KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q276339: Certificate Server/KMS Do Not Grant Certificate if DN Too Long

Article: Q276339
Product(s): Microsoft Windows NT
Version(s): 4.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbtool
Last Modified: 11-JUN-2002

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0 
- Microsoft Windows NT Server, Enterprise Edition version 4.0 
- Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0, Terminal Server Edition 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

SYMPTOMS
========

Certificate Server and Key Management Server (KMS) may not grant a certificate
to a client that requests one.

CAUSE
=====

This issue can occur if the Distinguished Name (DN) is too long for the
certificate server. Each individual CN= string is less than 64 characters.
Certificate Server version 1.0 enforces the limit only on the concatenation of
all like Relative Distinguished Names. Certificate Server 1.0 enforces the limit
on the concatenated string length only, and it is not possible to disable the
enforcement, because the database schema is fixed.

Certificate Server 2.0 (in Microsoft Windows 2000 Server) enforces the length
limit on each Relative Distinguished Name (RDN) component, and this enforcement
can be disabled by editing the registry. It also enforces a much larger limit on
the concatenated string length by using the DB schema (8192 characters for CN=).

RESOLUTION
==========

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems
that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot
guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor
incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

To disable the length enforcement, you must make a registry change on the
Certificate Server. You can do so by using the Certutil tool or Regedt32.exe:

Certutil
--------

1. Open a command prompt.

2. Type "net stop "certificate services"" (without the quotation marks), and
  then press ENTER.

3. Type "certutil -setreg ca\EnforceX500NameLengths 0" (without the quotation
  marks), and then press ENTER.

4. Type "net start "certificate services"" (without the quotation marks), and
  then press ENTER.

Regedt32.exe
------------

Set the following registry value to zero:

  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\CertSvc\Configuration\<CA
  Name>\EnforceX500NameLengths

Stop and restart the certificate services.

MORE INFORMATION
================

The following is sample Certutil output from the preceding request:

certutil -v request.der
PKCS10 Certificate Request:
Version: 1
Subject:
   CN=short
   CN=really really really really really really long container name
   CN=recipients
   OU=grahammsite
   O=grahammorg
   [0,0]: CERT_RDN_PRINTABLE_STRING, Length = 10 (10/64 Characters)
       2.5.4.10  Organization (O)="grahammorg"
       67 72 61 68 61 6d 6d 6f  72 67                     grahammorg

   [1,0]: CERT_RDN_PRINTABLE_STRING, Length = 11 (11/64 Characters)
       2.5.4.11  Organizational Unit (OU)="grahammsite"
       67 72 61 68 61 6d 6d 73  69 74 65                  grahammsite

   [2,0]: CERT_RDN_PRINTABLE_STRING, Length = 10 (10/64 Characters)
       2.5.4.3  Common Name (CN)="recipients"
       72 65 63 69 70 69 65 6e  74 73                     recipients

   [3,0]: CERT_RDN_PRINTABLE_STRING, Length = 61 (61/64 Characters)
       2.5.4.3  Common Name (CN)="really really really really really really long container name"
       72 65 61 6c 6c 79 20 72  65 61 6c 6c 79 20 72 65   really really re
       61 6c 6c 79 20 72 65 61  6c 6c 79 20 72 65 61 6c   ally really real
       6c 79 20 72 65 61 6c 6c  79 20 6c 6f 6e 67 20 63   ly really long c
       6f 6e 74 61 69 6e 65 72  20 6e 61 6d 65            ontainer name

   [4,0]: CERT_RDN_PRINTABLE_STRING, Length = 5 (5/64 Characters)
       2.5.4.3  Common Name (CN)="short"
       73 68 6f 72 74                                     short


Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbtool 
Component         : Security
Technology        : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNT400search kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTSEntSearch kbWinNTSEnt400 kbWinNTS400search kbWinNTS400 kbNTTermServ400 kbNTTermServSearch
Version           : :4.0
Issue type        : kbprb

=============================================================================

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.