Hi, I have a small perl scripts which retrieves data from a a webserver running in my own network. The server uses https with a self signed certificate. I'm currently using LWP::UserAgent with "ssl_opts('verify_hostname' => 0) which works but is insecure. Since I'm only making connections to this single server I am able to hardcode information about its certificate in the script. From what I've read I should be able to supply the certificate using the "SSL_ca_file" option. I'm using an export of the certificate made by firefox which I stored in the same directory as the script as "cert.pem". The code is given below: 
#!/usr/bin/perl
use strict;
use warnings;

use LWP::UserAgent;
use Data::Dumper;
use IO::Socket::SSL qw(debug3);

my $server="192.168.100.222";
my $port="443";

my $cert = "cert.pem"; #using relative or absolute paths doesn't make 
+a difference
my $ua  = LWP::UserAgent->new();
$ua->ssl_opts('SSL_ca_file' => $cert); #doesn't work
#$ua->ssl_opts('verify_hostname' => 0); #works

my $response= $ua->get("https://$server:$port/");
print $response->as_string;

[download]
The connection fails with the following debug output (stripped certificate identity) 
DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:1653: new ctx 39194656
DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:363: socket not yet connected
DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:365: socket connected
DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:383: ssl handshake not started
DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:433: set socket to non-blocking to enforce
+ timeout=180
DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:446: Net::SSLeay::connect -> -1
DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:456: ssl handshake in progress
DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:466: waiting for fd to become ready: SSL w
+ants a read first
DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:486: socket ready, retrying connect
DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:1641: ok=1 cert=38910576
DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:1201: scheme=www cert=38910576
DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:1210: identity=192.168.100.222 cn=________
+____ alt=
DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:446: Net::SSLeay::connect -> -1
DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:1328: SSL connect attempt failed with unkn
+own error error:14090086:SSL routines:SSL3_GET_SERVER_CERTIFICATE:cer
+tificate verify failed

DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:452: fatal SSL error: SSL connect attempt 
+failed with unknown error error:14090086:SSL routines:SSL3_GET_SERVER
+_CERTIFICATE:certificate verify failed
DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:1328: IO::Socket::IP configuration failed 
+error:00000000:lib(0):func(0):reason(0)

DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:1690: free ctx 39194656 open=39194656
DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:1695: free ctx 39194656 callback
DEBUG: .../IO/Socket/SSL.pm:1698: OK free ctx 39194656
500 Can't connect to 192.168.100.222:443
Content-Type: text/plain
Client-Date: Tue, 06 Jan 2015 14:53:10 GMT
Client-Warning: Internal response

Can't connect to 192.168.100.222:443

[download]
If someone could tell me what I'm doing wrong or if there is a different way to securely connect to a server using a self-signed certificate it would be highly appreciated! OS: Debian Wheezy Perl 5.14.2

In reply to HTTPS connection with LWP and self-signed certificate by Anonymous Monk

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