How to Fix MOZILLA_PKIX_ERROR_OCSP_RESPONSE_FOR_CERT_MISSING Error?

What is MOZILLA PKIX ERROR OCSP RESPONSE FOR CERT MISSING Error?

This is an OCSP related error that Mozilla Firefox experiences when it tries to check the status of the SSL/TLS certificate used by a particular website and gets a blank or empty response.

This protocol is very important to verify that the current certificate under use has not been revoked by the issuing CA.

The ‘Server OCSP Response’ error that Firefox displays means that, when the browser tries to access a website that has this certificate, the OCSP response needed to confirm the status of the certificate is either absent or cannot be found.

This can be caused due to several factors like the OCSP responder server might be down, improper setting on the server side, there can be problems with the network or there can be problems with the certificates settings itself.

What Is OCSP?

Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP) is the RFC 2560, a protocol that is used for fetching the revocation status of an X.

It is a way to determine if extended SSL/TLS certificates are still valid or have been revoked by a CA. OCSP offers data about the current state of the certificate, and it is essential for ensuring the security of the connections between clients using the internet.

When a browser or application is connected through HTTPS to a server, it can also issue a request to an OCSP responder about the certificate standing. The OCSP responder is a server that is managed by the CA that requested the specified certificate.

This responder receives a request from the browser and in response returns a status of the certificate as being valid, revoked, or not known to the responder. This process assists in avoiding misleading or fake certificates, making the overall security of the chain to improve.

What Is OCSP Stapling in Mozilla Firefox?

OCSP stapling is a method used to enhance the speed and security of OCSP services in the SSL/TLS certificate revocation check.

As for Mozilla Firefox, the OCSP stapling means the addition of the OCSP response to the certificate during the TLS handshake at the web server side.

This means that instead of the OCSP response being provided by the CA to the server as in the previous case, it is supplied directly with the certificate to the client (browser) and thus the client does not have to make individual requests to the CA for the OCSP response.

This process increases the speed and efficiency of the processes while at the same time increasing the privacy of the users.

This way the client obtains the OCSP response directly from the server, thereby avoiding the extra load of making additional network calls to the CA. It also relieves privacy issues, since the browser does not have to inform the CA which sites the user is interested in.

OCSP stapling also assists enhancing reliability to the extent that the server can cache and update the OCSP response frequently in ways that assure the browser shall always receive a fresh and valid status without depending on the real-time CA’s OCSP responder.

How to Fix MOZILLA PKIX ERROR OCSP RESPONSE FOR CERT MISSING Error?

The MOZILLA_PKIX_ERROR_OCSP_RESPONSE_FOR_CERT_MISSING error in Firefox mainly suggests that the OCSP response required for the checking of the status of the certificates is missing.

Here are the steps to fix this error:

Restart or Reinstall Firefox

To be more specific, one can try restarting the browser as sometimes certain problems with it are just temporary.

Restart Firefox:

• Close all Firefox windows.
• Close the Firefox browser and then open it again then try to open the website again.

Reinstall Firefox:

• Now you need to remove the Firefox from the computer.
• Go to the firefox website and download the most current version of this utilization.
• Download firefox and try to visit the site with Firefox to see if the issue persists.

Clear the Cache

In clearing the browser cache, damaged data is eliminated as a source of problems or hindrances.

• In order to execute the steps, you need to open the Firefox browser and click at the three horizontal line buttons to the top right corner of the page.
• Go to Settings.
• On the left of the page there will be a set of options, look for the Privacy & Security one.
• In Cookies and Site Data, click on Clear Data.
• Go to Tools and click Internet Options then click the General Tab, under the final option click on the Check Cached Web Content and click Clear.

Disable Browser Extensions

Sometimes, addons can lead to different issues with the browser they are added to.

• Ensure Firefox is opened and locate the icon of three horizontal lines to open the (menu) at the top-right of the window.
• Select add-ons, and then themes.
• Select Extensions located in the ‘left sidebar’ part.
• Temporarily turn off all the extensions installed in the browser, and then try to search using one extension only and then another extension.

Disable OCSP Stapling

One recommended solution if the problem is connected with OCSP responses is a disabling of OCSP Stapling.

• Open Firefox and type about:config in the address bar. Press Enter.
• Click the Accept the Risk and Continue button.
• In the search bar, type security.ssl.enable_ocsp_stapling.
• Double-click the preference to set its value to false.

Additional Steps

If the above steps do not resolve the issue, consider the following:

• Update Firefox: It is recommended to use the most up to date version of firefox as updates often tend to have bug fixes and improvements.
• Check Date and Time: In circumstances, checking the date and time by themselves are important since improper settings could trigger certificate verification problems.
• Contact Website Administrator: If the problem is persistent one, the problem may lie in the setting up of the certificate of the website. Consult the webmaster of the website for more additional help.

Conclusion

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