1CERTUTIL(1) NSS Security Tools CERTUTIL(1)
2
6 certutil - Manage keys and certificate in both NSS databases and other
7 NSS tokens
8
10 certutil [options] [[arguments]]
11
13 This documentation is still work in progress. Please contribute to the
14 initial review in Mozilla NSS bug 836477[1]
15
17 The Certificate Database Tool, certutil, is a command-line utility that
18 can create and modify certificate and key databases. It can
19 specifically list, generate, modify, or delete certificates, create or
20 change the password, generate new public and private key pairs, display
21 the contents of the key database, or delete key pairs within the key
22 database.
23 Certificate issuance, part of the key and certificate management
25 process, requires that keys and certificates be created in the key
26 database. This document discusses certificate and key database
27 management. For information on the security module database management,
28 see the modutil manpage.
29
31 Running certutil always requires one and only one command option to
32 specify the type of certificate operation. Each command option may take
33 zero or more arguments. The command option -H will list all the command
34 options and their relevant arguments.
35 Command Options
37 -A
39 Add an existing certificate to a certificate database. The
40 certificate database should already exist; if one is not present,
41 this command option will initialize one by default.
42 -B
44 Run a series of commands from the specified batch file. This
45 requires the -i argument.
46 -C
48 Create a new binary certificate file from a binary certificate
49 request file. Use the -i argument to specify the certificate
50 request file. If this argument is not used, certutil prompts for a
51 filename.
52 -D
54 Delete a certificate from the certificate database.
55 --rename
57 Change the database nickname of a certificate.
58 -E
60 Add an email certificate to the certificate database.
61 -F
63 Delete a private key and the associated certificate from a
64 database. Specify the key to delete with the -n argument or the -k
65 argument. Specify the database from which to delete the key with
66 the -d argument.
67 Some smart cards do not let you remove a public key you have
69 generated. In such a case, only the private key is deleted from the
70 key pair.
71 -G
73 Generate a new public and private key pair within a key database.
74 The key database should already exist; if one is not present, this
75 command option will initialize one by default. Some smart cards can
76 store only one key pair. If you create a new key pair for such a
77 card, the previous pair is overwritten.
78 -H
80 Display a list of the command options and arguments.
81 -K
83 List the key ID of keys in the key database. A key ID is the
84 modulus of the RSA key or the publicValue of the DSA key. IDs are
85 displayed in hexadecimal ("0x" is not shown).
86 -L
88 List all the certificates, or display information about a named
89 certificate, in a certificate database. Use the -h tokenname
90 argument to specify the certificate database on a particular
91 hardware or software token.
92 -M
94 Modify a certificate's trust attributes using the values of the -t
95 argument.
96 -N
98 Create new certificate and key databases.
99 -O
101 Print the certificate chain.
102 -R
104 Create a certificate request file that can be submitted to a
105 Certificate Authority (CA) for processing into a finished
106 certificate. Output defaults to standard out unless you use -o
107 output-file argument. Use the -a argument to specify ASCII output.
108 -S
110 Create an individual certificate and add it to a certificate
111 database.
112 -T
114 Reset the key database or token.
115 -U
117 List all available modules or print a single named module.
118 -V
120 Check the validity of a certificate and its attributes.
121 -W
123 Change the password to a key database.
124 --merge
126 Merge two databases into one.
127 --upgrade-merge
129 Upgrade an old database and merge it into a new database. This is
130 used to migrate legacy NSS databases (cert8.db and key3.db) into
131 the newer SQLite databases (cert9.db and key4.db).
132 Arguments
134 Arguments modify a command option and are usually lower case, numbers,
136 or symbols.
137 -a
139 Use ASCII format or allow the use of ASCII format for input or
140 output. This formatting follows RFC 1113. For certificate requests,
141 ASCII output defaults to standard output unless redirected.
142 --simple-self-signed
144 When printing the certificate chain, don't search for a chain if
145 issuer name equals to subject name.
146 -b validity-time
148 Specify a time at which a certificate is required to be valid. Use
149 when checking certificate validity with the -V option. The format
150 of the validity-time argument is YYMMDDHHMMSS[+HHMM|-HHMM|Z], which
151 allows offsets to be set relative to the validity end time.
