Article ID: 186796 - Last Review: June 22, 2005 - Revision: 3.2

Troubleshooting "Invalid Password" Error Using SSL Certificates

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http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/prodtech/IIS.mspx (http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/prodtech/IIS.mspx)
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SUMMARY

This article describes how to troubleshoot the "Invalid Password" error message.

NOTE: This error is a generic message that can indicate many different problems; the least likely being that the password is in fact, incorrect. This document provides a systematic approach to addressing, if not resolving this issue.
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MORE INFORMATION

  1. Is the password being entered correctly?

    Password problems often result from having the CAPS LOCK key set on the keyboard. Although this is often checked, it is mentioned for the sake of thoroughness. Also double-check that you are not using an old password.
  2. Has the Signed Certificate been corrupted in some way?

    Because the Certificate is issued through e-mail, there are a few formatting errors that may result. The Certificate may go through several mail servers before it reaches the destination server and the mail is retrieved by an e-mail client that formats the document. cc:Mail is known to add spaces at the beginning and end of each line of the Certificate. Outlook sometimes moves the "----End Certificate----" line up to the last line of the Certificate. Manual removal of these formatting issues often resolves the "invalid password" error.

The following is a Signed Certificate as it may appear in the message you receive from Verisign: 
   -----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
   JIEBSDSCEXoCHQEwLQMJSoZILvoNVQECSQAwcSETMRkOAMUTBhMuVrM
   mIoAnBdNVBAoTF1JTQSBEYXRhIFNlY3VyaXR5LCBJbmMuMRwwGgYDVQ
   QLExNQZXJzb25hIENlcnRpZmljYXRlMSQwIgYDVQQDExtPcGVuIE1hc
   mtldCBUZXN0IFNlcnZlciAxMTAwHhcNOTUwNzE5MjAyNzMwWhcNOTYw
   NTE0MjAyOTEwWjBzMQswCQYDVQQGEwJVUzEgMB4GA1UEChMXUlNBIER
   hdGEgU2VjdXJpdHksIEluYy4xHDAaBgNVBAsTE1BlcnNvbmEgQ2VydG
   lmaWNhdGUxJDAiBgNVBAMTG09wZW4gTWFya2V0IFRlc3QgU2VydmVyI
   DExMDBcMA0GCSqGSIb3DQEBAQUAA0sAMEgCQQDU/7lrgR6vkVNX40BA
   q1poGdSmGkD1iN3sEPfSTGxNJXY58XH3JoZ4nrF7mIfvpghNi1taYim
   vhbBPNqYe4yLPAgMBAAEwDQYJKoZIhvcNAQECBQADQQBqyCpws9EaAj
   KKAefuNP+z+8NY8khckgyHN2LLpfhv+iP8m+bF66HNDUlFz8ZrVOu3W
   QapgLPV90kIskNKXX3a
   ------END CERTIFICATE-----

However, if there is corruption in the document, it may look like the following. Notice the spaces at the end of each line. 
   -----BEGIN CERTICATE-----

   JIEBSDSCEXoCHQEwLQMJSoZILvoNVQECSQAwcSETMRkOAMUTBhMuVrM
   mIoAnBdNVBAoTF1JTQSBEYXRhIFNlY3VyaXR5LCBJbmMuMRwwGgYDVQ
   QLExNQZXJzb25hIENlcnRpZmljYXRlMSQwIgYDVQQDExtPcGVuIE1hc
   mtldCBUZXN0IFNlcnZlciAxMTAwHhcNOTUwNzE5MjAyNzMwWhcNOTYw
   NTE0MjAyOTEwWjBzMQswCQYDVQQGEwJVUzEgMB4GA1UEChMXUlNBIER
   hdGEgU2VjdXJpdHksIEluYy4xHDAaBgNVBAsTE1BlcnNvbmEgQ2VydG
   lmaWNhdGUxJDAiBgNVBAMTG09wZW4gTWFya2V0IFRlc3QgU2VydmVyI
   DExMDBcMA0GCSqGSIb3DQEBAQUAA0sAMEgCQQDU/7lrgR6vkVNX40BA
   q1poGdSmGkD1iN3sEPfSTGxNJXY58XH3JoZ4nrF7mIfvpghNi1taYim
   vhbBPNqYe4yLPAgMBAAEwDQYJKoZIhvcNAQECBQADQQBqyCpws9EaAj
   KKAefuNP+z+8NY8khckgyHN2LLpfhv+iP8m+bF66HNDUlFz8ZrVOu3W
   QapgLPV90kIskNKXX3a ------END CERTIFICATE-----

It is important to reformat the document in order to ensure its installation. Always follow this procedure if you suspect the Certificate is corrupt:
  1. Remove any blank lines occurring between the Begin and End Certificate markers.
  2. Remove any leading or trailing spaces from the lines between the Begin and End markers. A good method for doing this is to use the END key on the keyboard to detect the end of each line. If the ending character is a space or group of spaces, remove them.
  3. Remove any unusual characters or formatting symbols; o or "/par" are good examples.
  4. Ensure that the Begin and End Certificate markers are on a line to themselves. The first sample certificate above shows this case. The markers should begin with a dash; make sure that no spaces appear as the initial character.

In some instances, it has been found that the 128-bit version of Service Pack 3 provides the most stability. Windows NT domestic version ships with 128-bit encryption standard; however, Windows NT Service Packs come in both 128-bit and 40-bit versions. The 40-bit version of each Service Pack is available from the Microsoft Web site at no charge. The 128-bit version of the Service Pack must be purchased from Microsoft or downloaded from www.microsoft.com.

NOTE: When you generate a certificate request, it is encoded in ASN.1 format. This bug causes Key Manager to create faulty ASN.1 encodings. Therefore, the certificate request created is invalid. This doesn't affect the signing of the certificate, so the Certificate Authority does not detect it.
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STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Internet Information Server versions 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0.
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APPLIES TO
  • Microsoft Internet Information Server 2.0
  • Microsoft Internet Information Server 3.0
  • Microsoft Internet Information Server 4.0
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Keywords: 
kbfaq kbhowto KB186796
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