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 Sterling Connect Direct : SSL Handshake Failure

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  • IBM Sterling B2B Integrator and IBM Sterling File Gateway Developers
Muhammad Faisal Syed's profile image
Muhammad Faisal Syed posted Mon October 06, 2025 07:45 AM

Hi All,

We are using a fresh IBM Sterling Connect:Direct 6.4 installation on Windows machine in UAT.  Our Connect Direct is being used as snode, while all network settings issues have been sorted out, finally the external partner who is initiating the transfer as a pnode has shared the following: 

**********************************************************************************************

SSL handshake failure, reason=&VAR1                     
The TLS/SSL handshake did not succeed. This may happen if
a common cipher suite could not be negotiated.           
SYSTEM ACTION: The session is failed.                    
RESPONSE: Correct the cipher suite list to contain a     
common cipher suite.         

*******************************************************************************************

In our local security settings we have enabled TLS 1.2, TLS 1.3, and prioritize the following protocols:

TLS_AES_256_GCM_SHA384
TLS_AES_128_GCM_SHA256
TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_256_GCM_SHA384
TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_128_GCM_SHA256

Please suggest what logs should be helpful, and should we also enable the above TLS and protocol setting for .SEAServer in our Connect Direct configuration settings.

Regards,

#IBM_Sterling_Connect_Direct

#IBMSterlingB2BIntegratorandIBMSterlingFileGatewayDevelopers

#IBMSterling

#Connect_Direct_6.4

                            

Volker Friedrich's profile image
Volker Friedrich posted Tue October 07, 2025 06:17 AM

Hi,

The TLS error message says that both Connect:Direct node could not negotiate a common cipher suite during the TLS handshake. You will need to contact your snode and agree on one or more common protocols and related cipher suites. Your settings look OK to me (default).

Note that TLS 1.2 and 1.3 use different cipher suites. The top two ciphers (TLS_AES_*) are for TLS 1.3 and the bottom two ciphers (TLS_ECDHA_RSA_*) are for TLS 1.2 only. 

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