How to add certificate for remote repository in JFrog Artifactory

Question

Could you please help me to use JFrog Artifactory certificates feature. (Admin -> Certificates).

I want to add certificate for a maven repository (https://plugins.jenkins.io/repository)

Below are the steps I followed –

• Step1: Downloaded the certificate (DER encoded binary X.509) for this repository from chrome browser.
  
• Step2: Converted certificate extension from .cer to .pem. Directly converted extension from .cer to .pem and tried with open ssl also openssl x509 -inform der -in certificate.cer -out certificate.pem
  
• Step3: Add new certificate via (Admin -> Certificates -> New -> Drag and dropped .pem file), Entered Certificate Alias name.

After clicking on Save, I am getting below error –

Certificate could not be added. Unable to read the provided PEM file. Missing private key or certificate.

Other important information –

• When I researched more on this error, I found jfrog is expecting certificate and private key both in .pem file. When I am downloading certificate from chrome I am getting only certificate but not private key. https://jfrog.com/knowledge-base/how-to-resolve-the-certificate-could-not-be-added-unable-to-read-the-provided-pem-file-missing-key-or-certificate/
• I have tried the above steps with Base-64 encoded X.509 certificate also but results are same.

Answer 1

What you are doing is adding client certificate. Meaning that when Artifactory will access a remote repository, it will secure the connection using client certificate.

If your problem is that Artifactory does not trust the certificate exposed by the remote repo (https://plugins.jenkins.io/repository) then you need to follow the directions here:

https://www.jfrog.com/confluence/display/RTF/Using+a+Self-Signed+Certificate

More explanations about the differences:

https://www.websecurity.symantec.com/security-topics/client-certificates-vs-server-certificates

Please elaborate a little bit more about the original problem you had, so we could understand if you are picking the right solution.

Good luck.