pythonlinuxopensslpyinstallerfips

PyInstaller FATAL FIPS SELFTEST FAILURE

I have used PyInstaller to package up a python application. When I run the application I receive this error:

crypto/fips/fips.c:154: OpenSSL internal error: FATAL FIPS SELFTEST FAILURE Abort (core dumped)

If I run the script via "python3 scriptname.py" it runs fine. I do not use OpenSSL in my python scripts. I believe PyInstaller is using something that is not FIPS compliant.

With FIPS disabled I am able to successfully run the PyInstaller packaged application.

How can I debug this error? Is there a way to patch PyInstaller to make it FIPS compliant?

Solution

  • This usually happens, if you installed python with FIPS enabled/disabled or if Python is consuming a module/library/something, where Python/ or that particular library/python pyInstaller may be consuming an artifact (that was built on some machine previously, with FIPS Disabled); then, using such executables (built with FIPS disabled) on another machine(where FIPS is actually enabled) i.e. where FIPS setting doesn't match with the machine, where you built the app in python or that particular library, then, you'll get such errors.

    Ex: Let's say a package manager ex: yum / zypper installed python without openssl (which is a pre-install/pre-requisite for python app, which needs Openssl functionality). If python is installed without Openssl first already installed, then any Python app, which needs openssl processing, Python won't work, even if you install openssl later on the machine; Python will still spit out bunch of gnarly openssl errors :--) big grin.

    Similarly, if something was installed/packaged/built using FIPS disabled (on some machine), it can be an app or any library that you are consuming... then later, if you try to run an app or an app(consuming that library/package) on a machine, where FIPS = 1 (enabled) then you'll see this error.

    In my case, cmake was failing for running simple cmake --version and all I did was used a cmake .tar bundle which may have been compiled on a machine, where source and target machine's FIPS settings were same i.e. in my case, cmake tar bundle came from a FIPS enabled machine, and when I used it on this other new machine where FIPS was enabled, it worked!

    MISC Info on OpenSSL errors:

    The effects of self-test failures in the Module differ depending on the type of self-test that failed.

    The FIPS_mode_set() function verifies the integrity of the runtime executable using a HMAC SHA-256 digest, which is computed at build time. If this computed HMAC SHA-256 digest matches the stored, known digest, then the power-up self-test (consisting of the algorithm-specific Pairwise Consistency and Known Answer tests) is performed.

    Non-fatal self-test errors transition the module into an error state. The application must be restarted to recover from these errors. The non-fatal self-test errors are:

    FIPS_R_FINGERPRINT_DOES_NOT_MATCH - The integrity verification check failed

    FIPS_R_FIPS_SELFTEST_FAILED - a known answer test failed

    FIPS_R_SELFTEST_FAILED - a known answer test failed

    FIPS_R_TEST_FAILURE – a known answer test failed (RSA); pairwise consistency test failed (DSA)

    FIPS_R_PAIRWISE_TEST_FAILED – a pairwise consistency test during DSA or RSA key generation failed

    FIPS_R_FIPS_MODE_ALREADY_SET - the application initializes the FIPS mode when it is already initialized

    These errors are reported through the regular ERR interface of the shared libraries and can be queried by functions such as ERR_get_error(). See the OpenSSL Module manual page for the function description.

    A fatal error occurs only when the module is in the error state (a self-test has failed) and the application calls a crypto function of the module that cannot return an error in normal circumstances (void return functions). The error message: 'FATAL FIPS SELFTEST FAILURE' is printed to stderr and the application is terminated with the abort() call.

    The only way to recover from a fatal error is to restart the application. If failures persist, you must reinstall the Module. If you downloaded the software, verify the package hash to confirm a proper download.

    IMPORTANT NOTE:

    If you installed a newer version of OpenSSL x.y.z (rpm/etc) and didn't reboot/restart your machine, some of the libraries which consume openssl will be vulnerable / error out too with similar errors.

    You can test this by running:

    1. uptime command to see how long your server/machine has been UP n running.
    2. sudo lsof | grep libssl.so or to Find processes running with deleted OpenSSL libraries, run:

    sudo lsof | grep DEL.*libssl

    So, try rebooting your machine and see if the errors goes away and check the output of the above commands.

    For more info, refer this link: https://raymii.org/s/snippets/Find_all_services_using_libssl_to_restart_after_an_OpenSSL_update.html