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Re: "Certificate error occurred for the update server." msg when doing a VMWare Tools Download or Check for updates

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It looks like the new Certificate was issued by a CA that is not trusted by the VMware Workstation default CA package. A quick Wireshark trace identified that the Certificate handshake was coming back as an 'Unknown CA'.

 

Opening up the VMware Update site (https://softwareupdate.vmware.com/cds) shows the new certificate issued on 3/2/2013 was provided by Baltimore CyberTrust Root and Cybertrust Public SureServer SV CA. If you open the trusted certificates (Mozilla-Root-Certs.crt) from the VMware Workstation Installation directory in a text editor and search for Baltimore it will come up with no results.

 

You are able to add the two certificates you need by following the instructions below.

 

  1. Open a browser and navigate to the https://softwareupdate.vmware.com website.
  2. Click on the Certificate icon to view the certificates for the site.
  3. Click on the Certification Path tab to view the full Certificate chain.
  4. Click on the root certificate Baltimore CyberTrust Root and click the View Certificate button.
  5. Click on the Details tab and then the Copy to File button.
  6. Export the certificate in Base-64 encoded x.509 format to your VMware Workstation installation directory asCyberRoot.cer.
  7. Repeat the above steps (4-6) for the Cybertrust Public SureServer SV CA certificate saving the file out asCyberInter.cer.

 

You are now ready to add the certificates into the trusted CA store (Mozilla-Root-Certs.crt).

  1. Open a command prompt (or shell prompt if running on Linux) as Administrator or root.
  2. Start by making a backup of the original Mozilla-Root-Certs.crt file. Use the method of your choice. (copy mozilla-root-certs.crt mozilla-root-certs.crt.orig)
  3. Add in the Baltimore CyberTrust Root certificate using openssl. Openssl should be installed in the root of your VMware Workstation directory.
    1. openssl x509 -text -in CyberRoot.cer >> Mozilla-Root-Certs.crt
  4. Add in the Cybertrust Public SureServer SV CA certificate using the same command as above.
    1. openssl x509 -text -in CyberInter.cer >> Mozilla-Root-Certs.crt
You can verify that the certificates have been added successfully by opening up the Mozilla-root-certs.crt file in a text editor and search for Baltimore. The search should return 6 results.
You are now able to run updates within VMware Workstation successfully.
I have not tried although the attached file and the same instructions above should work for a VMware Player installation and VMware Fusion installation as well.
As always, it is better to wait for the final solution from VMware in fixing their certificates.

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