ORA-28864: SSL Connection Closed Gracefully on Starting Listener / Connecting to Database (Doc ID 467142.1)

Last updated on MARCH 13, 2019

Applies to:

Advanced Networking Option - Version 9.0.1 to 10.2.0
Information in this document applies to any platform.
Checked for relevance on 22-Apr-2013

Symptoms

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We got a listener configured with SSL authentication but we get an "SSL connection closed gracefully" error, either when starting the listener / querying listener status or when trying to connect to the database.

Starting the listener:

$ lsnrctl start LISTENER_SSL

LSNRCTL for Compaq Tru64 UNIX: Version 10.2.0.2.0 - Production on <DATE> 12:44:20

Copyright (c) 1991, 2005, Oracle.  All rights reserved.

Starting <DB_HOME>/bin/tnslsnr: please wait...

TNSLSNR for Compaq Tru64 UNIX: Version 10.2.0.2.0 - Production
System parameter file is <PATH>/listener.ora
Log messages written to <PATH>/network/log/listener_ssl.log
Listening on: (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTO   =tcps)(HOST=x.x.x.x)(PORT=xxxx)))

Connecting to (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=TCPS)(HOST=x.x.x.x)(PORT=xxxx)))
ORA-28864: SSL connection closed gracefully
TNS-12560: TNS:protocol adapter error
  TNS-28864: Message 28864 not found;  product=network; facility=TNS

   Compaq Tru64 UNIX Error: 542: Error 542 occurred.

Connecting to the database:

$ sqlplus /@orclssl

SQL*Plus: Release 10.2.0.2.0 - Production on Tue Oct 30 10:13:26 2007

Copyright (c) 1982, 2005, Oracle. All Rights Reserved.

ERROR:
ORA-28864: SSL connection closed gracefully

When tracing the listener we see:

[<DATE> 14:09:10:274] nzossp_set_persona: Could not set Persona Certificate: NZ error 28885
[<DATE> 14:09:10:275] nzossp_set_persona: exit
[<DATE> 14:09:10:275] nzosSetCredential: Improper Credentials: NZ error 28885
[<DATE> 14:09:10:275] nzosSetCredential: exit
[<DATE> 14:09:10:275] ntzCreateConnection: Set credential failed with error 28885.
[<DATE> 14:09:10:275] ntzCreateConnection: returning NZ error 28885 in result structure
[<DATE> 14:09:10:275] ntzCreateConnection: failed with error 540
[<DATE> 14:09:10:275] ntzCreateConnection: exit
[<DATE> 14:09:10:276] ntzdisconnect: entry
[<DATE> 14:09:10:277] ntzFreeNTZData: entry
[<DATE> 14:09:10:277] ntzFreeNTZData: exit
[<DATE> 14:09:10:277] nttdisc: entry
[<DATE> 14:09:10:277] nttdisc: Closed socket xx
[<DATE> 14:09:10:278] nttdisc: exit
[<DATE> 14:09:10:278] ntzdisconnect: exit
[<DATE> 14:09:10:278] ntzconnect: failed with error 540
[<DATE> 14:09:10:278] ntzconnect: exit
[<DATE> 14:09:10:278] nserror: entry
[<DATE> 14:09:10:278] nserror: nsres: id=1, op=65, ns=xxx, ns2=0; nt[0]=540, nt[1]=0, nt[2]=0; ora[0]=0, ora[1]=0, ora[2]=0
[<DATE> 14:09:10:278] nsopen: unable to open transport