javax.net.ssl.SSLHandshakeException: sun.security.validator.ValidatorException: PKIX path building failed: sun.security.provider.certpath.SunCertPathBuilderException: unable to find valid certification path to requested target

Error :

javax.net.ssl.SSLHandshakeException: sun.security.validator.ValidatorException: PKIX path building failed: sun.security.provider.certpath.SunCertPathBuilderException: unable to find valid certification path to requested target
at com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.Alerts.getSSLException(Alerts.java:174)
at com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.fatal(SSLSocketImpl.java:1649)
at com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.Handshaker.fatalSE(Handshaker.java:241)
at com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.Handshaker.fatalSE(Handshaker.java:235)
at com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.ClientHandshaker.serverCertificate(ClientHandshaker.java:1206)
at com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.ClientHandshaker.processMessage(ClientHandshaker.java:136)
at com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.Handshaker.processLoop(Handshaker.java:593)
at com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.Handshaker.process_record(Handshaker.java:529)
at com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.readRecord(SSLSocketImpl.java:893)
at com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.performInitialHandshake(SSLSocketImpl.java:1138)
at com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.startHandshake(SSLSocketImpl.java:1165)
at com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.SSLSocketImpl.startHandshake(SSLSocketImpl.java:1149)
at sun.net.www.protocol.https.HttpsClient.afterConnect(HttpsClient.java:434)
at sun.net.www.protocol.https.AbstractDelegateHttpsURLConnection.connect(AbstractDelegateHttpsURLConnection.java:166)
at sun.net.www.protocol.http.HttpURLConnection.getInputStream(HttpURLConnection.java:1172)
at sun.net.www.protocol.https.HttpsURLConnectionImpl.getInputStream(HttpsURLConnectionImpl.java:234)
at com.hewitt.appinv.sdc.URLReader.readURL(URLReader.java:18)
at com.hewitt.appinv.sdc.URLReader.main(URLReader.java:38)
Caused by: sun.security.validator.ValidatorException: PKIX path building failed: sun.security.provider.certpath.SunCertPathBuilderException: unable to find valid certification path to requested target
at sun.security.validator.PKIXValidator.doBuild(PKIXValidator.java:323)
at sun.security.validator.PKIXValidator.engineValidate(PKIXValidator.java:217)
at sun.security.validator.Validator.validate(Validator.java:218)
at com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.X509TrustManagerImpl.validate(X509TrustManagerImpl.java:126)
at com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.X509TrustManagerImpl.checkServerTrusted(X509TrustManagerImpl.java:209)
at com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.X509TrustManagerImpl.checkServerTrusted(X509TrustManagerImpl.java:249)
at com.sun.net.ssl.internal.ssl.ClientHandshaker.serverCertificate(ClientHandshaker.java:1185)
... 13 more
Caused by: sun.security.provider.certpath.SunCertPathBuilderException: unable to find valid certification path to requested target
at sun.security.provider.certpath.SunCertPathBuilder.engineBuild(SunCertPathBuilder.java:174)
at java.security.cert.CertPathBuilder.build(CertPathBuilder.java:238)
at sun.security.validator.PKIXValidator.doBuild(PKIXValidator.java:318)
... 19 more


If you are getting above error possible reason could be you are trying to read a secure URL for which certificate is not installed in your Java truststore.

Solution :


Step 1. Download the certificate by clicking the lock icon on browser as show below. Save the file, example - cert_file 

Step 2. Import the Certificate in your Java truststore

Example - Go to C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\lib\security

You will find a truststore - cacerts 

Use below command to add certificate

keytool -list -keystore cacerts 
keytool -import -alias aName -file cert_file -keystore cacerts

Step 3. Add the System properties

System.setProperty("javax.net.ssl.trustStore", "C:/Program Files/Java/jre6/lib/security/cacerts");
System.setProperty("javax.net.ssl.trustStorePassword", "changeit");

Please see the Sample code -