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I can't access any google services: Error code: SEC_ERROR_UNKNOWN_ISSUER

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Hi, I have been unable to access any google services (e.g. youtube, google) due to the following error message: Someone could be trying to impersonate the site and you should not continue.

Web sites prove their identity via certificates. Firefox does not trust www.youtube.com because its certificate issuer is unknown, the certificate is self-signed, or the server is not sending the correct intermediate certificates.

Error code: SEC_ERROR_UNKNOWN_ISSUER

View Certificate

Could you please advise how to resolve this? I reinstalled firefox and that did not help. Certificates are installed and have expiry date of 2031. Other browsers are not affected.

Thank you.

Hi, I have been unable to access any google services (e.g. youtube, google) due to the following error message: Someone could be trying to impersonate the site and you should not continue. Web sites prove their identity via certificates. Firefox does not trust www.youtube.com because its certificate issuer is unknown, the certificate is self-signed, or the server is not sending the correct intermediate certificates. Error code: SEC_ERROR_UNKNOWN_ISSUER View Certificate Could you please advise how to resolve this? I reinstalled firefox and that did not help. Certificates are installed and have expiry date of 2031. Other browsers are not affected. Thank you.

Chosen solution

Hi, Thank you for a quick response. It looks like it was a malware issue. Malwarebytes helped clear this up. I'm not quite sure where it came from but I'm glad it's sorted.

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All Replies (3)

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A number of users are discovering that there is a "man in the middle" of their access to Google sites, but I don't know whether anyone has tracked down who/what it is. As a workaround, though, you could try changing your connection setting here:

  • Windows: "3-bar" menu button (or Tools menu) > Options
  • Mac: "3-bar" menu button (or Firefox menu) > Preferences
  • Linux: "3-bar" menu button (or Edit menu) > Preferences
  • Any system: type or paste about:preferences into the address bar and press Enter/Return to load it

In the search box at the top of the page, type proxy and Firefox should filter to the "Settings" button, which you can click.

The default of "Use system proxy settings" piggybacks on your Windows/IE "LAN" setting. "Auto-detect" can lead to a flaky connection. Switch to "No proxy" here.

Any difference?

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Chosen Solution

Hi, Thank you for a quick response. It looks like it was a malware issue. Malwarebytes helped clear this up. I'm not quite sure where it came from but I'm glad it's sorted.

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Good instinct to check that. As for where it came from, possibly some free software with unwanted stowaways.