SVN client does not work due to Certificate verification error

[Akintayo]

Binary package hint: subversion

The svn client in Lucid Lynx does not work in some instances, I experienced the following with my new install

... /another_ross$ svn co https://server.dept.comp.tld/svn/project
svn: OPTIONS of 'https://server.dept.comp.tld/svn/project': Certificate verification error: signed using insecure algorithm (https://server.dept.comp.tld/svn/project)

The repository works with svn running on FreeBSD 6.3 and works with TortoiseSVN running on Windows 7. For the last three years it worked with the svn client that was available on Ubuntu Linux.

1) The release of Ubuntu you are using, via 'lsb_release -rd' or System -> About Ubuntu.
Ubuntu Lucid Lynx

2) The version of the package you are using, via 'apt-cache policy packagename' or by checking in Synaptic.
svn, version 1.6.6 (r40053)
package: 1.6.6dfsg-2ubuntu1(lucid)

3) What you expected to happen
svn should download the project

4) What happened instead
... /another_ross$ svn co https://server.dept.comp.tld/svn/project
svn: OPTIONS of 'https://server.dept.comp.tld/svn/project': Certificate verification error: signed using insecure algorithm (https://server.dept.comp.tld/svn/project)

Thanks for any help

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
Package: subversion 1.6.6dfsg-2ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-22.33-generic 2.6.32.11+drm33.2
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-22-generic x86_64
Architecture: amd64
Date: Thu May 6 21:54:48 2010
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.04 LTS "Lucid Lynx" - Release amd64 (20100429)
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: subversion

[Marco Cimmino (cimmo)]

The issue is not in subversion but under the package:
libneon27-gnutls

So I created a package with karmic version for lucid, should fix your issue, but remind that this is not a real bug, but more certificates that should be recreated.
http://www.marcocimmino.net/2010/05/05/libneon27-gnutls_0-28-6-1_i386-for-ubuntu-lucid-10-04/

[Karol Janyst (lapkom)]

Bug looks to be appearing when trying to connect to repository with HTTPS when repo does not have signed and trusted certificate. On repos with signed SSL cert bug does not seem to occur.

[kert (kaidokert)]

I made a small patch to neon that re-enables MD5, fixed my local problem.
A polite way to go about this would mean creating a config / policy file somewhere, perhaps under GnuTLS itself.

[Tessa (unit3)]

I agree. Given the massive amount of certs out there signed with MD5, I think it's a bad move to just suddenly start rejecting them en-masse, especially without any real description of why that is in the error messages generated by the applications. There should at least be some sort of workaround for people while they're getting their certs sorted out.

[Tessa (unit3)]

As mentioned by Marco, not a bug in subversion.

[James Crisp (james-crispdesign)]

Here's a quick work around while you wait for certificates to be updated etc.

Add to the end of your ~/.subversion/servers file:
  ssl-trust-default-ca = no

more write up here:
http://jamescrisp.org/2010/06/05/workaround-for-subversion-svn-certificate-verification-error-insecure-algorithm-on-ubuntu-1004-lucid-lynx/

[Gabriele Vivinetto (gabriele.vivinetto)]

It does not work here ...

[Gabriele Vivinetto (gabriele.vivinetto)]

Solved only with the downgrade of libneon27-gnutls.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Ego (egogratis)]

I think this is fixed in neon27 version 0.29.6-3 and SVN isn't the only thing affected by this bug.