152 Specifying seconds (SS) is optional. When specifying an explicit
153 time, use a Z at the end of the term, YYMMDDHHMMSSZ, to close it.
154 When specifying an offset time, use YYMMDDHHMMSS+HHMM or
155 YYMMDDHHMMSS-HHMM for adding or subtracting time, respectively.
156 If this option is not used, the validity check defaults to the
158 current system time.
159 -c issuer
161 Identify the certificate of the CA from which a new certificate
162 will derive its authenticity. Use the exact nickname or alias of
163 the CA certificate, or use the CA's email address. Bracket the
164 issuer string with quotation marks if it contains spaces.
165 -d [prefix]directory
167 Specify the database directory containing the certificate and key
168 database files.
169 certutil supports two types of databases: the legacy security
171 databases (cert8.db, key3.db, and secmod.db) and new SQLite
172 databases (cert9.db, key4.db, and pkcs11.txt).
173 NSS recognizes the following prefixes:
175 · sql: requests the newer database
177 · dbm: requests the legacy database
179 If no prefix is specified the default type is retrieved from
181 NSS_DEFAULT_DB_TYPE. If NSS_DEFAULT_DB_TYPE is not set then dbm: is
182 the default.
183 --dump-ext-val OID
185 For single cert, print binary DER encoding of extension OID.
186 -e
188 Check a certificate's signature during the process of validating a
189 certificate.
190 --email email-address
192 Specify the email address of a certificate to list. Used with the
193 -L command option.
194 --extGeneric OID:critical-flag:filename[,OID:critical-flag:filename]...
196 Add one or multiple extensions that certutil cannot encode yet, by
197 loading their encodings from external files.
198 · OID (example): 1.2.3.4
200 · critical-flag: critical or not-critical
202 · filename: full path to a file containing an encoded extension
204 -f password-file
206 Specify a file that will automatically supply the password to
207 include in a certificate or to access a certificate database. This
208 is a plain-text file containing one password. Be sure to prevent
209 unauthorized access to this file.
210 -g keysize
212 Set a key size to use when generating new public and private key
213 pairs. The minimum is 512 bits and the maximum is 16384 bits. The
214 default is 2048 bits. Any size between the minimum and maximum is
215 allowed.
216 -h tokenname
218 Specify the name of a token to use or act on. If not specified the
219 default token is the internal database slot.
220 The name can also be a PKCS #11 URI. For example, the NSS internal
222 certificate store can be unambiguously specified as
223 "pkcs11:token=NSS%20Certificate%20DB". For details about the
224 format, see RFC 7512.
225 -i input_file
227 Pass an input file to the command. Depending on the command option,
228 an input file can be a specific certificate, a certificate request
229 file, or a batch file of commands.
230 -k key-type-or-id
232 Specify the type or specific ID of a key.
233 The valid key type options are rsa, dsa, ec, or all. The default
235 value is rsa. Specifying the type of key can avoid mistakes caused
236 by duplicate nicknames. Giving a key type generates a new key pair;
237 giving the ID of an existing key reuses that key pair (which is
238 required to renew certificates).
239 -l
241 Display detailed information when validating a certificate with the
242 -V option.
243 -m serial-number
245 Assign a unique serial number to a certificate being created. This
246 operation should be performed by a CA. If no serial number is
247 provided a default serial number is made from the current time.
248 Serial numbers are limited to integers
249 -n nickname
251 Specify the nickname of a certificate or key to list, create, add
252 to a database, modify, or validate. Bracket the nickname string
253 with quotation marks if it contains spaces.
254 The nickname can also be a PKCS #11 URI. For example, if you have a
256 certificate named "my-server-cert" on the internal certificate
257 store, it can be unambiguously specified as
258 "pkcs11:token=NSS%20Certificate%20DB;object=my-server-cert". For
259 details about the format, see RFC 7512.
260 -o output-file
262 Specify the output file name for new certificates or binary
263 certificate requests. Bracket the output-file string with quotation
264 marks if it contains spaces. If this argument is not used the
265 output destination defaults to standard output.
266 -P dbPrefix
268 Specify the prefix used on the certificate and key database file.
269 This argument is provided to support legacy servers. Most
270 applications do not use a database prefix.
271 -p phone
273 Specify a contact telephone number to include in new certificates
274 or certificate requests. Bracket this string with quotation marks
275 if it contains spaces.
