VeriSign Root Certificate Expiration Notice

On December 11, 2003, Sun Microsystems published a public alert notification on their web site (http://sunsolve.sun.com/pub-cgi/retrieve.pl?doc=fsalert%2F57436) to inform their Java™ users that the VeriSign root certificate, which is bundled with Sun's various SDK and RTE releases, expired on January 7, 2004, and if not renewed, will result in the following:

1. Java applications and applets, deployed with Java Plug-in or Java Web Start which authenticate using certificates issued by the expiring root certificates may encounter a security warning dialog box indicating an authentication failure.
2. Java applications or applets using a Java Secure Socket Extension (JSSE) TrustManager that does not recognize expired root certificates may not be able to access web sites via http.

   For more information regarding symptoms, please visit the web site stated above.

The certificates have been renewed in HP's most recent releases. Please read the sections below to see if you are affected and need to take action.

Releases Not Affected

If you are running any of the following Java releases for OpenVMS Alpha or Tru64 UNIX, you do NOT need to take any action. If you are running any of the following releases on OpenVMS Alpha or Tru64 UNIX, you may stop reading now!

• SDK and RTE 1.1.x
• SDK and RTE 1.4.1-x
• SDK and RTE 1.4.2-x

Releases Affected But Updated with New Certificates

The following releases were affected but were updated on December 11, 2003 with new certificates. If you are using any of the following releases, and you downloaded and installed them after December 11, 2003, you do NOT need to take any action.

OpenVMS Alpha systems:

• SDK and RTE 1.3.1-6

Tru64 UNIX systems:

• SDK and RTE 1.2.2-12
• SDK and RTE 1.3.1-6

Releases Affected and Action Needed

If your application uses VeriSign root certificates, and if you are running any of the affected releases shown below, you need to take action. For further instructions, see below, "Obtaining New VeriSign Certificates for Affected Releases".

OpenVMS Alpha systems:

• SDK and RTE v 1.2.2-x
• SDK and RTE v 1.3.0-x
• SDK and RTE v 1.3.1-6 – if downloaded prior to December 11, 2003
• SDK and RTE v 1.3.1-5 or earlier

Tru64 UNIX systems:

• SDK and RTE v 1.2.2-12 - if downloaded prior to December 11, 2003
• SDK and RTE v 1.2.2-11 or earlier
• SDK and RTE v 1.3.0-x
• SDK and RTE v 1.3.1-6 – if downloaded prior to December 11, 2003
• SDK and RTE v 1.3.1-5 or earlier

Obtaining New VeriSign Certificates for Affected Releases

If you are running an affected version of Java (see section above), you have the following two choices to obtain updated certificates:

1. You can obtain and install new certificates, free of charge, for your existing SDK or RTE. Refer to "How to Obtain and Install VeriSign Class 2 and Class 3 Certificates".
2. Or you can download and install any of the kits on our software download page. All software kits listed on that page include updated certificates (cacerts file).