLS 1.2. To fix this, open the CLI and proceed in one of 3 ways:
- Change cipher version by entering:
ssl cipher tlsv1.2 - Adjust TLS 1.2 cipher to use stronger cipher suites by entering this code:
ssl cipher tlsv1.2 custom “AES256-SHA:AES128-SHA:DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA:DHE-RSA-AES128-SHA:DES-CBC3-SHA:DES-CBC-SHA:RC4-SHA:RC4-MD5” - Configure the DTLS version and its cipher suites. Type the following command:
ssl cipher dtlsv1 custom “AES256-SHA:AES128-SHA:DES-CBC3-SHA”
6. Enable or disable Windows OCSP Service Nonce
Without getting into specifics, you should know that Microsoft Windows uses RFC 5019 while Cisco AnyConnect VPN’s ASA is only compliant with RFC 2560. As such, on Windows, it won’t accept requests signed by ASA certificates and thus print “VPN certificate validation failure” error. You can fix this in one of 2 ways:
1. Enable OCSP Nonce on Windows Server
Are you (or your company) using an Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP) responder on your Windows Server? If so, do this:
- Open your Windows Server OCSP responder client.
- Go to Administrative Tools then Online Responder Management.
- Click on the Revocation Configuration option in the left sidebar.
- Right-click on your certificate and select Edit Properties.
- In the Signing tab, put a checkmark in front of Enable NONCE extension support.
2. Disable Nonce via ASA TrustPoint
Although Cisco recommends the method above, you can also try to disable OCSP via the CLI. After launching the appropriate interface, use these commands:
- ASA(config)# crypto ca trustpoint WIN-2K12-01_Root_CA
- ASA(config-ca-trustpoint)# ocsp disable-nonce
Tip. Replace WIN-2K12-01_Root_CA with the actual TrustPoint name of your certificate (you can see it using method 4).
Milan
VPN is one of my passions. I love being secure and helping others avoid any potential threats online. I also contribute to several VPN guide websites online.
Ошибка проверки сертификата при использовании cisco anyconnect с сертификатами pfx
Я установил безопасный мобильный клиент cisco anyconnect 4.2.01022 (+ все необходимые пакеты).
Затем добавлены .pfx сертификаты в gnone2-key хранилище.
Затем я запустил безопасный мобильный клиент cisco anyconnect, набирающий, где подключаться, — но cisco постоянно говорит мне, что Certificate validation failure
ссылка была создана, но не помогла. Как подключиться?
Таким образом, я извлек некоторые сертификаты в разных форматах:
Получил 4 файла:
Разместил все 4 из них в 3 разных местах:
Доверенный ЦС и корневые сертификаты
UPD2: попытался настроить cisco anyconnect, совместимый с openconnect (который интегрирован в сетевой центр linux): он просит установить:
Но если пытается подключиться:
Я принимаю — и та же ошибка Ошибка проверки сертификата, полный журнал:
PS: В Windows те же самые шаги сработали, добавили сертификат двойным щелчком, затем запустили клиент cisco, набрали сервер, затем он попросил пароль для сервера, который я запрашиваю — и затем я был подключен.
AnyConnect VPN Client Troubleshooting Guide — Common Problems
The documentation set for this product strives to use bias-free language. For the purposes of this documentation set, bias-free is defined as language that does not imply discrimination based on age, disability, gender, racial identity, ethnic identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and intersectionality. Exceptions may be present in the documentation due to language that is hardcoded in the user interfaces of the product software, language used based on RFP documentation, or language that is used by a referenced third-party product. Learn more about how Cisco is using Inclusive Language.
Contents
Introduction
This document describes a troubleshooting scenario which applies to applications that do not work through the Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client.
Prerequisites
Requirements
There are no specific requirements for this document.
Components Used
The information in this document is based on a Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) that runs Version 8.x.
The information in this document was created from the devices in a specific lab environment. All of the devices used in this document started with a cleared (default) configuration. If your network is live, make sure that you understand the potential impact of any command.
Troubleshooting Process
This typical troubleshooting scenario applies to applications that do not work through the Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client for end-users with Microsoft Windows-based computers. These sections address and provide solutions to the problems:
Installation and Virtual Adapter Issues
Complete these steps:
-
Obtain the device log file:
-
Windows XP / Windows 2000:
Note: Hidden folders must be made visible in order to see these files.
If you see errors in the setupapi log file, you can turn up verbosity to 0x2000FFFF.
If this is an initial web deploy install, this log is located in the per-user temp directory.