276 -q pqgfile or curve-name
278 Read an alternate PQG value from the specified file when generating
279 DSA key pairs. If this argument is not used, certutil generates its
280 own PQG value. PQG files are created with a separate DSA utility.
281 Elliptic curve name is one of the ones from nistp256, nistp384,
283 nistp521, curve25519.
284 If a token is available that supports more curves, the foolowing
286 curves are supported as well: sect163k1, nistk163, sect163r1,
287 sect163r2, nistb163, sect193r1, sect193r2, sect233k1, nistk233,
288 sect233r1, nistb233, sect239k1, sect283k1, nistk283, sect283r1,
289 nistb283, sect409k1, nistk409, sect409r1, nistb409, sect571k1,
290 nistk571, sect571r1, nistb571, secp160k1, secp160r1, secp160r2,
291 secp192k1, secp192r1, nistp192, secp224k1, secp224r1, nistp224,
292 secp256k1, secp256r1, secp384r1, secp521r1, prime192v1, prime192v2,
293 prime192v3, prime239v1, prime239v2, prime239v3, c2pnb163v1,
294 c2pnb163v2, c2pnb163v3, c2pnb176v1, c2tnb191v1, c2tnb191v2,
295 c2tnb191v3, c2pnb208w1, c2tnb239v1, c2tnb239v2, c2tnb239v3,
296 c2pnb272w1, c2pnb304w1, c2tnb359w1, c2pnb368w1, c2tnb431r1,
297 secp112r1, secp112r2, secp128r1, secp128r2, sect113r1, sect113r2,
298 sect131r1, sect131r2
299 -r
301 Display a certificate's binary DER encoding when listing
302 information about that certificate with the -L option.
303 -s subject
305 Identify a particular certificate owner for new certificates or
306 certificate requests. Bracket this string with quotation marks if
307 it contains spaces. The subject identification format follows RFC
308 #1485.
309 -t trustargs
311 Specify the trust attributes to modify in an existing certificate
312 or to apply to a certificate when creating it or adding it to a
313 database. There are three available trust categories for each
314 certificate, expressed in the order SSL, email, object signing for
315 each trust setting. In each category position, use none, any, or
316 all of the attribute codes:
317 · p - Valid peer
319 · P - Trusted peer (implies p)
321 · c - Valid CA
323 · C - Trusted CA (implies c)
325 · T - trusted CA for client authentication (ssl server only)
327 The attribute codes for the categories are separated by commas, and
329 the entire set of attributes enclosed by quotation marks. For
330 example:
331 -t "TC,C,T"
333 Use the -L option to see a list of the current certificates and
335 trust attributes in a certificate database.
336 Note that the output of the -L option may include "u" flag, which
338 means that there is a private key associated with the certificate.
339 It is a dynamic flag and you cannot set it with certutil.
340 -u certusage
342 Specify a usage context to apply when validating a certificate with
343 the -V option.
344 The contexts are the following:
346 · C (as an SSL client)
348 · V (as an SSL server)
350 · L (as an SSL CA)
352 · A (as Any CA)
354 · Y (Verify CA)
356 · S (as an email signer)
358 · R (as an email recipient)
360 · O (as an OCSP status responder)
362 · J (as an object signer)
364 · I (as an IPSEC user)
366 -v valid-months
368 Set the number of months a new certificate will be valid. The
369 validity period begins at the current system time unless an offset
370 is added or subtracted with the -w option. If this argument is not
371 used, the default validity period is three months.
372 -w offset-months
374 Set an offset from the current system time, in months, for the
375 beginning of a certificate's validity period. Use when creating the
376 certificate or adding it to a database. Express the offset in
377 integers, using a minus sign (-) to indicate a negative offset. If
378 this argument is not used, the validity period begins at the
379 current system time. The length of the validity period is set with
380 the -v argument.
381 -X
383 Force the key and certificate database to open in read-write mode.
384 This is used with the -U and -L command options.
385 -x
387 Use certutil to generate the signature for a certificate being
388 created or added to a database, rather than obtaining a signature
389 from a separate CA.
390 -y exp
392 Set an alternate exponent value to use in generating a new RSA
393 public key for the database, instead of the default value of 65537.
