httparty SSL_connect returned=1 errno=0 state=error: certificate verify failed (unable to get local issuer certificate) (OpenSSL::SSL::SSLError)

Step 1: Understanding the error message

The error message you encountered, SSL_connect returned=1 errno=0 state=error: certificate verify failed (unable to get local issuer certificate) (OpenSSL::SSL::SSLError), indicates that there was an issue with the SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate verification process. This error typically occurs when the SSL certificate presented by the server cannot be verified by the client.

Step 2: SSL certificate verification

When making an HTTPS request using a library like HTTParty in Ruby, the client (your application) needs to verify the SSL certificate presented by the server. This verification is important because it ensures that you are communicating securely with the intended server and not an imposter.

Step 3: Local issuer certificate

The error message specifically mentions "unable to get local issuer certificate." This means that the client was unable to locate or retrieve the certificate of the certificate authority (CA) that issued the SSL certificate. The CA's certificate is necessary to verify the authenticity of the server's certificate.

Step 4: Possible causes

There are a few possible causes for this error. One common cause is that the CA's certificate is missing or not accessible on the client machine. Another possibility is that the CA's certificate is outdated or not trusted by the client. Additionally, the server's SSL certificate itself may be invalid or expired.

Step 5: Solutions

To resolve this issue, you can try the following solutions:

  1. Update CA certificates: Ensure that the CA certificates on the client machine are up to date. This can usually be done by updating the operating system or manually updating the CA certificates.
  2. Add missing CA certificate: If the CA certificate is missing, you may need to obtain it and add it to the client's trusted CA store. The specific steps for doing this depend on the operating system and the SSL library being used.
  3. Disable SSL verification (not recommended): As a last resort, you can disable SSL verification altogether. However, this is not recommended as it compromises the security of the connection.

Step 6: Example code

Here's an example of how you can disable SSL verification in HTTParty:

require 'httparty'
require 'openssl'

OpenSSL::SSL::VERIFY_PEER = OpenSSL::SSL::VERIFY_NONE

response = HTTParty.get('https://example.com')

Please note that disabling SSL verification should only be done in trusted environments and is not recommended for production use.

I hope this explanation helps! Let me know if you have any further questions.