-
Windows XP / Windows 2000:
If this is an automatic upgrade, this log is in the temp directory of the system:
The filename is in this format: anyconnect-win-x.x.xxxx-k9-install-yyyyyyyyyyyyyy.log. Obtain the most recent file for the version of the client you want to install. The x.xxxx changes based on the version, such as 2.0.0343, and yyyyyyyyyyyyyy is the date and time of the install.
-
From a Command Prompt/DOS box, type this:
-
Windows XP / Windows 2000:
Note: After you type into this prompt, wait. It can take between two to five minutes for the file to complete.
Windows XP and Windows Vista:
Refer to AnyConnect: Corrupt Driver Database Issue in order to debug the driver issue.
Disconnection or Inability to Establish Initial Connection
If you experience connection problems with the AnyConnect client, such as disconnections or the inability to establish an initial connection, obtain these files:
-
The configuration file from the ASA in order to determine if anything in the configuration causes the connection failure:
From the console of the ASA, type write net x.x.x.x:ASA-Config.txt where x.x.x.x is the IP address of a TFTP server on the network.
From the console of the ASA, type show running-config . Let the configuration complete on the screen, then cut-and-paste to a text editor and save.
-
In order to enable logging on the ASA for auth, WebVPN, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), and SSL VPN Client (SVC) events, issue these CLI commands:
-
Choose Start > Run.
Note: Always save it as the .evt file format.
If the user cannot connect with the AnyConnect VPN Client, the issue might be related to an established Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) session or Fast User Switching enabled on the client PC. The user can see the AnyConnect profile settings mandate a single local user, but multiple local users are currently logged into your computer. A VPN connection will not be established error message error on the client PC. In order to resolve this issue, disconnect any established RDP sessions and disable Fast User Switching. This behavior is controlled by the Windows Logon Enforcement attribute in the client profile, however currently there is no setting that actually allows a user to establish a VPN connection while multiple users are logged on simultaneously on the same machine. Enhancement request CSCsx15061 was filed to address this feature.
Note: Make sure that port 443 is not blocked so the AnyConnect client can connect to the ASA.
When a user cannot connect the AnyConnect VPN Client to the ASA, the issue might be caused by an incompatibility between the AnyConnect client version and the ASA software image version. In this case, the user receives this error message: The installer was not able to start the Cisco VPN client, clientless access is not available .
In order to resolve this issue, upgrade the AnyConnect client version to be compatible with the ASA software image.
When you log in the first time to the AnyConnect, the login script does not run. If you disconnect and log in again, then the login script runs fine. This is the expected behavior.
When you connect the AnyConnect VPN Client to the ASA, you might receive this error: User not authorized for AnyConnect Client access, contact your administrator .
This error is seen when the AnyConnect image is missing from the ASA. Once the image is loaded to the ASA, AnyConnect can connect without any issues to the ASA.
This error can be resolved by disabling Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS). Go to Configuration > Remote Access VPN > Network (Client) Access > AnyConnect Connection Profiles and uncheck the Enable DTLS check box. This disables DTLS.
The dartbundle files show this error message when the user gets disconnected: TUNNELPROTOCOLDPDMGR_ERROR_NO_DPD_RESPONSE:The secure gateway failed to respond to Dead Peer Detection packets . This error means that the DTLS channel was torn due to Dead Peer Detection (DPD) failure. This error is resolved if you tweak the DPD keepalives and issue these commands:
The svc keepalive and svc dpd-interval commands are replaced by the anyconnect keepalive and anyconnect dpd-interval commands respectively in ASA Version 8.4(1) and later as shown here:
Problems with Passing Traffic
When problems are detected with passing traffic to the private network with an AnyConnect session through the ASA, complete these data-gathering steps:
-
Obtain the output of the show vpn-sessiondb detail svc filter name <username> ASA command from the console. If the output shows Filter Name: XXXXX , then gather the output for show access-list XXXXX. Verify that the access-list XXXXX does not block the intended traffic flow.
For example, if the VPN Client needs to access a resource which is not in the routing table of the VPN Gateway, the packet is routed through the standard default gateway. The VPN gateway does not need the complete internal routing table in order to resolve this. The tunneled keyword can be used in this instance.
AnyConnect Crash Issues
Complete these data-gathering steps:
-
Ensure that the Microsoft Utility Dr Watson is enabled. In order to do this, choose Start > Run, and run Drwtsn32.exe. Configure this and click OK:
When the crash occurs, gather the .log and .dmp files from C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Dr Watson. If these files appear to be in use, then use ntbackup.exe.
-
Choose Start > Run.
Note: Always save it as the .evt file format.
Fragmentation / Passing Traffic Issues
Some applications, such as Microsoft Outlook, do not work. However, the tunnel is able to pass other traffic such as small pings.