394 The available alternate values are 3 and 17.
395 --pss
397 Restrict the generated certificate (with the -S option) or
398 certificate request (with the -R option) to be used with the
399 RSA-PSS signature scheme. This only works when the private key of
400 the certificate or certificate request is RSA.
401 --pss-sign
403 Sign the generated certificate with the RSA-PSS signature scheme
404 (with the -C or -S option). This only works when the private key of
405 the signer's certificate is RSA. If the signer's certificate is
406 restricted to RSA-PSS, it is not necessary to specify this option.
407 -z noise-file
409 Read a seed value from the specified file to generate a new private
410 and public key pair. This argument makes it possible to use
411 hardware-generated seed values or manually create a value from the
412 keyboard. The minimum file size is 20 bytes.
413 -Z hashAlg
415 Specify the hash algorithm to use with the -C, -S or -R command
416 options. Possible keywords:
417 · MD2
419 · MD4
421 · MD5
423 · SHA1
425 · SHA224
427 · SHA256
429 · SHA384
431 · SHA512
433 -0 SSO_password
435 Set a site security officer password on a token.
436 -1 | --keyUsage keyword,keyword
438 Set an X.509 V3 Certificate Type Extension in the certificate.
439 There are several available keywords:
440 · digitalSignature
442 · nonRepudiation
444 · keyEncipherment
446 · dataEncipherment
448 · keyAgreement
450 · certSigning
452 · crlSigning
454 · critical
456 -2
458 Add a basic constraint extension to a certificate that is being
459 created or added to a database. This extension supports the
460 certificate chain verification process. certutil prompts for the
461 certificate constraint extension to select.
462 X.509 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.
464 -3
466 Add an authority key ID extension to a certificate that is being
467 created or added to a database. This extension supports the
468 identification of a particular certificate, from among multiple
469 certificates associated with one subject name, as the correct
470 issuer of a certificate. The Certificate Database Tool will prompt
471 you to select the authority key ID extension.
472 X.509 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.
474 -4
476 Add a CRL distribution point extension to a certificate that is
477 being created or added to a database. This extension identifies the
478 URL of a certificate's associated certificate revocation list
479 (CRL). certutil prompts for the URL.
480 X.509 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.
482 -5 | --nsCertType keyword,keyword
484 Add an X.509 V3 certificate type extension to a certificate that is
485 being created or added to the database. There are several available
486 keywords:
487 · sslClient
489 · sslServer
491 · smime
493 · objectSigning
495 · sslCA
497 · smimeCA
499 · objectSigningCA
501 · critical
503 X.509 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.
505 -6 | --extKeyUsage keyword,keyword
507 Add an extended key usage extension to a certificate that is being
508 created or added to the database. Several keywords are available:
509 · serverAuth
511 · clientAuth
513 · codeSigning
515 · emailProtection
517 · timeStamp
519 · ocspResponder
521 · stepUp
523 · msTrustListSign
525 · critical
527 · x509Any
529 · ipsecIKE
531 · ipsecIKEEnd
533 · ipsecIKEIntermediate
535 · ipsecEnd
537 · ipsecTunnel
539 · ipsecUser
541 X.509 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.
543 -7 emailAddrs
545 Add a comma-separated list of email addresses to the subject
546 alternative name extension of a certificate or certificate request
547 that is being created or added to the database. Subject alternative
548 name extensions are described in Section 4.2.1.7 of RFC 3280.
549 -8 dns-names
551 Add a comma-separated list of DNS names to the subject alternative
552 name extension of a certificate or certificate request that is
553 being created or added to the database. Subject alternative name
554 extensions are described in Section 4.2.1.7 of RFC 3280.
555 --extAIA
557 Add the Authority Information Access extension to the certificate.
558 X.509 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.
559 --extSIA
561 Add the Subject Information Access extension to the certificate.
562 X.509 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.
563 --extCP
565 Add the Certificate Policies extension to the certificate. X.509
566 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.
567 --extPM
569 Add the Policy Mappings extension to the certificate. X.509
570 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.
571 --extPC
573 Add the Policy Constraints extension to the certificate. X.509
574 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.
575 --extIA
577 Add the Inhibit Any Policy Access extension to the certificate.
578 X.509 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.
579 --extSKID
581 Add the Subject Key ID extension to the certificate. X.509
582 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.
