The error message “pkix path building failed” in Eclipse usually occurs when there is an issue with the SSL/TLS certificate verification process. This error indicates that Eclipse is unable to establish a secure connection with the server due to problems with the certificate chain.
Here are some possible reasons for this error and steps to resolve it:
- Expired or invalid certificate: Check if the SSL certificate used by the server has expired or is not valid. You can verify the certificate by opening the server’s URL in a web browser and examining the certificate details. If the certificate is expired or invalid, contact the server administrator to obtain a valid certificate.
- Missing intermediate certificates: Intermediate certificates are essential for building the certificate chain from the server’s certificate to a trusted root certificate authority (CA). If any intermediate certificates are missing, the verification process fails. To resolve this, make sure you have all the necessary intermediate certificates installed on your system or server.
- Untrusted root certificate: If the root certificate authority (CA) that issued the server’s certificate is not trusted by your system or Eclipse, the verification process will fail. You may need to add the root certificate to your system’s trust store or configure Eclipse to trust the specific CA. Refer to the documentation of your operating system or Eclipse for instructions on managing trusted certificates.
- Network connectivity issues: In some cases, network connectivity issues or firewalls may interfere with the SSL/TLS handshake process. Ensure that your system has proper internet connectivity and firewall configurations that allow the necessary SSL traffic.
Example:
Let’s consider an example where Eclipse tries to connect to a server over HTTPS but encounters the “pkix path building failed” error. Upon further investigation, it is found that the server certificate is self-signed and not trusted by the default Java trust store. To resolve this, the following steps can be taken:
- Export the server’s self-signed certificate using a web browser by visiting the server’s URL (e.g., https://example.com) and examining the certificate details. Export the certificate in the X.509 format (usually with the .cer extension).
- Open a command prompt and navigate to the Java JDK’s bin directory.
-
Run the command
keytool -importcert -file /path/to/certificate.cer -alias "AliasName" -keystore "/path/to/java/cacerts"to import the certificate into the Java trust store. The “AliasName” can be any descriptive name for the certificate. The “/path/to/java/cacerts” should point to the path of the Java trust store file (e.g., cacerts). You may be prompted to enter the trust store password, which is usually “changeit” by default. - Restart Eclipse and attempt to connect to the server again. The “pkix path building failed” error should no longer occur as the server’s certificate is now trusted.
It is important to note that the specific solution may vary based on the cause of the error and the environment in which Eclipse is being used. Consulting the relevant documentation and seeking assistance from system administrators or certificate authorities can help in resolving the issue.