This can provide clues as to a fragmentation issue in the network. Consumer routers are particularly poor at packet fragmentation and reassembly.
Try a scaling set of pings in order to determine if it fails at a certain size. For example, ping -l 500, ping -l 1000, ping -l 1500, ping -l 2000.
It is recommended that you configure a special group for users that experience fragmentation, and set the SVC Maximum Transition Unit (MTU) for this group to 1200. This allows you to remediate users who experience this issue, but not impact the broader user base.
Problem
TCP connections hang once connected with AnyConnect.
Solution
In order to verify if your user has a fragmentation issue, adjust the MTU for AnyConnect clients on the ASA.
Uninstall Automatically
Problem
The AnyConnect VPN Client uninstalls itself once the connection terminates. The client logs show that keep installed is set to disabled.
Solution
AnyConnect uninstalls itself despite that the keep installed option is selected on the Adaptive Security Device Manager (ASDM). In order to resolve this issue, configure the svc keep-installer installed command under group-policy.
Issue Populating the Cluster FQDN
Problem: AnyConnect client is pre-populated with the hostname instead of the cluster Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN).
When you have a load-balancing cluster set up for SSL VPN and the client attempts to connect to the cluster, the request is redirected to the node ASA and the client logs in successfully. After some time, when the client tries to connect to the cluster again, the cluster FQDN is not seen in the Connect to entries. Instead, the node ASA entry to which the client has been redirected is seen.
Solution
This occurs because the AnyConnect client retains the host name to which it last connected. This behavior is observed and a bug has been filed. For complete details about the bug, refer to Cisco bug ID CSCsz39019. The suggested workaround is to upgrade the Cisco AnyConnect to Version 2.5.
Backup Server List Configuration
A backup server list is configured in case the main server selected by the user is not reachable. This is defined in the Backup Server pane in the AnyConnect profile. Complete these steps:
-
Download the AnyConnect Profile Editor (registered customers only) . The file name is AnyConnectProfileEditor2_4_1.jar.
-
Go to the server list tab.
-
In ASDM, choose Configuration > Remote Access VPN > Network (Client) Access > AnyConnect Connection Profiles.
AnyConnect: Corrupt Driver Database Issue
This entry in the SetupAPI.log file suggests that the catalog system is corrupt:
W239 driver signing class list «C:\WINDOWS\INF\certclas.inf» was missing or invalid. Error 0xfffffde5: Unknown Error. , assuming all device classes are subject to driver signing policy.
You can also receive this error message: Error(3/17): Unable to start VA, setup shared queue, or VA gave up shared queue .
You can receive this log on the client: «The VPN client driver has encountered an error» .
Repair
This issue is due to Cisco bug ID CSCsm54689. In order to resolve this issue, make sure that Routing and Remote Access Service is disabled before you start AnyConnect. If this does not resolve the issue, complete these steps:
-
Open a command prompt as an Administrator on the PC (elevated prompt on Vista).
Failed Repair
If the repair fails, complete these steps:
-
Open a command prompt as an Administrator on the PC (elevated prompt on Vista).
Analyze the Database
You can analyze the database at any time in order to determine if it is valid.
-
Open a command prompt as an Admimistrator on the PC.
Error Messages
Error: Unable to Update the Session Management Database
While the SSL VPN is connected through a web browser, the Unable to Update the Session Management Database. error message appears, and the ASA logs show %ASA-3-211001: Memory allocation Error. The adaptive security appliance failed to allocate RAM system memory .
Solution 1
This issue is due to Cisco bug ID CSCsm51093. In order to resolve this issue, reload the ASA or upgrade the ASA software to the interim release mentioned in the bug. Refer to Cisco bug ID CSCsm51093 for more information.
Solution 2
This issue can also be resolved if you disable threat-detection on ASA if threat-detection is used.
Error: «Module c:\Program Files\Cisco\Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client\vpnapi.dll failed to register»
When you use the AnyConnect client on laptops or PCs, an error occurs during the install:
When this error is encountered, the installer cannot move forward and the client is removed.
Solution
These are the possible workarounds to resolve this error:
-
The latest AnyConnect client is no longer officially supported with Microsoft Windows 2000. It is a registry problem with the 2000 computer.
- vpnapi.dll
- vpncommon.dll
- vpncommoncrypt.dll
The log message related to this error on the AnyConnect client looks similar to this:
Error: «An error was received from the secure gateway in response to the VPN negotiation request. Please contact your network administrator»
When clients try to connect to the VPN with the Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client, this error is received.
This message was received from the secure gateway:
«Illegal address class» or «Host or network is 0» or «Other error»
Solution
The issue occurs because of the ASA local IP pool depletion. As the VPN pool resource is exhausted, the IP pool range must be enlarged.
