Topic: Apache crashes due to mod_ssl

[teampark]

Hello,
since few days we are experiencing crashes with apache.
Here is the message in error.log :
[Tue Oct 08 09:04:24 2013] [notice] Parent: child process exited with status 255 -- Restarting.
httpd.exe: Syntax error on line 122 of C:/Apache2/conf/httpd.conf: Cannot load C:/Apache2/modules/mod_ssl.so into server: The operating system cannot run %1.

Conf :
Apache/2.2.24 (Win32) mod_ssl/2.2.24 OpenSSL/1.0.1e
Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard (64 bits)
We load 2 unusual modules : OpenAM is a self-signed module provided by Cap-Gemini and we also load a plugin for Websphere provided by IBM.

This configuration works fine since 4 months and errors start 3 days ago (any changes on our server since one month) : 4 or 5 times per day apache stop with only the error above (only in working hours.

Running in debug mode I have another interesting message :
[Tue Oct 08 09:08:54 2013] [debug] ssl_engine_io.c(1918): OpenSSL: I/O error, 5 bytes expected to read on BIO#4c5e160 [mem: 4c0192b]
[Tue Oct 08 09:08:54 2013] [info] [client 10.76.160.62] (OS 10060)A connection attempt failed because the connected party did not properly respond after a period of time, or established connection failed because connected host has failed to respond. : SSL input filter read failed.

I have any idea about how to identify the root cause of this problem.

[Steffen]

When there are not any change/update last month on your box or network, then the first thought is a hardware (disk) failure because the error that the mod could not be loaded.

You can try to get a fresh download of mod_ssl.

Any clue in the Windows Event Viewer ?

Where did you downloaded Apache ?

Steffen

[teampark]

No disk failure to my knowledge.
I have downloaded apache on this site.

At the time of the crash we have only this in the event viewer :
Faulting application name: httpd.exe, version: 2.2.24.0, time stamp: 0x512bc4fb
Faulting module name: ntdll.dll, version: 6.1.7601.18205, time stamp: 0x51db9710
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x0002e3be
Faulting process id: 0x2310
Faulting application start time: 0x01cec36b2e7d1034
Faulting application path: C:\Apache2\bin\httpd.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Windows\SysWOW64\ntdll.dll
Report Id: db56e707-2fe7-11e3-b25f-005056990031

[Steffen]

Strange when nothing, nothing changed on your box, including network, software etc. And no other error seen.

So all is working fine and sudden it crashes 4-5 times a day ?

You using for example php or you IBM thingy which needs openssl 0.9.x

You can also look at the latest request(s) before the crash.

Steffen

[teampark]

Hello Steffen,
I'm sure we don't made change on our server but i don't have the hand on network/firewall part.
We don't use php and IBM plugin have not change, but I have ask to the team which manage our signin solution if they have done change because they add an header on each request so it can be linked.
We force traffic in SSL, do you think it can have an impact (due to download/upload charge for example) ?
Checking documentation i also found this 3 commands but i'm not sure of the effect :
EnableMMAP off
AcceptFilter https none
AcceptFilter http none

Nicolas

[Steffen]

That three directives are for 2.4

For 2.2 they are:

Win32DisableAcceptEx
EnableSendfile Off
EnableMMAP off

Just try them, who knows.