[Solved] Can't Access Gmail Any Longer

[MarkFarrar]

Hi!

I shut down Pale Moon (Version 20.0.1 running on a Dell Windows XP laptop) about an hour ago, and when I restarted it, I'm getting the following message when trying to access Gmail (and similar ones for Google and SpamArrest):

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You have asked Pale Moon to connect securely to mail.google.com, but we can't confirm that your connection is secure.

Normally, when you try to connect securely, sites will present trusted identification to prove that you are going to the right place. However, this site's identity can't be verified.

If you usually connect to this site without problems, this error could mean that someone is trying to impersonate the site, and you shouldn't continue.

mail.google.com uses an invalid security certificate.

The certificate is not trusted because the issuer certificate is unknown.

(Error code: sec_error_unknown_issuer)

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I can access these sites in Opera.

I've tried closing Pale Moon, deleting the cert8.db file and restarting the browser, but that didn't work.

The only odd thing is that PC Tools blocked something called "AntiVirus Detected Files", although I'm not sure what that means.

Any clues what's going on and how I can access these sites again? I'm reluctant to click on the I Understand The Risks button and add an exception in case there really is something untoward happening.

Thanks!

[dark_moon]

Welcome to the forum!

What is that "PC Tools"? I would say this programm block something.

[MarkFarrar]

PC Tools is our antivirus software, but I can't see any settings in there that would prevent one browser from accessing all https sites when other browsers are working OK.

I've tried disabling PC Tools and that didn't do anything anyway.

[satrow]

PC Tools now belongs to Norton. EDIT: the retirement of the PC Tools products is imminent http://www.pctools.com/product-eol/index/faq/security/ time to look for better protection anyway!

The browser is trying to use https, remove the s and it should take you to the correct https://accounts.google.com/ServiceLogin?service site. If it doesn't, try entering just http://gmail.com/ and that should redirect you correctly.

If that's not the case, you may have a malware redirect.

[Moonchild]

If your https connection gets "hijacked' (which some antivirus programs do on any "suspect" program trying to connect to the 'web so they can play nanny) then Pale Moon will give you this message considering the connection is untrusted (the browser can't make a direct connection to the server over an encrypted channel). If PCTools "blocked" detected files in Pale Moon, then it's very likely that either an essential component for networking in Pale Moon has been blocked, or that the connection as a whole has been blocked. You should probably make exception rules in your AV/Firewall/Internet Security to allow Pale Moon proper and unrestricted access to the Internet (in both directions). It should be a fully trusted application.

[MarkFarrar]

Well, it seems like reinstalling Pale Moon over the top of the existing installation worked. Even using the automatic installer, it installed a prior version so I had to bring it back up to date, but so far, fingers crossed, all is working again.

[Moonchild]

Hmm.. websetup pulled in an older version? I'll have to check that, it shouldn't.

EDIT: Seems there was a small issue with the manifest - it should now properly pull in v20