Cisco bug ID is CSCsl82188 is filed for this issue. This error usually occurs when the local pool for address assignment is exhausted, or if a 32-bit subnet mask is used for the address pool. The workaround is to expand the address pool and use a 24-bit subnet mask for the pool.
Error: Session could not be established. Session limit of 2 reached.
When you try to connect more than two clients with the AnyConnect VPN Client, you receive the Login Failed error message on the Client and a warning message in the ASA logs that states Session could not be established. Session limit of 2 reached . I have the AnyConnect essential license on the ASA, which runs Version 8.0.4.
Solution 1
This error occurs because the AnyConnect essential license is not supported by ASA version 8.0.4. You need to upgrade the ASA to version 8.2.2. This resolves the error.
Note: Regardless of the license used, if the session limit is reached, the user will receive the login failed error message.
Solution 2
This error can also occur if the vpn-sessiondb max-anyconnect-premium-or-essentials-limit session-limit command is used to set the limit of VPN sessions permitted to be established. If the session-limit is set as two, then the user cannot establish more than two sessions even though the license installed supports more sessions. Set the session-limit to the number of VPN sessions required in order to avoid this error message.
Error: Anyconnect not enabled on VPN server while trying to connect anyconnect to ASA
You receive the Anyconnect not enabled on VPN server error message when you try to connect AnyConnect to the ASA.
Solution
This error is resolved if you enable AnyConnect on the outside interface of the ASA with ASDM. For more information on how to enable AnyConnect on the outside interface, refer to Configure Clientless SSL VPN (WebVPN) on the ASA.
Error:- %ASA-6-722036: Group client-group User xxxx IP x.x.x.x Transmitting large packet 1220 (threshold 1206)
The %ASA-6-722036: Group < client-group > User < xxxx > IP < x.x.x.x> Transmitting large packet 1220 (threshold 1206) error message appears in the logs of the ASA. What does this log mean and how is this resolved?
Solution
This log message states that a large packet was sent to the client. The source of the packet is not aware of the MTU of the client. This can also be due to compression of non-compressible data. The workaround is to turn off the SVC compression with the svc compression none command. This resolves the issue.
Error: The secure gateway has rejected the agent’s vpn connect or reconnect request.
When you connect to the AnyConnect Client, this error is received: «The secure gateway has rejected the agent’s vpn connect or reconnect request. A new connection requires re-authentication and must be started manually. Please contact your network administrator if this problem persists. The following message was received from the secure gateway: no assigned address» .
This error is also received when you connect to the AnyConnect Client: «The secure gateway has rejected the connection attempt. A new connection attempt to the same or another secure gateway is needed, which requires re-authentication. The following message was received from the secure gateway:Host or network is 0» .
This error is also received when you connect to the AnyConnect Client: «The secure gateway has rejected the agent’s vpn connect or reconnect request. A new connection requires a re-authentication and must be started manually. Please contact the network administrator if the problem persists. The following message was received from the secure gateway: No License» .
Solution
The router was missing pool configuration after reload. You need to add the concerned configuration back to the router.
The «The secure gateway has rejected the agent’s vpn connect or reconnect request. A new connection requires a re-authentication and must be started manually. Please contact the network administrator if the problem persists. The following message was received from the secure gateway: No License» error occurs when the AnyConnect mobility license is missing. Once the license is installed, the issue is resolved.
Error: «Unable to update the session management database»
When you try to authenticate in WebPortal, this error message is received: «Unable to update the session management database» .
Solution
This problem is related to memory allocation on the ASA. This issue is mostly encountered when the ASA Version is 8.2.1. Originally, this requires a 512MB RAM for its complete functionality.
As a permanent workaround, upgrade the memory to 512MB.
As a temporary workaround, try to free the memory with these steps:
-
Disable the threat-detection.
Error: «The VPN client driver has encountered an error»
This is an error message obtained on the client machine when you try to connect to AnyConnect.
Solution
In order to resolve this error, complete this procedure in order to manually set the AnyConnect VPN agent to Interactive:
-
Right-click My Computer > Manage > Services and Applications > Services > and select the Cisco AnyConnect VPN Agent.
This sets the registry Type value DWORD to 110 (default is 010) for the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\vpnagent.
Note: If this is to be used, then the preference would be to use the .MST transform in this instance. This is because if you set this manually with these methods, it requires that this be set after every install/upgrade process. This is why there is a need to identify the application that causes this problem.
Error: «Unable to process response from xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx»
AnyConnect clients fail to connect to a Cisco ASA. The error in the AnyConnect window is «Unable to process response from xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx» .
