Skip to main content

Troubleshooting the "m_safeCertContext is in invalid handle" error in OneIQ Pulse

Learn how to troubleshoot connectivity between OneIQ Pulse and OneIQ Portal

Alpha Team avatar
Written by Alpha Team
Updated over a week ago

Overview

The error “m_safeCertContext is an invalid handle” typically occurs when OneIQ Pulse interacts with Windows security certificates. It means that a security certificate context (m_safeCertContext) is being accessed using an invalid or corrupted handle.
​

A handle is a system reference used to manage resources such as files, memory, or certificates. This error indicates that Windows is trying to use a certificate that is missing, invalid, or has become corrupted.

Common Causes

This issue can occur for several reasons:

  • Running the OneIQ Pulse connector on an unsupported operating system.

    → See System Requirements for the list of supported Windows Server versions.

  • Configuring OneIQ Pulse to use an Internet proxy.

  • Interception of outgoing HTTPS traffic to *.oneiq.com (SSL/TLS interception).

Verifying and Resolving Certificate Interception

Some organizations use SSL/TLS interception to monitor encrypted traffic. While useful for security, this can interfere with Pulse’s secure communication with the OneIQ Portal.

If you suspect outbound traffic to *.oneiq.com is being intercepted, follow these steps to verify and correct it.

Step 1: Open the OneIQ Portal

On the machine where OneIQ Pulse is installed, open a browser and navigate to:

https://my.oneiq.com

Step 2: Check the Certificate Details

  1. Click the padlock icon or “Secure” label in your browser’s address bar.

  2. View the certificate information and locate the Common Name (CN) field.

Step 3: Identify Interception

  • If the CN is issued by a non-standard authority (for example, sub-ca-palo-alto), your network traffic is likely being intercepted.

Step 4: Consult Your Security Team

If interception is confirmed:

  1. Contact your organization’s security team.

  2. Share the certificate findings.

  3. Discuss disabling SSL/TLS interception for traffic to *.oneiq.com.

Step 5: Confirm Resolution

After changes are made:

  1. Revisit https://my.oneiq.com.

  2. Confirm that the certificate CN is now issued by a standard certificate authority (e.g., DigiCert, Microsoft, etc.).

  3. Re-run OneIQ Pulse and verify that the error no longer appears.

Summary

If you encounter the “m_safeCertContext is an invalid handle” error:

  1. Confirm that OneIQ Pulse runs on a supported Windows version of Windows Desktop 10/11 or Windows Server 2016+

  2. Verify proxy and firewall configurations.

  3. Ensure no SSL/TLS interception is modifying OneIQ traffic.

Working with your organization’s security team to resolve certificate interception will restore proper communication between OneIQ Pulse and the OneIQ Portal.

Did this answer your question?