InvalidOperationException: Found multiple X.509 certificates

Question

I am trying to use X.509 certificates in my InfoCard app.

On the host, my configuration reads as below: 

<certificateReference findValue="Fabrikam"
              storeLocation="CurrentUser"
             storeName="TrustedPeople"
              x509FindType="FindBySubjectName" />

On the client, my configuration reads as below: 

<certificateReference
       findValue="Fabrikam"
       storeLocation="CurrentUser"
       storeName="My"
       x509FindType="FindBySubjectName" />

When executing the service, my host throws an InvalidOperationException saying

"Found multiple X.509 certificates using search criteria StoreName 'TrustedPeople', StoreLocation 'CurrentUser', FindType 'FindBySubjectName', FindValue 'Fabrikam'.  Try providing a more specific find value."

However, I checked the certificate store, which shows only only certificate each in the above specified locations. Can anybody help me out in figuring out what could be wrong.

Thanks,

Mahalax

Answer 1

 I am thinking some certificate with same subject name might be hiding some where on the store (Thinking wcf doing its job)

//copy following program to console app and see how many certifactes it is able to find it out,search in both localmachine and currentuser store.

 

using System;

using System.Security.Cryptography;

using System.Security.Permissions;

using System.IO;

using System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates;

class CertSelect

{

static void Main()

{

try

{

X509Store store = new X509Store(StoreLocation.CurrentUser);

store.Open(OpenFlags.ReadOnly | OpenFlags.OpenExistingOnly);

X509Certificate2Collection collection = (X509Certificate2Collection)store.Certificates;

X509Certificate2Collection fcollection = (X509Certificate2Collection)collection.Find(X509FindType.FindBySubjectName, "Fabrikam", false);

Console.WriteLine("Number of certificates: {0}{1}", fcollection.Count, Environment.NewLine);

foreach (X509Certificate2 x509 in fcollection)

{

byte[] rawdata = x509.RawData;

Console.WriteLine("Friendly Name: {0}{1}", x509.FriendlyName, Environment.NewLine);

Console.WriteLine("Simple Name: {0}{1}", x509.GetNameInfo(X509NameType.SimpleName, true), Environment.NewLine);

}

store.Close();

}

catch (CryptographicException)

{

Console.WriteLine("Information could not be written out for this certificate.");

}

}

}

-Thank you

Madhu

Answer 2

Thanks a lot Madhu. Yes, I actually found another certificate with the subject starting with the specified value.

Answer 3

Hi ,

I executed the below command twice

makecert.exe -sr LocalMachine -ss My -n CN=localhost -sky exchange -sk -pe localhost.cer

 So i have 2 certifactes with the same name and i am getting the same error

Found multiple X.509 certificates using search criteria StoreName 'TrustedPeople', StoreLocation 'CurrentUser', FindType 'FindBySubjectName', FindValue 'Fabrikam'.  Try providing a more specific find value."

Is there any way to remove 1 certifacte? 

Anand