Re: Certificate verification with cross signed CAs

The certificates are attached below.

The use case is client A only has ta_primary_cert.pem and client B only has ta_secondary_cert.pem

I’m trying to build a chain that the server can use (in the server hello) so that both client A and client B can successfully connect.
Since openssl verify -trusted ta_secondary_cert.pem -untrusted cross_ca_cert.pem server_cert.pem works, I not sure why adding the other untrusted ca certificate would cause verification to fail - there is still a valid path from the leaf to a trusted root.

$ openssl version
OpenSSL 3.0.2 15 Mar 2022 (Library: OpenSSL 3.0.2 15 Mar 2022)
$ openssl verify -trusted ta_primary_cert.pem -untrusted ca_cert.pem server_cert.pem 
server_cert.pem: OK
$ openssl verify -trusted ta_secondary_cert.pem -untrusted cross_ca_cert.pem server_cert.pem 
server_cert.pem: OK
$ openssl verify -trusted ta_secondary_cert.pem -untrusted ca_cert.pem -untrusted cross_ca_cert.pem server_cert.pem 
C = GB, O = Acme, L = London, CN = Intermediate CA
error 20 at 1 depth lookup: unable to get local issuer certificate
error server_cert.pem: verification failed
$ openssl verify -trusted ta_secondary_cert.pem -untrusted cross_ca_cert.pem -untrusted ca_cert.pem server_cert.pem 
server_cert.pem: OK



> On 2 Jul 2024, at 01:55, Viktor Dukhovni <[email protected]> wrote:
> 
> Please post the actual certificates in question.  Verification should
> succeed regardless of which of "ca" or "alt_ca" is listed first,
> *provided* both roots are trusted, your mistake is specifying only one
> root, with both intermediate issuers.
> 
> If the CAs are internal CAs you control, the CA could issue certificates
> containing an authority key identifier (AKID) which specifies the the
> CA's issuer DN (the root CA subject).  This would ensure that the right
> issuer is chosen.  In practice, you'd still want to trust both roots.
> 
> -- 
>    Viktor.