Update pkcs8 defaults.

[thirdparty/openssl.git] / doc / apps / pkcs8.pod

=pod

=head1 NAME

pkcs8 - PKCS#8 format private key conversion tool

=head1 SYNOPSIS

B<openssl> B<pkcs8>
[B<-help>]
[B<-topk8>]
[B<-inform PEM|DER>]
[B<-outform PEM|DER>]
[B<-in filename>]
[B<-passin arg>]
[B<-out filename>]
[B<-passout arg>]
[B<-iter count>]
[B<-noiter>]
[B<-nocrypt>]
[B<-v2 alg>]
[B<-v2prf alg>]
[B<-v1 alg>]
[B<-engine id>]
[B<-scrypt>]
[B<-scrypt_N N>]
[B<-scrypt_r r>]
[B<-scrypt_p p>]

=head1 DESCRIPTION

The B<pkcs8> command processes private keys in PKCS#8 format. It can handle
both unencrypted PKCS#8 PrivateKeyInfo format and EncryptedPrivateKeyInfo
format with a variety of PKCS#5 (v1.5 and v2.0) and PKCS#12 algorithms.

=head1 COMMAND OPTIONS

=over 4

=item B<-help>

Print out a usage message.

=item B<-topk8>

Normally a PKCS#8 private key is expected on input and a traditional format
private key will be written. With the B<-topk8> option the situation is
reversed: it reads a traditional format private key and writes a PKCS#8
format key.

=item B<-inform DER|PEM>

This specifies the input format. If a PKCS#8 format key is expected on input
then either a B<DER> or B<PEM> encoded version of a PKCS#8 key will be
expected. Otherwise the B<DER> or B<PEM> format of the traditional format
private key is used.

=item B<-outform DER|PEM>

This specifies the output format, the options have the same meaning as the
B<-inform> option.

=item B<-in filename>

This specifies the input filename to read a key from or standard input if this
option is not specified. If the key is encrypted a pass phrase will be
prompted for.

=item B<-passin arg>

the input file password source. For more information about the format of B<arg>
see the B<PASS PHRASE ARGUMENTS> section in L<openssl(1)>.

=item B<-out filename>

This specifies the output filename to write a key to or standard output by
default. If any encryption options are set then a pass phrase will be
prompted for. The output filename should B<not> be the same as the input
filename.

=item B<-passout arg>

the output file password source. For more information about the format of B<arg>
see the B<PASS PHRASE ARGUMENTS> section in L<openssl(1)>.

=item B<-iter count>

When creating new PKCS#8 containers, use a given number of iterations on
the password in deriving the encryption key for the PKCS#8 output.
High values increase the time required to brute-force a PKCS#8 container.

=item B<-nocrypt>

PKCS#8 keys generated or input are normally PKCS#8 EncryptedPrivateKeyInfo
structures using an appropriate password based encryption algorithm. With
this option an unencrypted PrivateKeyInfo structure is expected or output.
This option does not encrypt private keys at all and should only be used
when absolutely necessary. Certain software such as some versions of Java
code signing software used unencrypted private keys.

=item B<-v2 alg>

This option sets the PKCS#5 v2.0 algorithm.

The B<alg> argument is the encryption algorithm to use, valid values include
B<aes128>, B<aes256> and B<des3>. If this option isn't specified then B<aes256>
is used.

=item B<-v2prf alg>

This option sets the PRF algorithm to use with PKCS#5 v2.0. A typical value
value would be B<hmacWithSHA256>. If this option isn't set then the default
for the cipher is used or B<hmacWithSHA256> if there is no default.

Some implementations may not support custom PRF algorithms and may require
the B<hmacWithSHA1> option to work.

=item B<-v1 alg>

This option indicates a PKCS#5 v1.5 or PKCS#12 algorithm should be used.  Some
older implementations may not support PKCS#5 v2.0 and may require this option.
If not specified PKCS#5 v2.0 for is used.

=item B<-engine id>

specifying an engine (by its unique B<id> string) will cause B<pkcs8>
to attempt to obtain a functional reference to the specified engine,
thus initialising it if needed. The engine will then be set as the default
for all available algorithms.

=item B<-scrypt>

uses the B<scrypt> algorithm for private key encryption using default
parameters: currently N=16384, r=8 and p=1 and AES in CBC mode with a 256 bit
key. These parameters can be modified using the B<-scrypt_N>, B<-scrypt_r>,
B<-scrypt_p> and B<-v2> options.

B<-scrypt_N N> B<-scrypt_r r> B<-scrypt_p p>

sets the scrypt B<N>, B<r> or B<p> parameters.

