Protect Your Site, Build Trust
Discover practical solutions to fix all SSL and security errors quickly and keep your website safe and reliable.
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Ever tried to visit a website and got hit with the “ERR_BAD_SSL_CLIENT_AUTH_CERT” error? Frustrating, right? This issue pops up in Google Chrome when there’s a problem establishing a secure connection between your browser and a website. In simple terms, your browser can’t verify the site’s SSL certificate, which is essential for keeping your data safe.
If you see this error, don’t panic—we’re here to help. It can happen due to outdated client authentication settings, conflicting third-party software, or even just a simple date and time mismatch. The good news? It’s totally fixable, and we’re going to walk you through 10 easy ways to get back online.
Protect Your Site, Build Trust
Discover practical solutions to fix all SSL and security errors quickly and keep your website safe and reliable.
Google reCAPTCHA used. Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply
SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificates play a crucial role in encrypting data and verifying a user’s identity, ensuring a secure exchange between the browser and the website. To fix this error, users should check for an updated client certificate, ensure proper SSL configuration, and verify server authentication settings.
Before we jump into solutions, let’s take a quick look at what might be causing this issue:
Now that you know what’s behind the problem, let’s fix it!
Encountering the ERR_BAD_SSL_CLIENT_AUTH_CERT error can be frustrating, but don’t worry – there are several ways to tackle it. This guide will walk you through 10 effective fixes to help you resolve the issue and restore secure access to your website.
As you probably know, your browser stores data like cookies and cache to speed up your online experience. While this is generally helpful, sometimes this stored information can lead to conflicts, especially when dealing with SSL certificates.
Sometimes, stored cookies and cache create conflicts. If you’re facing the ERR_BAD_SSL_CLIENT_AUTH_CERT error, a simple cleanup of your browser cache and cookies might just be the solution you need.
Here’s how you can clear your browsing data in the Google Chrome browser:
Clearing your browser cache often helps resolve conflicts caused by old or corrupted data. If this step doesn’t solve the issue, consider checking your browser extensions – one of them could be messing things up.
Certain extensions in your Google Chrome browser can interfere with SSL authentication, leading to the ERR_BAD_SSL_CLIENT_AUTH_CERT error. To find out which extension is causing the issue, you can disable them one by one.
Here’s a straightforward way to do it:
If this doesn’t resolve the ERR_BAD_SSL_CLIENT_AUTH_CERT error message, you can move on to adjusting Chrome’s QUIC protocol settings for further troubleshooting.
The QUIC protocol, developed by Google, aims to improve browsing speed by reducing latency and enhancing performance.
Despite its benefits, the QUIC protocol is designed to make browsing faster, it can sometimes lead to SSL conflicts, such as the ERR_BAD_SSL_CLIENT_AUTH_CERT error. Disabling it might help resolve these issues.
Here’s how you can turn off the Experimental QUIC Protocol in Chrome:
After turning off the QUIC protocol, revisit the website to see if the SSL issues have been resolved. If not, continue to the following troubleshooting steps to address the problem.
Using an outdated browser? That might be the reason for the ERR_BAD_SSL_CLIENT_AUTH_CERT error you are experiencing.
Keeping your browser up to date is important because it includes updates for new features, security improvements, and bug fixes. An outdated browser may pose security threats and overall performance issues. That is why to fix ERR_BAD_SSL_CLIENT_AUTH_CERT error you must check if your browser needs an update.
Here’s how to update the Chrome browser:
Keeping your browser updated helps prevent errors and ensures that your browser stores data efficiently. If the error persists after updating, proceed with the next solution.
Incorrect date and time settings on your device can cause SSL errors, including the ERR_BAD_SSL_CLIENT_AUTH_CERT error. A website’s SSL certificate is valid for a certain time frame and then expires to keep security strong and prevent outdated encryption.
That’s why browsers check the SSL certificate’s timestamp to verify its validity. If your device’s date and time are wrong, it can misread even a valid certificate as expired. This triggers SSL errors and blocks secure connections.
So, making sure your computer’s clock is accurate is critical for your secure connections because SSL certificates are time-sensitive.
Here’s how to synchronize the date and time on your system:
If the culprit was your local date and time configuration, setting it right may fix the ERR_BAD_SSL_CLIENT_AUTH_CERT error.
These settings ensure your system retrieves the correct time from internet servers, helping prevent SSL-related errors due to incorrect time settings.
Third-party software like antivirus programs, VPNs, and proxy services can interfere with SSL certificate verification. And that could trigger the ERR_BAD_SSL_CLIENT_AUTH_CERT error.
Antivirus software helps tremendously in securing your device and protectingyour browsing. Occasionally, your anti-virus software includes HTTPS scanning, which modifies SSL certificates and causes authentication issues.
