Serverless Error: The header content contains invalid characters

[j-lowry]

This is a Bug Report

Description

On running a test deployment received the error message

 Error --------------------------------------------------
 
     ServerlessError: ServerlessError: The header content
     contains invalid characters

The expected behavior was either a successful deployment or at least an error message from AWS about the relating to the configuration.

• What was the config you used?
• What stacktrace or error message from your provider did you see?

Additional Data

• Serverless Framework Version you're using: 1.6.1
• Operating System: darwin
• Stack Trace:

Error: ServerlessError: ServerlessError: The header content contains invalid characters
    at module.exports.logError (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/serverless/lib/classes/Error.js:87:11)
    at BbPromise.resolve.then.catch.e (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/serverless/bin/serverless:26:3)
    at runCallback (timers.js:651:20)
    at tryOnImmediate (timers.js:624:5)
    at processImmediate [as _immediateCallback] (timers.js:596:5)
From previous event:
    at __dirname (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/serverless/bin/serverless:24:9)
    at Object.<anonymous> (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/serverless/bin/serverless:27:4)
    at Module._compile (module.js:571:32)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (module.js:580:10)
    at Module.load (module.js:488:32)
    at tryModuleLoad (module.js:447:12)
    at Function.Module._load (module.js:439:3)
    at Module.runMain (module.js:605:10)
    at run (bootstrap_node.js:418:7)
    at startup (bootstrap_node.js:139:9)
    at bootstrap_node.js:533:3

• Provider Error messages:

ServerlessError: ServerlessError: The header content
     contains invalid characters

[pmuens]

Hey @j-lowry thanks for opening.

Could you please share your serverless.yml and the corresponding handler file? Thanks!

[j-lowry]

handler.py:

$ cat handler.py 
import json

def hello(event, context):
    body = {
        "message": "Go Serverless v1.0! Your function executed successfully!",
        "input": event
    }

    response = {
        "statusCode": 200,
        "body": json.dumps(body)
    }

    return response

    # Use this code if you don't use the http event with the LAMBDA-PROXY integration
    """
    return {
        "message": "Go Serverless v1.0! Your function executed successfully!",
        "event": event
    }
    """

[j-lowry]

serverless.yml:

$ cat handler.py 
import json

def hello(event, context):
    body = {
        "message": "Go Serverless v1.0! Your function executed successfully!",
        "input": event
    }

    response = {
        "statusCode": 200,
        "body": json.dumps(body)
    }

    return response

    # Use this code if you don't use the http event with the LAMBDA-PROXY integration
    """
    return {
        "message": "Go Serverless v1.0! Your function executed successfully!",
        "event": event
    }
    """

[pmuens]

@j-lowry thanks for the response.

Unfortunately the serverless.yml is missing. Could you update the corresponding comment? Thanks!

[j-lowry]

Woops, sorry about that. Below is the serverless.yml:

$ cat serverless.yml 
# Welcome to Serverless!
#
# This file is the main config file for your service.
# It's very minimal at this point and uses default values.
# You can always add more config options for more control.
# We've included some commented out config examples here.
# Just uncomment any of them to get that config option.
#
# For full config options, check the docs:
#    docs.serverless.com
#
# Happy Coding!

service: test-python

# You can pin your service to only deploy with a specific Serverless version
# Check out our docs for more details
# frameworkVersion: "=X.X.X"

provider:
  name: aws
  runtime: python2.7

# you can overwrite defaults here
#  stage: dev
#  region: us-east-1

# you can add statements to the Lambda function's IAM Role here
#  iamRoleStatements:
#    - Effect: "Allow"
#      Action:
#        - "s3:ListBucket"
#      Resource: { "Fn::Join" : ["", ["arn:aws:s3:::", { "Ref" : "ServerlessDeploymentBucket" } ] ]  }
#    - Effect: "Allow"
#      Action:
#        - "s3:PutObject"
#      Resource:
#        Fn::Join:
#          - ""
#          - - "arn:aws:s3:::"
#            - "Ref" : "ServerlessDeploymentBucket"

