Cannot access “support.microsoft.com” on Firefox and Basilisk

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[Mele20]

Sudden problem on Fx 60.9 ESR, Fx portable 91.4.0 ESR, and Basilisk 20.21.11.14 browsers. Default browser is Basilisk so I am using it and one of the Fx browsers almost constantly.

It appears to be a core bug in Fx first noticed 8 years ago and reopened recently:
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=966856

security.ssl.enable_ocsp_must_staple

Above is “on” by default in “about:config” in these browsers with no problem until now. If I set the above preference to “false” I can reach “support.microsoft.com” with no problem. I don’t like having to do this. Anyone else suddenly seeing this problem? Am I missing something important here?

• This topic was modified 3 years, 5 months ago by Mele20.
• This topic was modified 3 years, 5 months ago by Mele20.

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Just tested FF esr 91.4.0 portable

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I can access the page too, however from an installed FF ESR 91.4.0.

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@Mele20 –

I’m using FF95.0 and have the preference you mention above also set to “true” in my about:config file. With that preference set to “true”, I can also reach the site as reported by @Alex5723 and by @KP above.

@Microfix or other FF gurus here on Askwoody: Any thoughts on why the preference doesn’t work for @Mele20 in FF but does work for others using the same version of FF, 91.4.0 ESR? Perhaps there’s another setting in about:config that @Mele20 needs to modify to get the ocsp stapling setting to work while set to “true”?

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I have the same issue, but with regular Firefox 95.0 on Win 10 21H1.

I tried to go to https://support.microsoft.com multiple times and it failed every time, except one time it worked!

The error code is: MOZILLA_PKIX_ERROR_OCSP_RESPONSE_FOR_CERT_MISSING

Many other pages on Microsoft’s site fail too, but some work.

For example, this one fails:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/design/minimum/supported/windows-11-supported-amd-processors

I found other people who have the issue:

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1745600

http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=38&p=14912197

 

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Problem with Secure Connection – Microsoft Q&A

You aren’t alone.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

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[Bob99]

Well, I just had the same thing happen on the following page the first time I tried to get to the page:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

ALL subsequent attempts to get the page have been fully successful. This is in FF95.0 with the aforementioned ocsp stapling parameter set to its default of “true”.

EDIT: It just took me 4 tries before I could get to the site referenced by Susan in her post right above. What a frustrating issue with no real solution. Decreasing the browser’s security posture is something that I refuse to implement. But, hey, at least it looks like MS is aware of the problem. Now, let’s see if they, or Mozilla, or both implement the fix(es) hinted at by posters in the link Susan posted above!

• This reply was modified 3 years, 5 months ago by Bob99.

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I have also encountered this. I have to copy the link and then paste the link into a new tab in order to get it to work. It appears to be a HTTP referrer issue.

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According to Mozilla, this bug has been fixed with the release of Firefox 95.0.1, which came out today. Go to Help -> About Firefox to force an update.

https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/95.0.1/releasenotes/

1 user thanked author for this post.

NaNoNyMouse

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the Microsoft site access problem also happens in Palemoon (and possibly other Mozilla based browsers like Seamonkey) as well

problem fixed in Firefox versions 95.0.1 and 91.4.1 ESR along with Palemoon version 29.4.3:
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/91.4.1/releasenotes/
https://www.palemoon.org/releasenotes.shtml

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Yes, the problem is also now fixed in Basilisk 2021.12.13 and also latest Fx 95.0.1 AND in my favorite Fx version 60.9 ESR so I would assume fixed in all fairly recent Fx versions and SeaMonkey, etc.

According to Neowin article:

“Mozilla Firefox refused to display Microsoft’s sub-domains because they aren’t doing their OCSP due-diligence. Simply put, the security protocol checks for certain certificates, and if they were revoked recently. In the absence of such information, Firefox simply chose not to display the sub-domains.

Incidentally, Mozilla Firefox seems to be the only web browser that goes the extra mile to check for such information”.

Also from the Neowin article:

“Microsoft’s OCSP response was faulty in that they supplied a SHA256 hash in a field that required a SHA1 hash.”

So, NO FAULT of Mozilla browsers and forks like Basilisk.

https://www.neowin.net/news/mozilla-firefox-unable-to-display-microsoft-websites-due-to-039ocsp039-but-whose-fault-is-it/

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