I think it’s very clear that the cURL library is outdated and needs an update. HostGator support however requires me to send the billing details of our client. How will the billing details help to get cURL updated? Since I don’t have these details HostGator support is not really helping. The helpdesk also forwarded me to their “What Software and Program Versions Does HostGator Offer?” page. On this page HostGator clients can read that they run cURL version 7.15.x:
How credible is that since cURL version 7.15 was launched 8.9 years ago? Below you can find the whole chat conversation with HostGator. I don’t have further experience with HostGator but my advice would be to not host at HostGator.
Chat ID: 14642039.
Question: Problem with the SSL CA cert (path? access rights?)
(1:30:55pm) System: Customer has entered chat and is waiting for an agent.
(1:31:49pm) William L.: Hello and welcome to Hostgator LiveChat. My name is William and I’d be glad to assist you with any questions you may have today. How are you?
(1:33:29pm) Remco: Hello William, i’m good. Only have an issue on http://**********.com/ with remote request to an https:// URL. We use WordPress and are getting an HTTP request failed error.
“Problem with the SSL CA cert (path? access rights?)
(1:34:11pm) Remco: Did soms research on Google and see other users of Hostgator had also this issue
(1:34:14pm) Remco: https://wordpress.org/support/topic/http-error-problem-with-the-ssl-ca-cert-path-access-rights
(1:34:18pm) Remco: https://wordpress.org/support/topic/http-error-problem-with-the-ssl-ca-cert-path-access-rights-1
(1:34:47pm) Remco: I quote: “Asking Hostgator to update CURL to the latest stable version will fix this issue, it’s an easy thing for a host to do. A hosting company that size should know what to do..”
(1:35:45pm) William L.: For security reasons, before I am allowed to make changes or provide information to a user’s account, I am required to verify that this is the owner of the account. Please enter your billing login information in the verification box. Thank you.
(1:37:15pm) Remco: I’m not the owner of this account, i’m contacting you on behalf of our client. She however already had contact about this earlier.
(1:37:16pm) William L.: May I have your primary email address on account please?
(1:37:39pm) William L.: Unfortunately, in order to further investigate, I will need full verification in order to proceed to look into this.
(1:38:51pm) Remco: Our client doesn’t have an technical background… so it’s a bit hard for her to give you all the details. I think it’s clear that you have to update the cURL library. I don’t see why you need full verification for this…
(1:39:45pm) William L.: Okay. Regardless, I would still need the full verification details so I can pull up your account, as well as seeing if there is a SSL installed on the site itself.
(1:40:03pm) William L.: I apologized for the trouble but it would be required.
(1:40:14pm) William L.: All i need would only be the email address on account and the password.
(1:40:38pm) Remco: Ok, i have the e-mailadress ******@**********.com
(1:40:55pm) Remco: And the following details
(1:40:58pm) Remco: https://*********.hostgator.com:2083 <https://*********.hostgator.com:2083/>
User: ********
Password: ***********
(1:41:23pm) William L.: May I have your account security pin please? It is a 4 to 8 digits when you first registered for this account.
(1:42:01pm) Remco: I don’t have that information, you just said you would only need the email address and the password :).
(1:42:29pm) William L.: The password would refer to the billing password.
(1:42:31pm) William L.: Do you have that as well?
(1:42:36pm) William L.: If so, I will re-send the pop up box.
(1:42:45pm) William L.: The security pin is an alternative method of verifying for the account fully.
(1:42:50pm) Remco: Nope, this is all the information i have.
(1:43:03pm) William L.: Sure. Let me see what I can do with those information. Just a moment.
(1:45:18pm) William L.: May I ask what plugin are you attempting to use for the remote request to the HTTPS:// URL?
(1:46:01pm)Remco:The “Pronamic iDEAL” plugin… for an Dutch payment provider connection
(1:46:25pm) William L.: Thank you, Remco.
(1:46:31pm) William L.: Please bear me with a few minutes over here.
(1:50:36pm) William L.: In order to update curl, unfortunately you would need root access to complete this. As such you will want to look into upgrading to a VPS ( http://www.hostgator.com/vps-hosting/ ) or dedicated server ( http://www.hostgator.com/dedicated ) if this is something that is mission critical for you. I apologize for any inconvenience this has caused you.
You would either need to contact with the plugin developer in regards of such issue or update your server package to a VPS or a dedicated server in order to update cURL to the latest and stable version.
(1:52:52pm) Remco: Hmm, and why don’t you update cURL on this server to the latest and stable version? There is a bug in cURL version 7.19.7 so i think it’s your responsibility to update to fix the issue.
(1:55:16pm) William L.: I will be able to request of such for you. However, in order to do so, I will need to fully verify you. Are you able to obtain the billing password, or security pin?
(1:57:35pm) Remco: I probably can obtain this information, but again i don’t see why you need this. The cURL library is outdated, you guys just have to update. Version 7.19.7 o cURL was launched in 2009, we are now 2015. Can you guarantee an update if i get this billing password?
(1:58:23pm) William L.: I will not be able to guaranteed anything as this task will be performing by our support admin, which is why verification is mandatory prior to updating curl since we are going to be performing change on account.
(2:00:38pm) Remco: Hmm, this approuch is not very client friendly… it will only delay an solution… and you can’t even guarantee an solution… since it’s very clear that the cURL library is outdated…
(2:01:54pm) William L.: http://support.hostgator.com/articles/hosting-guide/hardware-software/what-software-and-program-versions-does-hostgator-offer
cURL 7.15.x (also libcurl and PHP/CURL)
We do our best to keep software and program versions as up to date as possible. Our technical team regularly evaluates software updates and pushes updates across HostGator’s servers as they are deemed secure and appropriate for HostGator’s shared hosting environment.
(2:03:54pm) Remco: That’s not really credible, cURL version 7.15 was launched 8.9 years ago. And still you say you do your best to keep software and program version as up to date as possible?
(2:04:03pm) William L.: Okay.
(2:04:08pm) William L.: I am sorry for the frustration.
(2:04:31pm) William L.: If you would like to proceed, please provide the billing details as the verification method and I would have this ticket generate for you so that our admins can work on it.
(2:05:59pm) Remco: I don’t have that information now, i think you have enough details to proceed anyway…
(2:06:47pm) William L.: Remco, please understand I am attempting to assist with you. However, without the verification details, I will not be able to proceed. You can always contact us when you do have the information and we will be glad to generate the ticket for you.
(2:10:00pm) William L.: I hate to bother, are you still with me?
(2:10:14pm) Remco: Ok, i’m disappointed in the way you handle this. I will ask my client to mail you this conversation so you can proceed and hopefully fix this issue asap. I will also recommend to consider switching to another hosting company.
(2:11:19pm) William L.: I am very sorry in regards of such experience you are currently experiencing. Please understand that we take account’s security matter very seriously hence the verification process before we perform changes on account.
Is there anything else you might need assistance with?
(2:12:54pm) Remco: I understand you take account’s security matter very seriously… maybe you contact the client yourself and make sure the problem is solved… i really think your client would appreciate that!
(2:13:19pm) William L.: Absolutely. I understand. May I ask if you have any further question for me today?
(2:15:37pm) William L.: This chat will now be terminated due to inactivity. If you need anything else, please start a new live chat session. We would be glad to assist you further. Take care and have a great day!
(2:15:42pm) System: This chat has ended. Click Rate And Exit to rate the representative and our company!