Troubleshooting a File could not be downloaded error

Symptom

The Automatic Updater utility may fail on certain server configurations and display a The "https://releases.whmcs.com/packages.json" file could not be downloaded: SSL operation failed with code 1 error message:

Error: failed to open stream: operation failed
Failed to enable crypto
error:14090086:SSL routines:SSL3_GET_SERVER_CERTIFICATE:certificate verify failed
The "https://releases.whmcs.com/pkgs/whmcs-7.3.0-release.1.zip" file could not be downloaded: SSL operation failed with code 1. OpenSSL Error messages:
[Composer\Downloader\TransportException]
Downloading
- Installing whmcs/whmcs (7.3.0)
Updating dependencies
https://releases.whmcs.com could not be fully loaded, package information was loaded from the local cache and may be out of date
failed to open stream: operation failed
Failed to enable crypto
error:14090086:SSL routines:SSL3_GET_SERVER_CERTIFICATE:certificate verify failed
The "https://releases.whmcs.com/packages.json" file could not be downloaded: SSL operation failed with code 1. OpenSSL Error messages:
Loading composer repositories with package information
Click to copy

Cause

This error message indicates that the application is unable to confirm the validity of the SSL certificate. There are two potential causes for this:

  • The server's CA bundle is outdated and does not contain the necessary information to validate the SSL certificate.
  • An open_basedir restriction in PHP prevents the application from accessing the server's CA bundle to perform the validation.

 

Solution

Depending upon the underlying cause, the ideal solution is to either update the CA bundle or update the open_basedir settings in PHP to include the path to the CA bundle file in the server's OS.

Both solutions may require help from your hosting provider or system administrator.

Workaround

You may be able to work around this problem by disabling the open_basedir directive in the applicable php.ini file.

If you use a cPanel & WHM server, you can perform this change in cPanel at Home >> Software >> MultiPHP INI Editor:

For assistance with updating your server's PHP configuration, contact your hosting provider or system administrator.