Cannot connect to LwM2M server with X509 DTLS. Wireshark shows empty client certificate.

[Scytmo]

Hi,

I am developing a product based on the nRF9160 using the LwM2M client.  I successfully have this working using PSK, but want to use X509.

I am calling lwm2m_security_set_certificate() where I previously called lwm2m_security_set_psk() and have client certificate, client key, and server root CA certificate in PEM form created by following the guidance from dejans and SeppoTakalo in this other post:  LWM2M Client With X.509 Certificate 

The LwM2M library reports the following

[00:01:19.463,531] <err> net_lwm2m_engine: Cannot connect UDP (-111)
[00:01:19.474,121] <err> net_lwm2m_engine: lwm2m_engine_start lwm2m_socket_start() returned -111

...which is 'connection refused'

I have taken a modem lib trace of an attempt to connect to the leshan public server, and looking at this in Wireshark, the client DTLS handshake response to the server's 'Certificate Request' contains a zero length certificate, followed by the server returning a 'Bad Certificate' fatal error (which I'm assuming results in the -111 in the modem DTLS handling).

I have attached the device certificate that I'm using, and the modem lib trace.

I have confirmed with AT%CMNG=1 that the the sha256 checksum of the stored credentials match the sha256 sum of this certificate (the file I've attached).

I'd be grateful for someone to confirm my analysis of what's going on, and suggest why the modem is not including the content of the client certificate in the DTLS handshake.

Thanks

Ian

Fullscreen cert.txt Download

-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----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-----END CERTIFICATE-----

trace-2024-10-24T13-59-55.879Z.mtrace

[SeppoTakalo]

Hi,

I would like to comment here that problems described here are not caused by LwM2M engine itself, nor does it mean that X509 would not work.

What happens is as follows:

• nRF91 modem stores security credential in placeholders called "security tags". You can store PSK credentials, private keys or X509 client or CA certificates on security tags. See AT command manual for CMNG command for details. These credential are stored before connection starts.
• When given security tag contains both client certificate and PSK credentials the TLS stack inside modem tries to use PSK.
• If you set a ciphersuite for TLS using `zsock_setsockopt(fd, SOL_TLS, TLS_CIPHERSUITE_LIST, ...)` this information is fed into TLS handshake, but does not affect the selection of PSK/X509 from given security tag. This ciphersuite socket option is used inside LwM2M engine to switch between X509 of PSK mode when connecting.
• When LWM2M engine tries to connect in X509 mode, but sectag has both, modem runs into conflict as selected ciphersuites don't allow PSK, so it send empty certificate.

To fix the issue:

• Remove all credentials from security tag before you write new ones, if new ones are different type.

[Achim Kraus]

Thanks! Surprising effect.