DOC: Improper Argument in VERIFYSERVERCERT Function (316908)

MORE INFORMATION

The following example shows you how the MSDN documentation for the VERIFYSERVERCERT function should look.

VERIFYSERVERCERT

VERIFYSERVERCERT is a callback function that allows a client to evaluate the certificate chain of the server to which it is connected.

BOOLEAN _cdecl VERIFYSERVERCERT(
  PLDAP Connection, 
  PCCERT_CONTEXT* ppServerCert
); 

Parameters

ConnectionppServerCert Return Values
If the function succeeds (the client approves the server certificate), the return value is TRUE.

If the function fails; the return value is FALSE and the secure connection is torn down.

Remarks
The VERIFYSERVERCERT callback function allows the client to verify the certificate of the server. The client registers a callback which is invoked after the secure connection is set up. The server certificate context is presented to the callback function, where it can be verified as acceptable or not. To register this callback, call

ldap_set_option (conn, LDAP_OPT_SERVER_CERTIFICATE, &CertRoutine)

where CertRoutine is the address of your callback function.

The server calls VERIFYSERVERCERT after the secure connection has been established. The server's certificate context is supplied for examination by the client.

As noted in the parameter description, there is a mistake in the pServerCert parameter. What is actually passed back to this parameter is a pointer to a pointer to the CERT_CONTEXT. Even though VERIFYSERVERCERT is declared as receiving a PCCERT_CONTEXT, it in fact receives a PCCERT_CONTEXT*. So an application should use it as:

 
PCCERT_CONTEXT* ppServerCert = (PCCERT_CONTEXT*)pServerCert;
				

Then ppServerCert can be used to verify the certificate. CertFreeCertificateContext should be called before this function returns. Because of the mistake in the pServerCert parameter, the call to this function should be made as follows

 
CertFreeCertificateContext(*ppServerCert);
				

Alternatively, the function can be:

CertFreeCertificateContext(*((PCCERT_CONTEXT*)pServerCert));

Requirements
Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP: Included in Windows 2000 and later.

Redistributable:
Requires Active Directory Client Extension on Windows NT 4.0 SP6a and Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Millennium Edition (Me).

Header: Declared in Winldap.h.

See Also
Functions, ldap_set_option