With this fix sslClients cannot connect to candlepin using SSLv3:

jmolet|~| ❯ openssl s_client -connect jmolet-cp0.usersys.redhat.com:8443 -ssl3
CONNECTED(00000003)
140693806241648:error:1408F10B:SSL routines:SSL3_GET_RECORD:wrong version number:s3_pkt.c:345:
---

and subscription manager is able to successfully connect:

# subscription-manager register --username=testuser1 --password=password --org=admin
The system has been registered with ID: 52e2cb6d-75aa-4c14-ac8b-a767d1e701bd 

now, switching the server to sslv3 only:
# cat /etc/tomcat/server.xml | grep sslEnabledProtocols
    <Connector SSLEnabled="true" maxThreads="150" scheme="https" secure="true" clientAuth="want" SSLProtocol="TLS" keystoreFile="conf/keystore" truststoreFile="conf/keystore" keystorePass="password" keystoreType="PKCS12" ciphers="SSL_RSA_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA,TLS_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA,TLS_ECDH_ECDSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,TLS_ECDH_ECDSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA,TLS_ECDH_RSA_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA,TLS_ECDH_RSA_WITH_AES_128_CBC_SHA,TLS_ECDH_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA,TLS_ECDHE_RSA_WITH_AES_256_CBC_SHA" truststorePass="password" port="8443" sslEnabledProtocols="SSLv3" protocol="HTTP/1.1" sslEnabledProtocol="SSLv3"/>

#service tomcat restart


On the client, it cannot connect (as expected):

# subscription-manager register --username=testuser1 --password=password --org=admin
Unable to verify server's identity: unsupported protocol

in /etc/rhsm/rhsm.log:

2015-01-23 15:49:55,886 [DEBUG] subscription-manager:29573 @connection.py:469 - Making request: GET /candlepin/
2015-01-23 15:49:55,897 [ERROR] subscription-manager:29573 @managercli.py:161 - Error during registration: unsupported protocol
2015-01-23 15:49:55,897 [ERROR] subscription-manager:29573 @managercli.py:162 - unsupported protocol
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/share/rhsm/subscription_manager/managercli.py", line 1065, in _do_command
    self.options.environment)
  File "/usr/share/rhsm/subscription_manager/managercli.py", line 1163, in _get_environment_id
    supports_environments = cp.supports_resource('environments')
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.7/site-packages/rhsm/connection.py", line 719, in supports_resource
    self._load_supported_resources()
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.7/site-packages/rhsm/connection.py", line 706, in _load_supported_resources
    resources_list = self.conn.request_get("/")
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.7/site-packages/rhsm/connection.py", line 573, in request_get
    return self._request("GET", method)
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.7/site-packages/rhsm/connection.py", line 476, in _request
    conn.request(request_type, handler, body=body, headers=headers)
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.7/httplib.py", line 973, in request
    self._send_request(method, url, body, headers)
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.7/httplib.py", line 1007, in _send_request
    self.endheaders(body)
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.7/httplib.py", line 969, in endheaders
    self._send_output(message_body)
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.7/httplib.py", line 829, in _send_output
    self.send(msg)
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.7/httplib.py", line 791, in send
    self.connect()
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.7/site-packages/M2Crypto/httpslib.py", line 58, in connect
    sock.connect((self.host, self.port))
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.7/site-packages/M2Crypto/SSL/Connection.py", line 185, in connect
    ret = self.connect_ssl()
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.7/site-packages/M2Crypto/SSL/Connection.py", line 178, in connect_ssl
    return m2.ssl_connect(self.ssl, self._timeout)
SSLError: unsupported protocol



this ONLY happens for register, however, and other commands either get a traceback or a timeout:

(in this example I was registered against candlepin before enforcing SSLv3 serverside)
[root@jmolet-vm0 ~]# subscription-manager unregister 
Unable to verify server's identity: timed out

in /etc/rhsm/rhsm.conf:

2015-01-23 15:47:14,829 [DEBUG] subscription-manager:29476 @connection.py:469 - Making request: GET /candlepin/
2015-01-23 15:48:14,893 [ERROR] subscription-manager:29476 @utils.py:250 - Timeout error while checking server version
2015-01-23 15:48:14,894 [ERROR] subscription-manager:29476 @utils.py:251 - timed out
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/share/rhsm/subscription_manager/utils.py", line 244, in get_server_versions
    if cp.supports_resource("status"):
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.7/site-packages/rhsm/connection.py", line 719, in supports_resource
    self._load_supported_resources()
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.7/site-packages/rhsm/connection.py", line 706, in _load_supported_resources
    resources_list = self.conn.request_get("/")
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.7/site-packages/rhsm/connection.py", line 573, in request_get
    return self._request("GET", method)
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.7/site-packages/rhsm/connection.py", line 476, in _request
    conn.request(request_type, handler, body=body, headers=headers)
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.7/httplib.py", line 973, in request
    self._send_request(method, url, body, headers)
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.7/httplib.py", line 1007, in _send_request
    self.endheaders(body)
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.7/httplib.py", line 969, in endheaders
    self._send_output(message_body)
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.7/httplib.py", line 829, in _send_output
    self.send(msg)
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.7/httplib.py", line 791, in send
    self.connect()
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.7/site-packages/M2Crypto/httpslib.py", line 73, in connect
    raise error
SSLTimeoutError: timed out


I'm not sure we should care about cases other than register (since ultimately sub-man client wont ever talk to a candlepin with sslv3 only - which is what we want), but ideally there would be the same error of "unsupported protocol"

This bug is verified in comment 7 .  The timeout confusion will be cleared up in cloned bug 1186488

Since the problem described in this bug report should be
resolved in a recent advisory, it has been closed with a
resolution of ERRATA.

For information on the advisory, and where to find the updated
files, follow the link below.

If the solution does not work for you, open a new bug report.

https://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHBA-2015-0502.html