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WHD 12.7 and later: Unable to connect to LDAP on a secure LDAPS port

When you connect to LDAP using a secure standard or non-standard port, Transport Layer Security (TLS) fails. This issue occurs on WHD servers running WHD 12.7 and later.

First published date

11/1/2019 9:24 PM

Last published date

2/26/2025 12:56 AM

Overview

After you install WHD 12.7 and later on a new or existing WHD server and then connect to an LDAP server on a standard or non-standard secure port, Transport Layer Security (TLS) fails. However, connections to the LDAP server on one or more non-secure ports work as expected.

The following error may display in the console: 
No subject alternative DNS name matching <your_AD/LDAP_server> found
or  
Error while attempting to authenticat to LDAP Connection. Cannot load from object array because "com.macdesign.util.TrustinSocketFactory._trustManagers" is null

To improve the robustness of secure LDAP over TLS (LDAPS) connections, endpoint identification algorithms in Java are enabled by default. In older Java versions, the validation was off by default. This is why you may not have experienced this issue before.

Product section

Web Help Desk

Cause

The LDAP certificate does not include an item in Alternative Names that matches the hostname used to connect to LDAP server.

Resolution

Reset the Host/Domain Controller target setting in the Web Help Desk Administrator Console or secure the WHD server with a certificate matching your host/domain controller.


Reset the Host/Domain Controller target

  1. Log in to the Web Help Desk Administrator Console as an administrator.
  2. Click Setup > Clients > AD/LDAP Connections.
  3. In the LDAP Connections window, click a connection.
  4. Click the Connection Basics tab.
  5. In the Host/Domain Controller field, select the LDAP server's Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) attribute.
  6. Click Test Settings to verify the connection.
  7. Click Done.
  8. Log out and then log back in to WHD.
  9. Verify that the LDAP connection is good and an error message does not display in the console. 

Secure the WHD server with a certificate matching your host/domain controller

  1. Log in to the Web Help Desk Administrator Console as an administrator.
  2. Click Setup > Clients > AD/LDAP Connections.
  3. In the LDAP Connections window, click a connection.
  4. Click the Connection Basics tab.
  5. Locate the Host/Domain Controller field.
  6. Contact your AD/LDAP administrator. 
  7. Ask your administrator to secure the server with the certificate matching the host name used in the Host/Domain Controller field. 
  8. Import a copy of the certificate into the embedded Java cacert store.
  9. Log out and then log back in to WHD as an administrator. 
  10. Verify that the LDAP connection is good and an error message does not display in the console. 
 

If the problem started only after upgrading to version 12.7.5

  1. Log in to your Customer Portal account page.
  2. Download and apply the WHD 12.7.5 Hotfix 1 .
Related Article:
AD/LDAP Connection Test Failed in the Web Help Desk