Solution
In order to resolve this error, try these workarounds:
-
Remove WebVPN from the ASA and reenable it.<
For more information on how to enable WebVPN and change the port for WebVPN, refer to this Solution.
Error: «Login Denied , unauthorized connection mechanism , contact your administrator»
AnyConnect clients fail to connect to a Cisco ASA. The error in the AnyConnect window is «Login Denied , unauthorized connection mechanism , contact your administrator» .
Solution
This error message occurs mostly because of configuration issues that are improper or an incomplete configuration. Check the configuration and make sure it is as required to resolve the issue.
Error: «Anyconnect package unavailable or corrupted. Contact your system administrator»
This error occurs when you try to launch the AnyConnect software from a Macintosh client in order to connect to an ASA.
Solution
In order to resolve this, complete these steps:
-
Upload the Macintosh AnyConnect package to the flash of the ASA.
The svc image command is replaced by the anyconnect image command in ASA Version 8.4(1) and later as shown here:
Error: «The AnyConnect package on the secure gateway could not be located»
This error is caused on the user’s Linux machine when it tries to connect to the ASA by launching AnyConnect. Here is the complete error:
Solution
In order to resolve this error message, verify whether the Operating System (OS) that is used on the client machine is supported by the AnyConnect client.
If the OS is supported, then verify if the AnyConnect package is specified in the WebVPN configuration or not. See the Anyconnect package unavailable or corrupted section of this document for more information.
Error: «Secure VPN via remote desktop is not supported»
Users are unable to perform a remote desktop access. The Secure VPN via remote desktop is not supported error message appears.
Solution
This issue is due to these Cisco bug IDs: CSCsu22088 and CSCso42825. If you upgrade the AnyConnect VPN Client, it can resolve the issue. Refer to these bugs for more information.
Error: «The server certificate received or its chain does not comply with FIPS. A VPN connection will not be established»
When you attempt to VPN to the ASA 5505, the The server certificate received or its chain does not comply with FIPS. A VPN connection will not be established error message appears.
Solution
In order to resolve this error, you must disable the Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) in the AnyConnect Local Policy file. This file can usually be found at C:\ProgramData\Cisco\Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client\AnyConnectLocalPolicy.xml . If this file is not found in this path, then locate the file at a different directory with a path such as C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Cisco AnyConnectVPNClient\AnyConnectLocalPolicy.xml . Once you locate the xml file, make changes to this file as shown here:
Change the phrase:
<FipsMode>true</FipsMode>
<FipsMode>false</FipsMode>
Then, restart the computer. Users must have administrative permissions in order to modify this file.
Error: «Certificate Validation Failure»
Users are unable to launch AnyConnect and receive the Certificate Validation Failure error.
Solution
Certificate authentication works differently with AnyConnect compared to the IPSec client. In order for certificate authentication to work, you must import the client certificate to your browser and change the connection profile in order to use certificate authentication. You also need to enable this command on your ASA in order to allow SSL client-certificates to be used on the outside interface:
ssl certificate-authentication interface outside port 443
Error: «VPN Agent Service has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience»
When AnyConnect Version 2.4.0202 is installed on a Windows XP PC, it stops at updating localization files and an error message shows that the vpnagent.exe fails.
Solution
This behavior is logged in Cisco bug ID CSCsq49102. The suggested workaround is to disable the Citrix client.
Error: «This installation package could not be opened. Verify that the package exists»
When AnyConnect is downloaded, this error message is received:
«Contact your system administrator. The installer failed with the following error: This installation package could not be opened. Verify that the package exists and that you can access it, or contact the application vendor to verify that this is a valid Windows Installer package.»
Solution
Complete these steps in order to fix this issue:
-
Remove any anti-virus software.
Error: «Error applying transforms. Verify that the specified transform paths are valid.»
This error message is recieved during the auto-download of AnyConnect from the ASA:
This is the error message received when connecting with AnyConnect for MacOS:
Solution
Complete one of these workarounds in order to resolve this issue:
-
The root cause of this error might be due to a corrupted MST translation file (for example, imported). Perform these steps to fix this:
-
Remove the MST translation table.
If neither of these workarounds resolve the issue, contact Cisco Technical Support.
Error: «The VPN client driver has encountered an error»
This error is received:
Solution
This issue can be resolved when you uninstall the AnyConnect Client, and then remove the anti-virus software. After this, reinstall the AnyConnect Client. If this resolution does not work, then reformat the PC in order to fix this issue.
Error: «A VPN reconnect resulted in different configuration setting. The VPN network setting is being re-initialized. Applications utilizing the private network may need to be restored.»
