PHPMailer – SSL3_GET_SERVER_CERTIFICATE:certificate verify failed

PHP 5.6 introduces SSL certificate verification, so if your config is broken, it will fail with this error. You should fix your SSL, but you can revert to the old behaviour by setting the SMTPOptions property to not verify certificates:

$mail->SMTPOptions = array(
    'ssl' => array(
        'verify_peer' => false,
        'verify_peer_name' => false,
        'allow_self_signed' => true
    )
);

Editing the library defeats the entire point of libraries – and if you do as Kaf’s answer suggests, your code will break when you upgrade. Really, don’t do that.

Editor’s note: disabling SSL verification has security implications. Without verification of the authenticity of SSL/HTTPS connections, a malicious attacker can impersonate a trusted endpoint (such as GitHub or some other remote Git host), and you’ll be vulnerable to a Man-in-the-Middle Attack. Be sure you fully understand the security issues before using this as a solution.

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