Apple Forgets to Renew SSL Certificate, Breaking OS X Software Update [Fixed]

MacRumors · May 25, 2014

Several readers have noted a strange error message appearing when trying to perform software updates from the Mac App Store.

An Error has occurred

The certificate for this server is invalid. You might be connecting to a server that is pretending to be "swscan.apple.com" which could put you confidential information at risk.

Swscan.apple.com is one of several servers that Software Update uses to communicate with Apple. The apparent problem is that the security certificate for the server appears to have expired. The certificate was originally valid from May 22, 2012 to May 24, 2014.

This is a problem that Apple will need to fix on their side. In the meanwhile, users can manually download updates from Apple's support site.

Update: This may also be the cause of NSURLErrorDomain error -1012, which appears to have started in the same time.

Update 2: Apple appears to have fixed the certificate.

Article Link: Apple Forgets to Renew SSL Certificate, Breaking OS X Software Update [Fixed]

markyr17 · May 25, 2014

forgets?????

Michaelgtrusa · May 25, 2014

I just had this happen to me!!

MareLuce · May 25, 2014

What was that movie line...

"Somebody's gonna get an a*s whoopin'!"

funkymonkeyboy · May 25, 2014

Happened to me too. Read a good tip on another site, just change your date to 22 May 2014 or earlier and the updates will work again.

spyguy10709 · May 25, 2014

Steve would have never let the Mac App Store become Snappier without the Heartbleed update render leaking, Tim.

Did I catch everything?

PowerBook-G5 · May 25, 2014

I'm assuming that this is related?

Jessica Lares · May 25, 2014

Whoops. Well, at least there wasn't anything major to come out recently.

funkymonkeyboy · May 25, 2014

Applefan 2013 said:
I'm assuming that this is related?

Yes it is.

Yvan256 · May 25, 2014

Seriously?

Isn't there at least one person, at Apple, whose job is to keep things like that up-to-date?

Yakibomb · May 25, 2014

Forgets?? I can't see how something this big could just slip through the cracks

Michaelgtrusa · May 25, 2014

After getting the error, I was able to update 2 apps.

Rafagon · May 25, 2014

All it would've taken is for whoever is in charge of swscan.apple.com to have had a brief conversation with Siri.

"Siri, Remind me to renew SSL Certificate for Swscan.apple.com on May 23. Alert me two days before, and alert me a second time on the day before."

And now Tim Cook should just say to Siri:

"Siri, Remind me to fire the guy in charge of swscan.apple.com on Monday, May 26th."

IJ Reilly · May 25, 2014

Yvan256 said:
Isn't there at least one person, at Apple, whose job is to keep things like that up-to-date?

Was, more like.

man3ster · May 25, 2014

Getting use to this.

It is unfortunate, but I have come to accept that Apple is prone to lots of mistakes. Under Jobs these mistakes were limited, but now the Cook steers the ship, the waters are more hazardous.

powerless · May 25, 2014

Reminds me off the Azure expired certificate last year.

braddick · May 25, 2014

Bygones.
Forgive and forget.

AlabamaSlammer · May 25, 2014

I'm getting ready to send my resumé to Apple now. I have a feeling that there is about to be a job opening

JAQ · May 25, 2014

It's astonishing how often this happens to businesses. Of course there's little real reason for these certificates to expire: it's just a way for the certificate-issuing cartel to leach money from businesses periodically. But that's no excuse for not keeping on top of it, just like you do with your domain names, insurance policies, utility bills, and biannual "campaign contribution" to your Congressmonster.

2984839 · May 25, 2014

JAQ said:
It's astonishing how often this happens to businesses. Of course there's little real reason for these certificates to expire: it's just a way for the certificate-issuing cartel to leach money from businesses periodically. But that's no excuse for not keeping on top of it, just like you do with your domain names, insurance policies, utility bills, and biannual "campaign contribution" to your Congressmonster.

It's a good mitigation technique. No different from changing passwords periodically, except probably more important.

afsnyder · May 25, 2014

Holy crap someone is gonna get fired :O

lolkthxbai · May 25, 2014

spyguy10709 said:
Steve would have never let the Mac App Store become Snappier without the Heartbleed update render leaking, Tim.

Did I catch everything?

You forgot to mention the mockups

fmaxwell · May 25, 2014

Yvan256 said:
Isn't there at least one person, at Apple, whose job is to keep things like that up-to-date?

Most likely, there are multiple people responsible for it -- and every one of them assumed that one of the others would do it. I saw that scenario multiple times throughout my career.

Traverse · May 25, 2014

Someone just lost their end of year bonus...or their job. :apple:

Yep, I get the same error now. Yay!

MrGimper · May 25, 2014

I got this this morning and was worried it had been hacked, after reading about iCloud and activation lock possibly being compromised.

Reminds me of when someone at MS forgot the renew the hotmail.com domain and someone snapped it up.

Apple Forgets to Renew SSL Certificate, Breaking OS X Software Update [Fixed]

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