=back

=head1 NOTES

By default, when converting a key to PKCS#8 format, PKCS#5 v2.0 using 256 bit
AES with HMAC and SHA256 is used.

Some older implementations do not support PKCS#5 v2.0 format and require
the older PKCS#5 v1.5 form instead, possibly also requiring insecure weak
encryption algorithms such as 56 bit DES.

The encrypted form of a PEM encode PKCS#8 files uses the following
headers and footers:

 -----BEGIN ENCRYPTED PRIVATE KEY-----
 -----END ENCRYPTED PRIVATE KEY-----

The unencrypted form uses:

 -----BEGIN PRIVATE KEY-----
 -----END PRIVATE KEY-----

Private keys encrypted using PKCS#5 v2.0 algorithms and high iteration
counts are more secure that those encrypted using the traditional
SSLeay compatible formats. So if additional security is considered
important the keys should be converted.

It is possible to write out DER encoded encrypted private keys in
PKCS#8 format because the encryption details are included at an ASN1
level whereas the traditional format includes them at a PEM level.

=head1 PKCS#5 v1.5 and PKCS#12 algorithms.

Various algorithms can be used with the B<-v1> command line option,
including PKCS#5 v1.5 and PKCS#12. These are described in more detail
below.

=over 4

=item B<PBE-MD2-DES PBE-MD5-DES>

These algorithms were included in the original PKCS#5 v1.5 specification.
They only offer 56 bits of protection since they both use DES.

=item B<PBE-SHA1-RC2-64 PBE-MD2-RC2-64 PBE-MD5-RC2-64 PBE-SHA1-DES>

These algorithms are not mentioned in the original PKCS#5 v1.5 specification
but they use the same key derivation algorithm and are supported by some
software. They are mentioned in PKCS#5 v2.0. They use either 64 bit RC2 or
56 bit DES.

=item B<PBE-SHA1-RC4-128 PBE-SHA1-RC4-40 PBE-SHA1-3DES PBE-SHA1-2DES PBE-SHA1-RC2-128 PBE-SHA1-RC2-40>

These algorithms use the PKCS#12 password based encryption algorithm and
allow strong encryption algorithms like triple DES or 128 bit RC2 to be used.

=back

=head1 EXAMPLES

Convert a private from traditional to PKCS#5 v2.0 format using triple
DES:

 openssl pkcs8 -in key.pem -topk8 -v2 des3 -out enckey.pem

Convert a private from traditional to PKCS#5 v2.0 format using AES with
256 bits in CBC mode and B<hmacWithSHA256> PRF:

 openssl pkcs8 -in key.pem -topk8 -v2 aes-256-cbc -v2prf hmacWithSHA256 -out enckey.pem

Convert a private key to PKCS#8 using a PKCS#5 1.5 compatible algorithm
(DES):

 openssl pkcs8 -in key.pem -topk8 -out enckey.pem

Convert a private key to PKCS#8 using a PKCS#12 compatible algorithm
(3DES):

 openssl pkcs8 -in key.pem -topk8 -out enckey.pem -v1 PBE-SHA1-3DES

Read a DER unencrypted PKCS#8 format private key:

 openssl pkcs8 -inform DER -nocrypt -in key.der -out key.pem

Convert a private key from any PKCS#8 format to traditional format:

 openssl pkcs8 -in pk8.pem -out key.pem

Convert a private key to PKCS#8 format, encrypting with AES-256 and with
one million iterations of the password:

 openssl pkcs8 -in raw.pem -topk8 -v2 aes-256-cbc -iter 1000000 -out pk8.pem

=head1 STANDARDS

Test vectors from this PKCS#5 v2.0 implementation were posted to the
pkcs-tng mailing list using triple DES, DES and RC2 with high iteration
counts, several people confirmed that they could decrypt the private
keys produced and Therefore it can be assumed that the PKCS#5 v2.0
implementation is reasonably accurate at least as far as these
algorithms are concerned.

The format of PKCS#8 DSA (and other) private keys is not well documented:
it is hidden away in PKCS#11 v2.01, section 11.9. OpenSSL's default DSA
PKCS#8 private key format complies with this standard.

=head1 BUGS

There should be an option that prints out the encryption algorithm
in use and other details such as the iteration count.

PKCS#8 using triple DES and PKCS#5 v2.0 should be the default private
key format for OpenSSL: for compatibility several of the utilities use
the old format at present.

=head1 SEE ALSO

L<dsa(1)>, L<rsa(1)>, L<genrsa(1)>,
L<gendsa(1)>

=head1 HISTORY

The B<-iter> option was added to OpenSSL 1.1.0.

=cut