NSE7 Troubleshooting and Diagnostics Practice Question
An administrator runs 'diagnose debug application sslvpn -1' and sees repeated 'SSL_ERROR_SSL: error:1417C0C7:SSL routines:tls_process_client_certificate:peer did not return a certificate'. The SSL-VPN is configured to require client certificates. What is the cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse a client certificate not being sent with a CA certificate not being imported on the FortiGate, but the error message explicitly points to the absence of a certificate from the client, not a validation failure after receipt.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The client is not sending a client certificate
The error 'SSL_ERROR_SSL: error:1417C0C7:SSL routines:tls_process_client_certificate:peer did not return a certificate' occurs during the TLS handshake when the server requests a client certificate and the client fails to provide one. Since the SSL-VPN is configured to require client certificates, the FortiGate expects the client to present a valid certificate; if none is sent, the handshake fails with this specific OpenSSL error. This directly indicates that the client is not sending a client certificate, making option A correct.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
The client is not sending a client certificate
Why this is correct
The TLS alert fires during the client certificate request phase, meaning the peer returned no certificate at all. Since the SSL-VPN profile enforces client certificate authentication, the handshake cannot proceed without one, so the connecting client simply has no certificate installed or configured to present.
- ✗
The SSL-VPN server certificate is expired
Why it's wrong here
An expired server certificate causes clients to reject the FortiGate during the handshake, not the FortiGate to report that the peer sent no certificate. It is tempting because certificate expiry is a common SSL-VPN outage, and it would be the correct cause if clients logged a validation failure against the server's presented certificate.
- ✗
The SSL-VPN tunnel mode is misconfigured
Why it's wrong here
Tunnel mode governs traffic encapsulation (web vs tunnel), not the TLS handshake, so it cannot produce a 'peer did not return a certificate' error. It is tempting because tunnel-mode settings do affect SSL-VPN behaviour, and misconfiguration there would be the correct diagnosis for connectivity or routing faults after authentication succeeds.
- ✗
The CA certificate is not imported on FortiGate
Why it's wrong here
A missing CA certificate on the FortiGate prevents validation of a certificate the client does send; it does not cause the client to omit its certificate entirely. It is tempting because CA trust is central to client-certificate authentication, and it would be correct if the client presented a certificate the FortiGate could not verify.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This NSE7 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Fortinet certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the NSE7 exam.