Software⏱️ 3 min read📅 2026-06-04

How to Fix: Conda update fails with SSL error CERTIFICATE_VERIFY_FAILED

Conda update fails with SSL error CERTIFICATE_VERIFY_FAILED solution.

Quick Answer: Try checking your system settings or restarting.

The 'Conda update fails with SSL error CERTIFICATE_VERIFY_FAILED' issue affects users who are trying to update their Conda packages using the `conda update` command. This error occurs due to an incompatibility between the SSL certificate used by Conda and the one verified by your system.

This error can be frustrating, especially if you rely on Conda for your daily tasks. However, don't worry; there are several methods to resolve this issue, which we will outline below.

⚠️ Common Causes

  • The primary reason for this error is that the SSL certificate used by Conda contains outdated information about trusted certificates. This can cause a mismatch between the certificate verified by your system and the one used by Conda.
  • Another possible cause is that your system's `ssl` module has not been updated, leading to an incompatibility with the SSL certificate used by Conda.

🛠️ Step-by-Step Verified Fixes

Update the ssl module

  1. Step 1: Open a terminal and run the command `sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y libssl-dev` (for Ubuntu-based systems) or `brew upgrade ssl` (for macOS-based systems). This will ensure that your system's `ssl` module is up-to-date.
  2. Step 2: Alternatively, you can use the following command to manually update the SSL certificate: `sudo apt-get install ca-certificates` (for Ubuntu-based systems) or `brew install ca-certificates` (for macOS-based systems).
  3. Step 3: After updating the `ssl` module, try running the `conda update` command again.

Install a third-party ssl certificate package

  1. Step 1: For Ubuntu-based systems, you can install the `certifi` package using the following command: `sudo apt-get install certifi`. This will provide a set of trusted SSL certificates that Conda can use.
  2. Step 2: Alternatively, for macOS-based systems, you can install the `Homebrew` package manager and run the following command: `brew install --cask ca-certificates`.
  3. Step 3: After installing the third-party ssl certificate package, try running the `conda update` command again.

✨ Wrapping Up

If none of the above methods work, it may be necessary to manually edit the Conda configuration file (`~/.condarc`) to specify an alternative SSL certificate. However, this should be a last resort and is not recommended unless you are experienced with editing system files.

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