Intermediate certificates
Intermediate certificates provide a way for the browser to link your SSL certificate (which it doesn't trust by default) up to a root certificate that it does trust. Certificate Authorities (CA) often delegate some functions to an intermediate CA, which can in turn further delegate to another intermediate CA. Each CA in the chain must have it's own certificate issued by its parent. The information in each certificate allows the browser to build a chain of trust from your certificate to the trusted root CA.
Your web server must provide the intermediate certificates to the browser. If you are using IIS you would normally download your certificate in the PKCS7 format, which will automatically include the InCommon intermediate certificates. If you are using Apache and downloading your certificate in PEM format, you will need to follow the instructions below.
Apache configuration
Apache (version < 2.4.8) users configure intermediate certificates via the SSLCertificateChainFile directive.
Apache (version >= 2.4.8) users configure intermediate certificates via multiple SSLCertificateFile directives.
In either case you must provide:
- The InCommon Server CA intermediate if you use an older, SHA-1 certificate.
The InCommon RSA Server CA and the USERTrust RSA Certification Authority if you use a new, SHA-2 certificate.
You can add all the intermediates to your certificate chain file without harm.
subject= /C=US/O=Internet2/OU=InCommon/CN=InCommon Server CA issuer= /C=SE/O=AddTrust AB/OU=AddTrust External TTP Network/CN=AddTrust External CA Root -----BEGIN CERTIFICATE----- MIIEwzCCA6ugAwIBAgIQf3HB06ImsNKxE/PmgWdkPjANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQUFADBv MQswCQYDVQQGEwJTRTEUMBIGA1UEChMLQWRkVHJ1c3QgQUIxJjAkBgNVBAsTHUFk ZFRydXN0IEV4dGVybmFsIFRUUCBOZXR3b3JrMSIwIAYDVQQDExlBZGRUcnVzdCBF eHRlcm5hbCBDQSBSb290MB4XDTEwMTIwNzAwMDAwMFoXDTIwMDUzMDEwNDgzOFow UTELMAkGA1UEBhMCVVMxEjAQBgNVBAoTCUludGVybmV0MjERMA8GA1UECxMISW5D b21tb24xGzAZBgNVBAMTEkluQ29tbW9uIFNlcnZlciBDQTCCASIwDQYJKoZIhvcN AQEBBQADggEPADCCAQoCggEBAJd8x8j+s+kgaqOkT46ONFYGs3psqhCbSGErNpBp 4zQKR6e7e96qavvrgpWPyh1/r3WmqEzaIGdhGg2GwcrBh6+sTuTeYhsvnbGYr8YB +xdw26wUWexvPzN/ppgL5OI4r/V/hW0OdASd9ieGx5uP53EqCPQDAkBjJH1AV49U 4FR+thNIYfHezg69tvpNmLLZDY15puCqzQyRmqXfq3O7yhR4XEcpocrFup/H2mD3 /+d/8tnaoS0PSRan0wCSz4pH2U341ZVm03T5gGMAT0yEFh+z9SQfoU7e6JXWsgsJ iyxrx1wvjGPJmctSsWJ7cwFif2Ns2Gig7mqojR8p89AYrK0CAwEAAaOCAXcwggFz MB8GA1UdIwQYMBaAFK29mHo0tCb3+sQmVO8DveAky1QaMB0GA1UdDgQWBBRIT1r6 L0qaXuBQ82t7VaXe9b40XTAOBgNVHQ8BAf8EBAMCAQYwEgYDVR0TAQH/BAgwBgEB /wIBADARBgNVHSAECjAIMAYGBFUdIAAwRAYDVR0fBD0wOzA5oDegNYYzaHR0cDov L2NybC51c2VydHJ1c3QuY29tL0FkZFRydXN0RXh0ZXJuYWxDQVJvb3QuY3JsMIGz BggrBgEFBQcBAQSBpjCBozA/BggrBgEFBQcwAoYzaHR0cDovL2NydC51c2VydHJ1 c3QuY29tL0FkZFRydXN0RXh0ZXJuYWxDQVJvb3QucDdjMDkGCCsGAQUFBzAChi1o dHRwOi8vY3J0LnVzZXJ0cnVzdC5jb20vQWRkVHJ1c3RVVE5TR0NDQS5jcnQwJQYI KwYBBQUHMAGGGWh0dHA6Ly9vY3NwLnVzZXJ0cnVzdC5jb20wDQYJKoZIhvcNAQEF BQADggEBAJNmIYB0RYVLwqvOMrAp/t3f1iRbvwNqb1A+DhuzDYijW+7EpBI7Vu8G f89/IZVWO0Ex/uGqk9KV85UNPEerylwmrT7x+Yw0bhG+9GfjAkn5pnx7ZCXdF0by UOPjCiE6SSTNxoRlaGdosEUtR5nNnKuGKRFy3NacNkN089SXnlag/l9AWNLV1358 xY4asgRckmYOha0uBs7Io9jrFCeR3s8XMIFTtmYSrTfk9e+WXCAONumsYn0ZgYr1 kGGmSavOPN/mymTugmU5RZUWukEGAJi6DFZh5MbGhgHPZqkiKQLWPc/EKo2Z3vsJ FJ4O0dXG14HdrSSrrAcF4h1ow3BmX9M= -----END CERTIFICATE----- |
InCommon intermediate certificates for sha- 2 certificates subject= /C=US/ST=MI/L=Ann Arbor/O=Internet2/OU=InCommon/CN=InCommon RSA Server CA issuer= /C=US/ST=New Jersey/L=Jersey City/O=The USERTRUST Network/CN=USERTrust RSA Certification Authority signature hash algorithm=sha512 -----BEGIN CERTIFICATE----- MIIF+TCCA+GgAwIBAgIQJbVdRZm0XXTm3MkhAFSBcjANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQ0FADCB iDELMAkGA1UEBhMCVVMxEzARBgNVBAgTCk5ldyBKZXJzZXkxFDASBgNVBAcTC0pl cnNleSBDaXR5MR4wHAYDVQQKExVUaGUgVVNFUlRSVVNUIE5ldHdvcmsxLjAsBgNV BAMTJVVTRVJUcnVzdCBSU0EgQ2VydGlmaWNhdGlvbiBBdXRob3JpdHkwHhcNMTQw OTE5MDAwMDAwWhcNMjQwOTE4MjM1OTU5WjB2MQswCQYDVQQGEwJVUzELMAkGA1UE CBMCTUkxEjAQBgNVBAcTCUFubiBBcmJvcjESMBAGA1UEChMJSW50ZXJuZXQyMREw DwYDVQQLEwhJbkNvbW1vbjEfMB0GA1UEAxMWSW5Db21tb24gUlNBIFNlcnZlciBD QTCCASIwDQYJKoZIhvcNAQEBBQADggEPADCCAQoCggEBAJwb8bsvf2MYFVFRVA+e xU5NEFj6MJsXKZDmMwysE1N8VJG06thum4ltuzM+j9INpun5uukNDBqeso7JcC7v HgV9lestjaKpTbOc5/MZNrun8XzmCB5hJ0R6lvSoNNviQsil2zfVtefkQnI/tBPP 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