[solved] MQTT with SSL/TLS not working with Home Assistant

fufs · November 20, 2020, 11:40am

Yes, it still works. I had an sd card failure and after reinstalling the self-signed issues dissappeared. My current configuration entry looks like this:

mqtt: 
  broker: !secret MQTT_ip
  port: !secret MQTT_port
  client_id: home-assistant
  username: !secret MQTT_user
  password: !secret MQTT_passwd
  certificate: server.crt
  tls_insecure: true

Sorry for responding so late, I haven’t been on the forum lately.

fufs · December 2, 2020, 4:50pm

@TheStigh
Ah, I now see the problem - I said that the option was called certification, when it’s actually called certificate. Sorry, my bad.

amosyuen · July 19, 2021, 9:59am

I’m using the MQTT add-on but running into this problem even if I set the certificate to the same file.

MQTT Add-on Config

logins:
  - username: '!secret mqtt_username'
    password: '!secret mqtt_password'
customize:
  active: false
  folder: mosquitto
certfile: fullchain.pem
keyfile: privkey.pem
require_certificate: false

configuration.yaml:

mqtt:
  certificate: /ssl/fullchain.pem
  broker: !secret mqtt_ip
  port: !secret mqtt_port
  username: !secret mqtt_username
  password: !secret mqtt_password
  tls_insecure: true

I’ve also tried setting:

mqtt:
  client_cert: /ssl/fullchain.pem
  client_key: /ssl/privkey.pem
  broker: !secret mqtt_ip
  port: !secret mqtt_port
  username: !secret mqtt_username
  password: !secret mqtt_password
  tls_insecure: true

but doesn’t help. For both the logs of MQTT show that it is finding the cert:

[02:49:40] INFO: Setting up user homeassistant
[02:49:40] INFO: Certificates found: SSL is available

But then the version error on connection:

1626688294: New connection from 172.30.32.1 on port 8883.
1626688294: OpenSSL Error[0]: error:1408F10B:SSL routines:ssl3_get_record:wrong version number
1626688294: Socket error on client <unknown>, disconnecting.
1626688296: Client connection from 172.30.32.1 failed: error:1408F10B:SSL routines:ssl3_get_record:wrong version number.

fufs · July 19, 2021, 10:56am

There are 3 files:

CA certificate,
Server certificate,
Server Key

In mosquito you need to supply all 3 (certfile is the server certificate, not CA; iirc CA was declared by cafile:)

In configuration.yaml certificate: is the ca cert. You don’t need client_cert: and client_key: if you’ve set mosquito with require_certificate: false. CA cert (certificate:), however, is required.

amosyuen · July 20, 2021, 7:27pm

Ah thanks, for that clarification. Your earlier post [solved] MQTT with SSL/TLS not working with Home Assistant - #3 by fufs said to use certfile in mosquitto config. Using cafile instead made it work.

Though seems that I can’t use TLS everywhere since not all the MQTT clients I’m using can be configured with the certificate.

fufs · July 20, 2021, 7:49pm

Yeah, I’m not sure what I was smoking back then .
Steve’s internet guide has made an updated TLS guide, with all of the stuff clearly explained, it’s a good read, if you feel like it. Also if you want to make it a bit more secure you can add domain (and ip addresses) to the cert and remove tls_insecure: false.

fufs · July 20, 2021, 8:27pm

This is a guide I wrote for my future self, enjoy!

Create CA private key (recommended to create password)
$ openssl genrsa -des3 -out ca.key 2048
Generate CA certificate (valid for 20 years)
$ openssl req -new -x509 -days 7300 -key ca.key -out ca.crt
Create server-side private key
$ openssl genrsa -out server.key 2048
Create a configuration file - this you must do on your own, here is an example:

[ req ]
default_bits = 2048
prompt = no
default_md = sha256
distinguished_name = dn
req_extensions = v3_req

[ dn ]
C = XX
ST = Province
L = Cty
O = OrgName
CN = domain.local

[ v3_req ]
subjectAltName = @alt_names

[alt_names]
DNS.1 = domain.local
DNS.2 = 192.168.0.xxx

What to change?
The dn section is the details of your certificate. Available variables can be found at What is a Distinguished Name (DN)? or by googling “distinguished name ssl”
The alt_names section are the FQDNs of the sites that the certificate will be used for. This is used by browsers to confirm that a given certificate was meant for a given site.

Save it as server.cnf

Create a certificate request from a configuration file (this is a file containing all the details for a CA to create a server-side certificate, since we are the ca we’ll generate (sign) it ourselves, hence the name self-signed)
$ openssl req -new -config server.cnf -key server.key -out server.csr -extensions v3_req
Create the server-side certificate (10 years)
$ openssl x509 -req -days 3650 -in server.csr -CA ca.crt -CAkey ca.key -CAcreateserial -out server.crt -extfile server.cnf -extensions v3_req

NOTE:
This uses a workaround due to a bug to get x509v3 extensions working (SANs). By the time this was written the bug was fixed and a solution has been created, but not released.