This error is received when you try to launch AnyConnect:
Solution
In order to resolve this error, use this:
The svc mtu command is replaced by the anyconnect mtu command in ASA Version 8.4(1) and later as shown here:
AnyConnect Error While Logging In
Problem
The AnyConnect receives this error when it connects to the Client:
Solution
The issue can be resolved if you make these changes to the AnyConnect profile:
Add this line to the AnyConnect profile:
IE Proxy Setting is Not Restored after AnyConnect Disconnect on Windows 7
Problem
In Windows 7, if the IE proxy setting is configured for Automatically detect settings and AnyConnect pushes down a new proxy setting, the IE proxy setting is not restored back to Automatically detect settings after the user ends the AnyConnect session. This causes LAN issues for users who need their proxy setting configured for Automatically detect settings.
Solution
This behavior is logged in Cisco bug ID CSCtj51376. The suggested workaround is to upgrade to AnyConnect 3.0.
Error: AnyConnect Essentials can not be enabled until all these sessions are closed.
This error message is received on Cisco ASDM when you attempt to enable the AnyConnect Essentials license:
Solution
This is the normal behavior of the ASA. AnyConnect Essentials is a separately licensed SSL VPN client. It is entirely configured on the ASA and provides the full AnyConnect capability, with these exceptions:
-
No Cisco Secure Desktop (CSD) (including HostScan/Vault/Cache Cleaner)
This license cannot be used at the same time as the shared SSL VPN premium license. When you need to use one license, you need to disable the other.
Error: Connection tab on Internet option of Internet Explorer hides after getting connected to the AnyConnect client.
The connection tab on the Internet option of Internet Explorer hides after you are connected to the AnyConnect client.
Solution
This is due to the msie-proxy lockdown feature. If you enable this feature, it hides the Connections tab in Microsoft Internet Explorer for the duration of an AnyConnect VPN session. If you disable the feature, it leaves the display of the Connections tab unchanged.
Error: Few users getting Login Failed Error message when others are able to connect successfully through AnyConnect VPN
A few users receive the Login Failed Error message when others can connect successfully through the AnyConnect VPN.
Solution
This issue can be resolved if you make sure the do not require pre-authentication checkbox is checked for the users.
Error: The certificate you are viewing does not match with the name of the site you are trying to view.
During the AnyConnect profile update, an error is shown that says the certificate is invalid. This occurs with Windows only and at the profile update phase. The error message is shown here:
Solution
This can be resolved if you modify the server list of the AnyConnect profile in order to use the FQDN of the certificate.
This is a sample of the XML profile:
Note: If there is an existing entry for the Public IP address of the server such as <HostAddress> , then remove it and retain only the FQDN of the server (for example, <HostName> but not <Host Address> ).
Cannot Launch AnyConnect From the CSD Vault From a Windows 7 Machine
When the AnyConnect is launched from the CSD vault, it does not work. This is attempted on Windows 7 machines.
Solution
Currently, this is not possible because it is not supported.
AnyConnect Profile Does Not Get Replicated to the Standby After Failover
The AnyConnect 3.0 VPN client with ASA Version 8.4.1 software works fine. However, after failover, there is no replication for the AnyConnect profile related configuration.
Solution
This problem has been observed and logged under Cisco bug ID CSCtn71662. The temporary workaround is to manually copy the files to the standby unit.
AnyConnect Client Crashes if Internet Explorer Goes Offline
When this occurs, the AnyConnect event log contains entries similar to these:
Solution
This behavior is observed and logged under Cisco bug ID CSCtx28970. In order to resolve this, quit the AnyConnect application and relaunch. The connection entries reappear after relaunch.
Error Message: TLSPROTOCOL_ERROR_INSUFFICIENT_BUFFER
The AnyConnect client fails to connect and the Unable to establish a connection error message is received. In the AnyConnect event log, the TLSPROTOCOL_ERROR_INSUFFICIENT_BUFFER error is found.
Solution
This occurs when the headend is configured for split-tunneling with a very large split-tunnel list (approximately 180-200 entries) and one or more other client attributes are configured in the group-policy, such as dns-server.
In order to resolve this issue, complete these steps:
-
Reduce the number of entries in the split-tunnel list.
For more information, refer to Cisco bug ID CSCtc41770.
Error Message: «Connection attempt has failed due to invalid host entry»
The Connection attempt has failed due to invalid host entry error message is received while AnyConnect is authenticated with the use of a certificate.
Solution
In order to resolve this issue, try either of these possible solutions:
- Upgrade the AnyConnect to Version 3.0.
- Disable Cisco Secure Desktop on your computer.
For more information, refer to Cisco bug ID CSCti73316.