VPNs and proxies may also reroute traffic in a way that disrupts Transport Layer Security (TLS), making it difficult for Chrome to verify a website’s SSL certificate.
That’s why disabling these third-party services on your device may help with fixing the ERR_BAD_SSL_CLIENT_AUTH_CERT error message.
Open your antivirus software and navigate to its settings. Look for SSL scanning, HTTPS scanning, or TLS settings and disable them. Some antivirus programs place this under web protection or advanced settings.
If you’re using a VPN, disconnect from it and try reloading the page. Some VPNs interfere with SSL verification by altering connection routes.
Disable your proxy settings by going to your computer’s network settings.
After disabling each of these services restart Google Chrome and check if the error persists.
If disabling these services resolves the issue, adjust their settings to allow SSL connections while keeping your security protections intact. If the ERR_BAD_SSL_CLIENT_AUTH_CERT error continues, move on to the next solution.
Keeping your Operating System updated is vital for security and performance. Outdated software may not support the latest Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocols, causing SSL errors like ERR_BAD_SSL_CLIENT_AUTH_CERT.
Regular updates ensure your system stays compatible with modern encryption standards and security patches.
So, to make sure that the ERR_BAD_SSL_CLIENT_AUTH_CERT error message is not due to outdated software, it’s best to check if your OS version is up to date.
You can find the steps for how to update Windows and MacOS below.
To check if your Windows OS needs an update, follow these steps:
See if your MacOS is using the most recent OS version with the steps below:
Reload the site to check if updating your software solved the ERR_BAD_SSL_CLIENT_AUTH_CERT error. In case the error persists, proceed to the next step.
If previous solutions haven’t resolved the ERR_BAD_SSL_CLIENT_AUTH_CERT error, it’s important to examine your SSL certificate configuration. This part covers how to verify your SSL certificate chain and renew expired certificates, ensuring your website stays secure and reliable. Addressing these issues can strengthen your site’s security and maintain user trust.
Let’s see how you can go about that in the following sections.
An ERR_BAD_SSL_CLIENT_AUTH_CERT error can occur if there is a broken or missing link in the chain of certificates issued by the Certificate Authority (CA). To troubleshoot this issue, ensure that the certificates are properly installed and chained in the correct sequence.
Each certificate within the chain verifies the one before it, so maintaining the proper order is crucial. Verify the installation of the following certificates:
Use an SSL checker to evaluate your SSL certificate installation. In the screenshot below, you can see an example output of a similar check.
If any issues are detected, adjust your SSL settings accordingly to ensure a complete and correct SSL certificate chain.
An expired SSL certificate can also trigger the ERR_BAD_SSL_CLIENT_AUTH_CERT error. If you are the website owner or administrator, renewing your SSL certificate can resolve this issue. An expired certificate disrupts SSL connections and compromises your website’s security.
To renew your SSL certificate, create a new Certificate Signing Request (CSR) and submit it to the Certificate Authority for validation. Once you receive the new SSL files via email, install them on your server using the same procedure as the initial installation.
For most users encountering this error as a website visitor, the best course of action is to contact the website owner and inform them of the error so they can address the certificate issue promptly.
While the ERR_BAD_SSL_CLIENT_AUTH_CERT error is primarily related to client authentication issues, confirming your DNS settings are correct can help maintain overall connectivity to the server. Proper DNS configuration ensures that requests reach the intended web server, which is crucial for secure connections.
Although DNS issues don’t directly cause this specific error, verifying your DNS settings can prevent other connectivity problems that might complicate troubleshooting efforts.
To verify your DNS settings, follow these concise steps:
If you make sure these aspects are correct, you can help maintain a reliable connection to your web server and possibly fix the ERR_BAD_SSL_CLIENT_AUTH_CERT error.
Using a CDN service? Double-check your SSL settings to ensure they match your site’s configuration. Issues with CDN settings can cause the ERR_BAD_SSL_CLIENT_AUTH_CERT error if the SSL certificate is not properly configured or synchronized between the CDN and the origin server. That can lead to client authentication failures.
Try these fixes and see which one works for you. If you’re still facing issues, consider reaching out to the website owner or your hosting provider.
Dealing with the ERR_BAD_SSL_CLIENT_AUTH_CERT error can be frustrating, but these 10 fixes should get you back on track. Whether it’s clearing your cache, updating your system, or tweaking your Chrome settings, one of these solutions should work for you.
If the issue persists, try accessing the site from a different device or network. Still stuck? It might be time to reach out to the website owner or your hosting provider for further assistance.
Now, go ahead and refresh that page – you’ve got this!
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