# you can define service wide environment variables here
#  environment:
#    variable1: value1

# you can add packaging information here
#package:
#  include:
#    - include-me.py
#    - include-me-dir/**
#  exclude:
#    - exclude-me.py
#    - exclude-me-dir/**

functions:
  hello:
    handler: handler.hello

#    The following are a few example events you can configure
#    NOTE: Please make sure to change your handler code to work with those events
#    Check the event documentation for details
#    events:
#      - http:
#          path: users/create
#          method: get
#      - s3: ${env:BUCKET}
#      - schedule: rate(10 minutes)
#      - sns: greeter-topic
#      - stream: arn:aws:dynamodb:region:XXXXXX:table/foo/stream/1970-01-01T00:00:00.000
#      - alexaSkill
#      - iot:
#          sql: "SELECT * FROM 'some_topic'"

#    Define function environment variables here
#    environment:
#      variable2: value2

# you can add CloudFormation resource templates here
#resources:
#  Resources:
#    NewResource:
#      Type: AWS::S3::Bucket
#      Properties:
#        BucketName: my-new-bucket
#  Outputs:
#     NewOutput:
#       Description: "Description for the output"
#       Value: "Some output value"

[pmuens]

Hmm. That's odd 🤔

So in essence you've done the following:

serverless create --template aws-python --path test-python

cd test-python

serverless deploy

And after that you saw the error? I tried to reproduce it locally but was not successfull...

[j-lowry]

Yes, that is what I saw. I just recreated it again. I am going to go through my local workstation. I running npm from homebrew, not sure if there is some issue there.

[andymac4182]

I have seen this before in another system with the file being encoded with UTF-8 with BOM. Not sure how it happens. I can see that as an encoding in VSCode in the bottom right hand corner.

[pmuens]

@andymac4182 thanks for the pointer. Good idea to check that!

@j-lowry so do you still get the same error if you remove the old service and create a new one from scratch and then deploy that?

[j-lowry]

Unfortunately yes.

[pmuens]

Hey @j-lowry

There seems to be nothing wrong with your serverless.yml and handler file.

I found this comment about credentials setup for the aws-sdk: request/request#2120 (comment)

Maybe it has something todo how your credentials are setup on your local machine...

[j-lowry]

Over the weekend I got it working on a linux host with the same credentials. I nuked my $HOME/.aws/ directory to test with just environment variables and still getting the same error message. I wonder if I have a "/" in the secret_access_key and it is throwing everything off.

[j-lowry]

Yeah, I just regenerated a secret access key without a "/" in it and it works now.

[pmuens]

Thanks for reproducing @j-lowry 👍 That's really interesting!

Adding the bug label here... Not sure if we fix it soon (or if it's something on AWS to look into as well) as it's a kind of edge case.

[pmuens]

Closing this for now since it's an edge case and might be something AWS should fix...

[waqasiftikhar2]

Hi, I am facing the very same error. But I don't have "/" in my access key or secret key either.

I have also done the same:
serverless create --template aws-python --path test-python
cd test-python
serverless deploy

Serverless Error ---------------------------------------

ServerlessError: The header content contains invalid characters

Get Support --------------------------------------------
Docs: docs.serverless.com
Bugs: github.com/serverless/serverless/issues
Forums: forum.serverless.com
Chat: gitter.im/serverless/serverless

Your Environment Information -----------------------------
OS: darwin
Node Version: 8.4.0
Serverless Version: 1.23.0

[waqasiftikhar2]

Well, it seems the problem occurs if you have some sort of special characters in you access key secret. I had a "+" in it. I was able to successfully generate another one without any special characters i.e. all alphabets and it worked then.

[rahuljain840]

@waqasiftikhar2 are you sure about it? because I too have + in my secret access and I am getting the same error.

[alexjurkiewicz]

I am running into this error as well. I see the error when running AWS_PROFILE=foo yarn run sls deploy, but not with AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=x AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=x AWS_DEFAULT_REGION=x AWS_REGION=x yarn run sls deploy.
My ~/.aws/credentials file contains nothing out of the ordinary.

If it matters, I'm running this sls command from a Python (2.7) script.

[mrjgallagher]

Hello,

I ran into this error also.
My ~/.aws/credentials, [or C:\Users\james.aws\credentials on Win10] had a special character and also a new line in it.

Removing both fixed the issue.