Error: «Ensure your server certificates can pass strict mode if you configure always-on VPN»
When you enable the Always-On feature on AnyConnect, the Ensure your server certificates can pass strict mode if you configure always-on VPN error message is received.
Solution
This error message implies that if you want to use the Always-On feature, you need a valid sever certificate configured on the headend. Without a valid server certificate, this feature does not work. Strict Cert Mode is an option that you set in the AnyConnect local policy file in order to ensure the connections use a valid certificate. If you enable this option in the policy file and connect with a bogus certificate, the connection fails.
Error: «An internal error occurred in the Microsoft Windows HTTP Services»
This Diagnostic AnyConnect Reporting Tool (DART) shows one failed attempt:
Also, refer to the event viewer logs on the Windows machine.
Solution
This could be caused due to a corrupted Winsock connection. Reset the connection from the command promt with this command and restart your windows machine:
netsh winsock reset
Error: «The SSL transport received a Secure Channel Failure. May be a result of a unsupported crypto configuration on the Secure Gateway.»
This Diagnostic AnyConnect Reporting Tool (DART) shows one failed attempt:
Solution
Windows 8.1 does not support RC4 according to the following KB update:
Either configure DES/3DES ciphers for SSL VPN on the ASA using the command «ssl encryption 3des-sha1 aes128-sha1 aes256-sha1 des-sha1» OR edit the Windows Registry file on the client machine as mentioned below:
Certificate validation failure cisco anyconnect как исправить

If you are facing “Cisco AnyConnect Certificate Validation Failure” problem while trying to connect on the AnyConnect Client, then you are in right place. Here, we are discussing on “ How to fix AnyConnect Certificate error ” in details and providing some recommended methods to fix this error. Let’s starts the discussion.
Table of Contents
What is Cisco AnyConnect?
“Cisco AnyConnect” is proprietary application that lets users connect to VPN service. Many universities use this application as part of service they pay for from Cisco that’s why public institutions unnecessarily rely on this closed-source software for their own students. This doesn’t just amount to handling control to a private corporation, thereby privatizing public money. This software also provide extra security layer to reduce potentially unwanted attacks and privacy vulnerability.
Cisco AnyConnect is unified endpoint agent that delivers multiple security services to protect the enterprise. Its wide range of security services includes functions such as remote access, posture enforcement, web security features, and roaming protection. It gives all the security features for IT department to provide a robust, user-friendly, and highly secure mobile experience as well.
Cisco AnyConnect security mobility client is modular endpoint software product that not only provides VPN access via SSL (Secure Socket Layer) and IPsec IKEv2 but also offers improved security via various built-in modules including compliance through VPN and ASA or through wired /wireless, and VPN with Cisco identity Services Engine (ISE), Off-network roaming protection with Cisco Umbrella.
Since, Cisco has been a long-term target of NSA spying program. It also doesn’t work well on Linux. There is nothing wrong with supporting free and open source solutions like OpenVPN which are used by numerous users worldwide. Linux, iOS, Windows, MacOS and Android OS are some of the popular tools that integrate with Cisco Anyconnect.
Cisco AnyConnect Review: Features
- Mobile Device Support: AnyConnect services can be delayed on most popular devices used by today’s diverse workforce. Administrators need to support end-user productivity by providing personal mobile devices with remote access to the computer network.
- Off-Network Protection (DNS Layer Security): Cisco AnyConnect protects devices when they are off the corporate network. The Umbrella roaming enforces security at DNS layer to protect against malware, phishing and Command -and-Control callbacks over any protocol whether you turn Off the VPN or forgot to turn it on.
- Web security: Cisco AnyConnect has in-built web security feature based on cloud web security. Combining web security with VPN access, administrators can provide comprehensive, high security mobility to all end users.
- Network Visibility: Cisco AnyConnect network visibility module on MacOS, Windows OS, Linux and Samsung Knox-enabled devices gives administrators the ability to monitor endpoint application usage to uncover potential behavior anomalies and to make more informed network designed decisions.
What is “Cisco AnyConnect Certificate Validation Failure” Error on Windows?
“AnyConnect Certificate error” is common error reported by numerous users on Cisco official forum site or other popular platforms and asked for the solution. Users explained on Cisco Community website that the error appears when they run their own CA that gives out the client certificates for our users as well as the identity certificate for ASA, and in order to click on “Connect” on AnyConnect Client, their client receives “No Valid Certificates available for authentication” message.
Furthermore, he also created a DART bundle and in there I can see that the certificate is selected from the “Microsoft Store”, but after that he receive several errors regarding SCHANNEL. Then, he tried another certificate authentication and finds no certificates followed by “Cisco AnyConnect Certificate Validation Failure” Error.
