Moving around the Internet in the Google Chrome browser, you may stumble upon a network error ERR_SSL_FALLBACK_BEYOND_MINIMUM_VERSION. However, it should be noted that this error can also occur in browsers of other developers, for example, Mozilla Firefox or Opera.
This error indicates to the user that the web resource they are trying to navigate to is using a very outdated TLS / SSL certificate, most likely SSL 3.0. It should be mentioned that Google, like other large companies, several years ago refused to support this cryptography protocol in their browsers due to the fact that a critical POODLE vulnerability was discovered in it.
Now that we have figured out the cause of the ERR_SSL_FALLBACK_BEYOND_MINIMUM_VERSION network error, let’s see what exactly needs to be done with it.
Network error ERR_SSL_FALLBACK_BEYOND_MINIMUM_VERSION
If you get this error in your browser, then, in fact, there are only a few of the following solutions:
- contact the owner of the web resource and point out the outdated version of the certificate (and hope that he will renew it);
- activate the function to ignore errors with certificates;
- ignore the browser and forcibly go to the site by clicking on a certain button;
- add the certificate to the trusted list;
With an appeal to the site owner – everything is extremely simple and there is no need for explanations, since the ERR_SSL_FALLBACK_BEYOND_MINIMUM_VERSION error will depend on the actions of the resource owner.
If you just need to get to the site you need, then you can use the rest of the functionality. However, all of these options are extremely dangerous if you are trying to navigate to a web resource with which you are completely unfamiliar and in which you have absolutely no trust.
There is no need to consider ignoring the ERR_SSL_FALLBACK_BEYOND_MINIMUM_VERSION error: you just need to find a button on the error page that allows you to skip the error and go to the site at your own risk. Unfortunately, according to users, Mozilla removed this button from its Firefox browser, which upset many. If you are a Firefox user see below.
Now let’s look at the options for activating the function to ignore similar errors. Each browser usually does this differently – consider the three most popular browsers.
Opera
- create a shortcut to the executable file of the Opera browser on the Desktop;
- open the properties of this shortcut and go to the tab of the same name;
- add –ignore-certificate-errors to the end of the label location;
- save the changes and launch the browser through the created shortcut;
Google chrome
- create a Google Chrome shortcut on the Desktop;
- open the properties of this shortcut and go to the “Shortcut” tab;
- add –cipher-suite-blacklist = 0x0039,0x0033 to the location line;
- save the changes and launch the browser through the shortcut;
Mozilla Firefox
With this browser, it is a little more complicated, since the developers not so long ago even took away from users forcibly going to a suspicious site by clicking a special button. Nevertheless, there is still a solution that can be used to work around the problems when checking the certificate on the site you want. Do the following:
- open Mozilla Firefox;
- enter the value about: config in the address bar and press Enter;
- agree to be careful with the browser settings by clicking on the confirmation button in the window that appears;
- enter security.ssl3.dhe_rsa_aes_128_sha in the search box;
- double-click on the True value next to this parameter to change it to False;
Restart Firefox – your browser should now ignore suspicious certificates.
Ok, we figured it out with ignoring certificate errors. Now let’s take a look at how you can add a particular site certificate to your browser’s exclusion list so that it doesn’t pester you endlessly when you try to navigate to it.
Let’s consider this action using the example of the Google Chrome browser (on other browsers, this process can be done in approximately the same way):
- on the ERR_SSL_FALLBACK_BEYOND_MINIMUM_VERSION error page, click on the crossed out SSL icon;
- after clicking on the icon a menu will open – click on the item “Certificate information”;
- in the window for managing certificates, click on the “Composition” tab;
- click on the item “Copy to file”;
- then the Certificate Wizard should open in front of you – double click on the “Next” button;
- enter in the file name and select the directory to save it;
- go to Google Chrome and enter chrome: // settings / advanced in the address bar;
- find the section “HTTPS / SSL” in the browser settings;
- you will once again see a window for managing certificates – go to the “Trusted publishers” tab;
- click on the “Import” button;
- then specify the directory of the previously saved file.
This is how you can add the certificate of your choice to the list of trusted ones in the Google Chrome browser. Once you are done with the above steps, try to navigate to the desired site again – the error ERR_SSL_FALLBACK_BEYOND_MINIMUM_VERSION will definitely not appear.
Summing up
As you could understand, it is simply impossible to really eliminate the ERR_SSL_FALLBACK_BEYOND_MINIMUM_VERSION error, since this problem is not on your side, but on the side of a web resource that uses an outdated TLS / SSL certificate that is no longer supported by your browser.
However, at your own risk, you can turn off security certificate checking, force the switch, or even add a suspicious certificate and go to the desired site. We reiterate: it is better not to go to unverified sites with outdated certificates – listen to your browser. However, if you are sure – use workarounds.
We hope this article has given you an idea of what the ERR_SSL_FALLBACK_BEYOND_MINIMUM_VERSION error is in your browser and how to work around it.