php soapclient wsdl SOAP-ERROR: Parsing WSDL: Couldn't load from - php

Question

I have googled and looked here in stackoverflow but I have not found a solution to my specific problem. I keep getting the error
SOAP-ERROR: Parsing WSDL: Couldnt load from "https://sampleurl.com/MerchantQueryService.asmx?WSDL" : failed to load external entity "https://sampleurl.com/MerchantQueryService.asmx?WSDL"
I am trying to use a SOAP API with a URL like
https://sampleurl.com/MerchantQueryService.asmx?WSDL
I am running MAMP on my localhost and using godaddy shared hosting, I have tried on both with the wsdl file can be found here
http://clemdemo.com/test.wsdl
In PHP I use the code below
error_reporting(-1);
ini_set('display_errors', 'On');
ini_set('soap.wsdl_cache_enabled', 0);
echo "<pre>";
try {
$url = "https://sampleurl.com/MerchantQueryService.asmx?WSDL ";
$headers = [
'Host: sampleurl.com',
'Connection: Keep-Alive',
'User-Agent: PHP-SOAP/5.3.29',
'Content-Type: text/xml; charset=utf-8',
'SOAPAction: "RequestTransaction"',
'Content-Length: 409'];
$rq = [
"userName" => "username_here",
"passWord" => "password_here",
"referenceId" => "3455566694",
"msisdn" => "346774313"];
try {
$cient = new SoapClient($url,
[
'soap_version' => SOAP_1_2,
'exceptions' => 1,
'cache_wsdl' => WSDL_CACHE_NONE,
'trace' => 1,
'stream_context' => stream_context_create(array('http' => array('header' => $headers)))
]);
print_r($cient);
} catch (SoapFault $e) {
echo "\nFault Code: ".$e->faultcode;
echo "\nFault String: ".$e->faultstring;
}
On my MAMP localhost i have SOAP,openssl and curl.
ALSO, I tried using (sending request) to the API with an online WSDL http://wsdlbrowser.com it WORKS but on code using PHP it fails

Answer 1

It often happens that providers neglect their SSL certificates and hence the sites and services end up having an invalid certificates - I suspect this is the case here.
Disabling the certificate validation as described by Kaii here or even better get your provider to fix their certificate.
Your code could/should then be something like:
$url = "https://sampleurl.com/MerchantQueryService.asmx?WSDL ";
$context = stream_context_create(array(
'ssl' => array(
'verify_peer' => false,
'verify_peer_name' => false,
'allow_self_signed' => true
)
));
$rq = ["userName" => "username_here",
"passWord" => "password_here",
"referenceId" => "3455566694",
"msisdn" => "346774313"];
$service = new SoapClient($url, array('stream_context' => $context));
$service->RequestTransaction($rq);

Answer 2

The error message appears to say that your app is not able to read our WSDL. Try opening a browser from the same machine on which your app is running and see if you can access the WSDL address at https://sampleurl.com/MerchantQueryService.asmx?WSDL.
If not - you have a network/firewall/Anti Virus problem. (in case)
If you can access this address from a browser - is your app still experiencing this problem? then check any app that could be hindering your firewall.(Anti virus are most probable cause)

Answer 3

If you use docker there is a chance you get error because of OpenSSL default security level. Even if you disable verify and allow self-signed in SoapClient options.
Try out to lower seclevel in /etc/ssl/openssl.cnf from DEFAULT#SECLEVEL=2 to
DEFAULT#SECLEVEL=1
Or just add into Dockerfile
RUN sed -i "s|DEFAULT#SECLEVEL=2|DEFAULT#SECLEVEL=1|g" /etc/ssl/openssl.cnf
By: https://github.com/dotnet/runtime/issues/30667#issuecomment-566482876
You can verify it by run on container
curl -A 'cURL User Agent' -4 https://ewus.nfz.gov.pl/ws-broker-server-ewus/services/Auth?wsdl

Answer 4

Better diagnostics can be performed with: libxml_get_last_error();
Could have cached a bad response, set 'cache_wsdl' => WSDL_CACHE_NONE when initating the object
if you skip cache, and get this in your libxml error:
LibXMLError Object
(
[level] => 1
[code] => 1549
[column] => 0
[message] => failed to load external entity "URL"
[file] =>
[line] => 0
)
With no description on Ubuntu, then its not pulling the file period. You just got hit with the Ubuntu update. Wave them the bronx salute and reboot.