REPLACE
-extfile server.cnf -extensions v3_req
WITH
-copy_extensions copyall

NOTE2:
When creating you first certificate with the CA use the -CAcreateserial flag, however, if this is not your first cert then use -CAserial ca.srl option to load your already existing serial file.

Add CA certificate, Server certificate and server key to the mosquitto.conf file (cafile, certfile, keyfile) and require_certificate false. Add CA certificate to configuration.yaml (certificate). You can use certificate based authentication as well - set require_certificate true in mosquitto.conf and add client_cert: and client_key: in configuration.yaml.

lordratner · September 17, 2021, 4:45am

Hey fufs,

Thanks for the guide, but I’m still not getting a connection over 8883. The only part of your guide I’m not sure on is this part:

I want both 1883 and 8883 enabled, (insecure for LAN traffic, secure for remote MQTT clients over WAN), so I believe I leave out " - set require_certificate true in mosquitto.conf" for this. But I’m not sure what should be in configuration.yaml and mosquitto.yaml.

Thanks again,
Seth

fufs · September 17, 2021, 11:07am

You need two mosquitto servers (can be on the same machine) and you need to link them. There should be such entry in mosquitto.conf

fufs · September 17, 2021, 11:14am

In HA: Put you CA certificate in /config or any other subfolder of /config. Then in configuration.yaml under mqtt: add certificate: /path/to/cacert. Use certfile: and certkey: only for certificate based authentication (for iot devices keep away from certificate based auth)

For protected and unprotected use my solution above but do remember that it’s not secure as all traffic from encrypted mqtt will be visible on the unencrypted one

lordratner · September 17, 2021, 2:36pm

There’s nothing in my mosquitto.conf file. None of the guides have included it. I definitely have no idea how to have two servers, let alone linked. Can you share your MQTT broker setup and .conf?

And all of the guides have said to leave out the mqtt: block from configuration.yaml, since it’s in the integration now. I’m fine with the homeassistant mqtt client using insecure to talk to the mqtt broker, since they are on the same network. But I want the mqtt clients that are connected through the WAN to be encrypted, such as my sprinkler controller in a different city. Right now I can’t get clients on the LAN or from the WAN to connect to the MQTT broker with 8883, so my broker settings are wrong probably?

Putting the mqtt: block in configuration.yaml stopped the insecure traffic from working (1884), and did not fix the secure problem (8883).

Sorry for all the questions, I’m lost on this one.

lordratner · September 17, 2021, 2:44pm

fufs:

Create a configuration file - this you must do on your own, here is an example:

Copy to clipboard

[ req ]
default_bits = 2048
prompt = no
default_md = sha256
distinguished_name = dn
req_extensions = v3_req

[ dn ]
C = XX
ST = Province
L = Cty
O = OrgName
CN = domain.local

[ v3_req ]
subjectAltName = @alt_names

[alt_names]
DNS.1 = domain.local
DNS.2 = 192.168.0.xxx

What to change?

Maybe I’m getting this part wrong too. My hostname is RPI-HA
CN, should that be RPI-HA or RPI-HA.local?

For [alt names], should I have DNS.1 = RPI-HA or RPI-HA.local?
For DNS.2 = Host IP or IP of the client?
Should I add DNS.3 = mqtt.example.com

Thanks

fufs · September 17, 2021, 3:41pm

Open a new thread for that and I’ll send all the required documentation there

fufs · September 17, 2021, 3:43pm

Send your mqtt entry from configuration.yaml

Also cn is not that important, alt names are but only if you want certification provider confirmation (you do for wan)

Myxomopka666 · January 20, 2022, 11:13pm

Could you please send me the part that you`ve use in your config.yaml(mqtt part) and mqtt add-oc config with the names used in your example config?

Im new in this certificate stuff and Im not clear what is fullchain, privkey… You mention that we need 3 files but in config.yaml (or at least the thing that I`ve rd) are mentioned only 2 files.

I`m kind of lost and frustrated :).

Thank you!

MasterCATZ · April 30, 2022, 9:17pm

so how can we make these certs when openssh is not installed ?

and googling install openssl onto open assistant everyone says its not needed …
and give no information how to install it

“The fact that HA OS is considered an appliance, you can’t install anything on HA OS, except add-ons.”

fufs · April 30, 2022, 9:29pm

Step 0. Install openssl

I believe it’s installed by default on raspbian

fufs · April 30, 2022, 10:25pm

Sudo apt install openssl

Ofc you’ll need root privileges and terminal. Not sure if you can access either of those on HA OS

gdg316 · September 18, 2022, 12:11am

I Have ring-mqtt with the Mosquitto Broker and would like to make it Secure with SSL but not exactly sure how ??

gdg316 · September 18, 2022, 10:56am

I Have ring-mqtt with the Mosquitto Broker and would like to make it Secure with SSL but not exactly sure how ?? Does anyone know ? I am running Homeassistant OS on Rasberry PI 4 - I know files need to be copied to the SSL folder in HA