Certificate Validation Failure Error States:
When we talk about “Anyconect Certificate validation Failure error”, it explained that it can’t verify the VPN server which is to be expected since it uses the self-signed certificate, but if they connect anyway, then they receive the certification selection and the login works fine. It means username & password for login is taken from the certificate.
[Tips & Tricks] How to fix Cisco AnyConnect Certificate Validation Failure Problem?
Procedure 1: Repair the Installation

Step 1: Click on “Start” button and type “Control Panel” in Windows search and open “Control Panel”
Step 2: In the opened “Control Panel”, choose “Uninstall a program” and find “Cisco AnyConnect VPN” client and choose “Repair”
Step 3: Follow On-Screen instructions to finish the repairing process. Once done, restart your computer and please check if the problem is resolved.
Procedure 2: Allow VPN to freely communicate through Firewall

Step 1: Click on “Start” button and type “Allow an App” in Windows Search and open “Allow an App through Windows Firewall”
Step 2: Now, click on “Change Settings”
Step 3: Make sure that “Cisco VPN” is on the list and it’s allowed to communicate through Windows Firewall. If not, click “Allow another App” and add it
Step 4: Check both “Private” and “Publicrong” > Network boxes
Step 5: Confirm changes and open Cisco VPN
Procedure 3: Check Virtual Adapter driver in Device Manger and update it
Step 1: Press “Windows + X” key from keyboard and select “Device Manager”
Step 2: In the opened “Device Manager” window, locate and expand “Network Adapters”
Step 3: Right-click on Virtual Adapter and select “Update driver software”
Step 4: Follow On-Screen instructions to finish the updating process.
Step 5: Once done, restart your computer and please check if the problem is resolved.
Procedure 4: Tweak Registry and Repair Cisco VPN

Step 1: Press “Windows + R” keys together from keyboard and type “regedit” in “Run Dialog Box” and then hit “Ok” button
Step 2: In the opened “Registry Editor” window, navigate to “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/Current/Control/SetServices/CVirtA”
Step 3: Right-click on the “DisplayName” registry entry and choose “Modify”
Step 4: Under “Value Data” section, make sure that the only body of text which stands is Cisco System VPN Adapter
Step 5: Save the changes and try running Cisco AnyConnect VPN again.
Procedure 5: Update the AnyConnect

Step 1: Go to “ASDM > Configuration > Remote Access VPN > Network (Client) Access > AnyConnect Client Software”
Step 2: You can either replace the existing the image or add a new one.
Step 3: After that, connect to the ASA. The client will be updated automatically.
Procedure 6: Create Trustpoints for each certificate being installed
Step 1: Open the “Cisco ASDM”
Step 2: Under “Remote Access VPN” window pane, click on “Configuration” tab and expand “Certificate Management” and click on “CA Certificates”

Step 3: Click on “Add” button
Step 4: Assign a “TrustPoint Name” to the certificate like “DigiCertCA2” and select “Install from the file” Radio button and browse to “DigiCertCA2.crt”, then click on “Install Certificate”. Repeat this process of adding new trustpoint and installing certificate file for “DigiCertCA.crt”

Step 5: Under “Remote Access VPN”, expand “Certificate Management” to “Identify Certificates”. Select the identity you created for the CSR with “Expiry Data” and click on “Install > Install Certificate”

Step 6: The Certificate now needs to be enabled. To do so, click on “Advanced > SSL Settings > Edit > Primary Enrolled Certificate” and select your certificate and then click on “Ok”
Step 7: ASDM will then show your Certificate details under trustpoint
Procedure 7: Perform Clean Reinstallation

Step 1: Navigate to “Control Panel” and choose “Uninstall a program”
Step 2: Uninstall “Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client”
Step 3: Navigate to System partition and delete everything Cisco-related from programs folder
Step 4: Once uninstalled completely, restart your computer
Step 5: After that, download latest version of “Cisco AnyConnect” from “Cisco official website”
Step 6: Double-click on installer file and follow on-screen instructions to finish the installation.
Step 7: Once installed, restart your computer again and please check if the AnyConnect Certificate error is resolved.
Conclusion
Cisco AnyConnect is VPN service that offers Standard VPN encryption and protection. When we talk about AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client, it is modular endpoint software product. It not only provides Virtual Private Network (VPN) access through Secure Sockets layer (SSL) and Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) Internet Key Exchange version2 (IKEv2), but also offers enhanced security through various built-in modules.
I am sure this article helped you to “Fix Cisco AnyConnect Certificate Validation Failure Windows 10” with several easy methods/procedures. You can choose/follow either one or all procedures to fix this issue.
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