Certificates are critical pieces for ensuring the integrity of secure connections on the Web. We have heard more than once about fake certificates or targeted attacks that try to modify them one way or another, but they are generally unknown to the average user. The official verification method that Windows offers is through certmgr.msc. However, a small program called CTLInfo presents the main data in a simple interface.
More than three years have passed since the Superfish scandal shook Lenovo's foundations. The idea of using fake certificates to inject advertising basically qualifies as malware, and the Chinese manufacturer had to act quickly, activating an extensive damage control. On the other hand, it is worrying to know that many high-traffic sites offer insecure connections to their visitors. The process is not that complicated, and even Let's Encrypt issues them for free. Now, it is not a bad idea for users to be more informed about certificates. The problem is that Windows does not present its details openly. The official route requires opening certmgr.msc, but its division into categories makes things more complicated.
Exploring certificates with CTLInfo
Here comes CTLInfo, which reports all certificates on the system (trusted or not) under a simple list. The program explains that Windows performs updates of trusted certificates once a week, and the rest is verified daily. The good news is that CTLInfo shows all certificates in a simple way. The bad news is that the details don't go beyond its general name and the Subject ID. Other aspects like the expiration date and the original issuer will need to be checked in certmgr.msc. CTLInfo includes a button in its interface that in theory forces Windows to update certificates. However, that function is not available in Windows 10.
After investigating its development a bit, CTLInfo gives the impression of having been abandoned. That would explain the limited current state of the application, and it's a shame, because there is a lot of potential here. Users need to know more about certificates, and CTLInfo could be the key. We hope the developer extends its capabilities in the future.
