OptimIT

Alfresco Share HTTPS setup strengthens its security but introduces strange problem with document upload, when using self-signed certificate. Documents can be uploaded using Microsoft Internet Explorer, but it fails when using Firefox. While this at first seemed like a browser incompatibility, it turned out to be connected to SSL certificates. Alfresco Share upload is implemented as an Adobe Flash component and Adobe Flash browser plugin exhibits the following bug when using untrusted certificates. It does not affect Flash plugin under IE, but only browsers that use the Netscape plugin interface. Basically, when Firefox gets a self-signed certificate, or a certificate which is untrusted for some other reason, it relies on Windows certificate store to trust the certificate. If the certificate is not added to the Windows certificate store, Flash uploader will fail. So the solution is pretty simple and involves adding the certificate to the Trusted Root Certification Authorities store:

1. Open Alfresco Share site in the Internet Explorer.
2. Certificate error will appear in the navigator’s URL bar. Click on it and then select “View certificates” in the popup window.
3. Click on the “Install Certificate…” in the General tab of the Certificate window.
4. Select “Next”. Select “Place all certificates in the following store” and click on the “Browse…” to select certificate store. Select “Trusted Root Certification Authorities” and click on the “OK”.
5. Select “Next” and “Finish”.
6. Security warning popup window will appear. Click on the “Yes”.
   

You can also install the certificate file manually, without the need for the Internet Explorer.