C# Google Drive Get File return Invalid Algorithm

Question

I am stuck with this problem. I am working with Google Drive in C# with P12 files. It works fine on my Local machine and on Server. I need to deploy it on Client new server where i face this issue when i try to get Files it return Invalid Algorithm. Same settings work fine on my local machine and on other server . It seems to be machine specific issue. Application is running on Windows 7 Professional 64 bit OS. Service is created successfully certificate is read but following code return error Here is my code which return error

FilesResource.ListRequest list = service.Files.List();
list.PageSize = 100;
            
files = list.Execute().Files; /// This line has error

Can it be a Firewall Issue. What should be opned on Firewall?

Here is my Authorization code:

public override DriveService AuthenticateServiceAccount(DriveRequest request)
    {
        if (request == null)
            return null;
        string errorMessage = "Exception: invalid Drive Request";
        if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(request.EmailAccount) || string.IsNullOrEmpty(request.KeyFilePath))
            return null;
        errorMessage = "Exception: Keyfile not found on the path-" + request.KeyFilePath;
        // check the file exists
        if (!System.IO.File.Exists(request.KeyFilePath))
        {
            Commons.Utilities.WriteLog(errorMessage);                
            return null;
        }

      

        //---- This scope is used For G-Suite Account
        string[] scopes = new string[] { DriveService.Scope.Drive };  
        errorMessage = "Exception: issue with certificate";

        var certificate = new X509Certificate2(request.KeyFilePath, "notasecret", X509KeyStorageFlags.Exportable | X509KeyStorageFlags.MachineKeySet | X509KeyStorageFlags.PersistKeySet);
        try
        {
            ServiceAccountCredential credential = null;
            if (request.UserAccount != "" && request.UserAccount != null)
            {
                credential = new ServiceAccountCredential(
                    new ServiceAccountCredential.Initializer(request.EmailAccount)
                    {
                        Scopes = scopes,
                        User = request.UserAccount
                    }.FromCertificate(certificate));
            }
            else {
                credential = new ServiceAccountCredential(
                new ServiceAccountCredential.Initializer(request.EmailAccount)
                {
                    Scopes = scopes
                }.FromCertificate(certificate));
            }
            errorMessage = "Exception: while creating google service";
            if (service == null) {
                // Create the service.
                service = new DriveService(new BaseClientService.Initializer()
                {
                    HttpClientInitializer = credential,
                    ApplicationName = "Simplicity Cloud Project" // User defined any name can be given
                }) ;
            }
            return service;
        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
            //Console.WriteLine(ex.InnerException);
            Commons.Utilities.WriteLog(errorMessage);
            return null;
        }
    }

Here is the generated log:

Read Certificate 2021-11-22 15:25:58,416 |SimplicityOnlineWebApi.Commons.Utilities|INFO| - Certificate is read:[Subject] CN=102737515943555401961

[Issuer] CN=102737515943555401961

[Serial Number] 1E269224F694B808

[Not Before] 02/09/2016 16:24:59

[Not After] 31/08/2026 16:24:59

[Thumbprint] C26D88E95B402EFCC1AC81230F89C0B7887A6C6A

2021-11-22 15:25:58,445 |SimplicityOnlineWebApi.Commons.Utilities|INFO| - Creating Service 2021-11-22 15:25:58,455 |SimplicityOnlineWebApi.Commons.Utilities|INFO| - Service has been created successfully Google.Apis.Drive.v3.DriveService

2021-11-22 15:25:58,528 |SimplicityOnlineWebApi.Commons.Utilities|INFO| - Error occured in GetFiles:Invalid algorithm specified.

Here is the code of GetFile method

Here is code:public override AttachmentFilesFolder GetFiles(DriveService service, string search)
    {
        AttachmentFilesFolder attachments = null;
        IList<File> files = new List<File>();
        
        try
        {
            //List all of the files and directories for the current user.  
            FilesResource.ListRequest list = service.Files.List();
            list.PageSize = 100;
            Utilities.WriteLog("Getting files");
            files = list.Execute().Files;
        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
            Utilities.WriteLog("Error occured in GetFiles:" + ex.message);
        }

}

Answer 1

Issues with P12 files.

Issues authorizing a service account with the p12 key file normally relate back to the line X509KeyStorageFlags.MachineKeySet | X509KeyStorageFlags.Exportable if I recall it has to do with where and how the key is stored on the server. That being said it was also when the app was hosted in Azure and the error message was diffrent then what you state you are seeing. I wrote a blog post on it a few years ago Azure with service accounts in C#

This is the code i use for p12 files

var certificate = new X509Certificate2(serviceAccountCredentialFilePath, "notasecret", X509KeyStorageFlags.MachineKeySet | X509KeyStorageFlags.Exportable);
var credential = new ServiceAccountCredential(new ServiceAccountCredential.Initializer(serviceAccountEmail)
        {
        Scopes = scopes
        }.FromCertificate(certificate));

// Create the  Drive service.
return new DriveService(new BaseClientService.Initializer()
       {
        HttpClientInitializer = credential,
        ApplicationName = "Drive Authentication Sample",
        });

Json key file

Honestly you should not bother using the p12 file you should use the json key file for service accounts this is much easer to work with and you wont have the issues with the server giving you greif.

GoogleCredential credential;
                using (var stream = new FileStream(serviceAccountCredentialFilePath, FileMode.Open, FileAccess.Read))
                {
                    credential = GoogleCredential.FromStream(stream)
                         .CreateScoped(scopes);
                }

                // Create the  Analytics service.
                return new DriveService(new BaseClientService.Initializer()
                {
                    HttpClientInitializer = credential,
                    ApplicationName = "Drive Service account Authentication Sample",
                });

Answer 2

I'm fairly certain that there's nothing in your code, your service account or Google client libraries that's provoking this error. What I think is happening:

ServiceAccountCredential uses SHA256 to sign payloads when making auth requests. The error you are getting suggests that your machine currently does not support SHA256.

Older versions of Windows 7 do not support SHA256. You can read more about it here: 2019 SHA-2 Code Signing Support requirement for Windows and WSUS where there's also a list of updates you need to install for your Windows 7 machine to support SHA256.

If, after checking that your system is up to date, you continue to receive the same error, that still would indicate some SHA256 incompatibility in your environment. There's a long thread here Why am I getting "Invalid algorithm specified" exception with fixes/workarounds for different causes, and some of those may apply to you.