Unable to Connect to Azure SQL-Server: sun.security.validator.ValidatorException

Question

Created an Azure SQL server machine and I am able to rdp as well as connect via the local SQL Server Mgt Studio client.

However I cannot connect to the same instance via Java code using the connection string further below.

• I am using the latest JDBC Driver (Microsoft JDBC Driver 7.4)
• I am using SQL Server 2017 Express
• I am able to connect manually via SQL Server Mgt Studio client on local machine

Here is the error message:

com.microsoft.sqlserver.jdbc.SQLServerException: The driver could not establish a secure connection to SQL Server by using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption. Error: "sun.security.validator.ValidatorException: PKIX path building failed: sun.security.provider.certpath.SunCertPathBuilderException: unable to find valid certification path to requested target". ClientConnectionId:xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Here is the connection string:

jdbc:sqlserver://Server=nn.nnn.nnn.nnn;Integrated Security=false;User ID=myusername;Password=mypassword

Thanks for your help!

Answer 1

I got this to work by changing in the connection string:

encrypt=true

into

encrypt=false

Not sure this is the best solution but at least I can carry on developement.

Answer 2

It seems to be caused by the driver not finding a certificate that it trusts. If you do have a relevant certificate installed and are working on your localhost (meaning that it's probably self-signed and therefore wouldn't be trusted otherwise), try adding this to the end of your connection string: trustServerCertificate=true

If it's a different machine you're working on, you may need to take a look at the validity of the certificate that it should be using.

Microsoft also now has more information about SSL connections to SQL Server here.