230303 - The years in certificate validity encoded in GeneralizedTime are displayed in two-digit format

Status: RESOLVED INVALID

(Core Graveyard :: Security: UI, defect)

Description

[Wan-Teh Chang]

This bug was first mentioned in bug 229565 comment 3.

NSS 3.9 or newer supports GeneralizedTime.  However,
PSM displays the years in certificate validity
encoded in GeneralizedTime with only two digits.

Obviously the year in a GeneralizedTime should be
displayed with four digits.  I propose that we also
display the year in a UTCTime with four digits.

Comment 1

[Wan-Teh Chang]

Made the bug's summary clearer.

Comment 2

[John G. Myers]

Could someone please attach a test case?

Comment 3

[Nelson Bolyard (seldom reads bugmail)]

John,  such a cert is attached to bug 212945.  

Comment 4

[Nelson Bolyard (seldom reads bugmail)]

Question for [e-mail] (who submitted bug 229565, from which this bug derived):

WHERE does the date display with a 2-digit year?
Please attach a screen shot.

I imported the cert attached to bug 212945, and examined it with the cert viewer.
The date was always shown with 4 digits, in both the General and Details tabs.
I couldn't find a cert date display that showed fewer than 4 digits.  

I tested on Win2k.  I have set my Win2K preference for date display in the 
Win2k "Regional Options" control panel (date tab) to yyyy-MM-dd and I see 
that format everywhere.   What date format have you selected?  
Perhaps this is a Windows issue rather than a moz issue??

Comment 5

[c++]

Attachment: screenshot from linux build 2004010408

screenshot while trying to examine the cert under linux

Comment 6

[c++]

Attachment: the root cert for tests

this is the root-cert i used for testing.

Comment 7

[c++]

Attachment: screenshot from a windows client examining the cert

this is the info you'll see when you open the cert under windows

Comment 8

[c++]

Attachment: output from openssl

and finally the result from an
[bash] openssl x509 -inform DER -in bp-root.cer -text -out erg.txt

Comment 9

[John G. Myers]

The date format is entirely controlled by the OS-level locale settings.  In Mac
OS X, changing the os-level locale preferences to include centuries in years
caused Mozilla to start displaying 4-digit years in the cert viewer.

The only alternative is to use an ISO8601-style date format (YYYY-MM-DD),
regardless of locale.

Comment 10

[c++]

i believe that showing the full year-format is the best option. the 
locale-settings should only drive the ordering and decoration of the date-format 
(YYYY-MM-DD or MM/DD/YYYY etc.)

Comment 11

[John G. Myers]

The choices are for the locale to completely handle the date format like it does
now or for the locale to have absolutely no effect on the date format.  There is
no middle ground.

Didn't mean to close this bug.

Comment 12

[Nelson Bolyard (seldom reads bugmail)]

John, Agree with with your action in comment 9.  
Honor the user's locale choice.  Resolve invalid.

Comment 13

[John G. Myers]

Kai, it's your call.

Comment 14

[Kai Engert [:KaiE:]]

I fully agree.
On my Linux system with default locale setting I do see the full century.

Resolving invalid.