“OpenSSL: EC_KEY_generate_key FAIL … error:00000000:lib(0):func(0):reason(0)” on pyelliptic.ECC()

Question

I'm getting the above error while using pyelliptic (versions given below).

The python code which triggers it:

print("Salt: %s" % salt)
server_key = pyelliptic.ECC(curve="prime256v1")  # ----->> Line2
print("Server_key: %s" % server_key)   # ----->> Line3
server_key_id = base64.urlsafe_b64encode(server_key.get_pubkey()[1:])

The "Salt: ..." message is displayed okay, the error is in the pyelliptic.ECC() call.

Traceback:

File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/pyelliptic/ecc.py", line 89, in __init__
self.privkey, self.pubkey_x, self.pubkey_y = self._generate()
File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/pyelliptic/ecc.py", line 231, in _generate
raise Exception("[OpenSSL] EC_KEY_generate_key FAIL ... " + OpenSSL.get_error())

The error(s) I get are (the 2nd one may or may not be relevant):

1. Exception('[OpenSSL] EC_KEY_generate_key FAIL ... error:00000000:lib(0):func(0):reason(0)',) (Ref. File Link: https://github.com/yann2192/pyelliptic/blob/master/pyelliptic/ecc.py#L214 )
2. extern "Python": function Cryptography_rand_bytes() called, but @ffi.def_extern() was not called in the current subinterpreter. Returning 0.

Requirements.txt (partial):

setuptools==27.1.2
cryptography==1.5
pyelliptic==1.5.7
pyOpenSSL==16.1.0

https://github.com/yann2192/pyelliptic/issues/39 says that pyelliptic v1.5.7 has some issues with old versions (Not sure if this is applicable here).

Other Details:

Python Version: 2.7.

Getting this error only on Google Compute Engine VM Instance.

Working Fine on Local Development Server. Working Fine from python shell too Google Compute Engine VM.

_{(The question is a follow-up of 'EntryPoint' object has no attribute 'resolve' when using Google Compute Engine , the discussion there might be of use)}

Answer 1

Just added the following: WSGIApplicationGroup %{GLOBAL}

in /etc/apache2/sites-available/default-ssl.conf file and all these errors got resolved.