How To Fix The Err SSL Bad Record Mac Alert Error

Before fixing this error, let us learn about why this error occurs. There are 3 major causes of this error:

Third-party antivirus software is inspecting the HTTPS traffic.
Chrome build is severely outdated.
Router’s MTU value is incompatible with the network configuration.

Then how to fix the ERR_SSL_BAD_RECORD_MAC_ALERT error?

Follow the methods below.

Method 1: Disable HTTPS Inspection from Third-party Antivirus Settings
If you have installed third-party antivirus software (such as AVAST, BitDefender, and McAfee) on your computer and it is configured to inspect HTTPS traffic for guarding against malicious attacks on the secure channels, then you may meet the ERR_SSL_BAD_RECORD_MAC_ALERT error.

Antivirus software is used to keep your system safe, so you don’t need to uninstall it completely. You can just disable the excessive HTTPS scanning to fix the error. The steps to disable HTTPS inspection depend on the AV you are using.

Below we will take BitDefender as an example to introduce how to do it.

Step 1: Open BitDefender and then go to Features.

Step 2: Choose Web Protection and then choose SETTINGS.

Step 3: Switch the toggle to turn the Scan SSL feature off.

After you disable HTTPS inspection, then you can restart your Chrome to check if the error still appears when accessing the web addresses. If it appears again, try the following method.

Method 2: Update Google Chrome
If your Google Chrome is not up to date, then you can meet the ERR_SSL_BAD_RECORD_MAC_ALERT error. Therefore, updating your Chrome to the latest version may fix the error.

Here is a quick guide to doing that:

Step 1: Open Chrome at first, and then click the three vertical dots on the top right corner to choose Help > About Google Chrome.

Step 2: Wait for the scanning to complete and then click Update Chrome. Then wait for the new version to be installed.

Step 3: Restart your browser to check if the ERR_SSL_BAD_RECORD_MAC_ALERT error is fixed. If not, try the next method.

Method 3: Change the Router’s MTU to 1400
If the two methods above cannot solve the ERR_SSL_BAD_RECORD_MAC_ALERT issue, then you can try to change the involved router’s MTU value to 1400.

The steps to change the MTU (Maximum Transmission Unit) will vary depending on your router manufacturer. But we listed some general steps below:

Step 1: Open your Google Chrome and then enter your router login address. (Most routers use the default IPs: 192.168.0.1, 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.2.1).

Step 2: Look through the router’s settings and any network or WAN settings that can change the MTU size. On most routers, you can find it in the Advanced menu under the WAN setup.

Step 3: Set the MTU size to 1400 and click Save (or Apply) to save the changes.

Step 4: Restart your router and relaunch your browser to check if the error is fixed.