583 --extNC
585 Add a Name Constraint extension to the certificate. X.509
586 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.
587 --extSAN type:name[,type:name]...
589 Create a Subject Alt Name extension with one or multiple names.
590 -type: directory, dn, dns, edi, ediparty, email, ip, ipaddr, other,
592 registerid, rfc822, uri, x400, x400addr
593 --empty-password
595 Use empty password when creating new certificate database with -N.
596 --keyAttrFlags attrflags
598 PKCS #11 key Attributes. Comma separated list of key attribute
599 flags, selected from the following list of choices: {token |
600 session} {public | private} {sensitive | insensitive} {modifiable |
601 unmodifiable} {extractable | unextractable}
602 --keyOpFlagsOn opflags, --keyOpFlagsOff opflags
604 PKCS #11 key Operation Flags. Comma separated list of one or more
605 of the following: {token | session} {public | private} {sensitive |
606 insensitive} {modifiable | unmodifiable} {extractable |
607 unextractable}
608 --new-n nickname
610 A new nickname, used when renaming a certificate.
611 --source-dir certdir
613 Identify the certificate database directory to upgrade.
614 --source-prefix certdir
616 Give the prefix of the certificate and key databases to upgrade.
617 --upgrade-id uniqueID
619 Give the unique ID of the database to upgrade.
620 --upgrade-token-name name
622 Set the name of the token to use while it is being upgraded.
623 -@ pwfile
625 Give the name of a password file to use for the database being
626 upgraded.
627
629 Most of the command options in the examples listed here have more
630 arguments available. The arguments included in these examples are the
631 most common ones or are used to illustrate a specific scenario. Use the
632 -H option to show the complete list of arguments for each command
633 option.
634 Creating New Security Databases
636 Certificates, keys, and security modules related to managing
638 certificates are stored in three related databases:
639 · cert8.db or cert9.db
641 · key3.db or key4.db
643 · secmod.db or pkcs11.txt
645 These databases must be created before certificates or keys can be
647 generated.
648 certutil -N -d [sql:]directory
650 Creating a Certificate Request
652 A certificate request contains most or all of the information that is
654 used to generate the final certificate. This request is submitted
655 separately to a certificate authority and is then approved by some
656 mechanism (automatically or by human review). Once the request is
657 approved, then the certificate is generated.
658 $ certutil -R -k key-type-or-id [-q pqgfile|curve-name] -g key-size -s subject [-h tokenname] -d [sql:]directory [-p phone] [-o output-file] [-a]
660 The -R command options requires four arguments:
662 · -k to specify either the key type to generate or, when renewing a
664 certificate, the existing key pair to use
665 · -g to set the keysize of the key to generate
667 · -s to set the subject name of the certificate
669 · -d to give the security database directory
671 The new certificate request can be output in ASCII format (-a) or can
673 be written to a specified file (-o).
674 For example:
676 $ certutil -R -k rsa -g 1024 -s "CN=John Smith,O=Example Corp,L=Mountain View,ST=California,C=US" -d sql:$HOME/nssdb -p 650-555-0123 -a -o cert.cer
678 Generating key. This may take a few moments...
680 Creating a Certificate
683 A valid certificate must be issued by a trusted CA. This can be done by
685 specifying a CA certificate (-c) that is stored in the certificate
686 database. If a CA key pair is not available, you can create a
687 self-signed certificate using the -x argument with the -S command
688 option.
689 $ certutil -S -k rsa|dsa|ec -n certname -s subject [-c issuer |-x] -t trustargs -d [sql:]directory [-m serial-number] [-v valid-months] [-w offset-months] [-p phone] [-1] [-2] [-3] [-4] [-5 keyword] [-6 keyword] [-7 emailAddress] [-8 dns-names] [--extAIA] [--extSIA] [--extCP] [--extPM] [--extPC] [--extIA] [--extSKID]
691 The series of numbers and --ext* options set certificate extensions
693 that can be added to the certificate when it is generated by the CA.
694 Interactive prompts will result.
695 For example, this creates a self-signed certificate:
697 $ certutil -S -s "CN=Example CA" -n my-ca-cert -x -t "C,C,C" -1 -2 -5 -m 3650
699 The interative prompts for key usage and whether any extensions are
701 critical and responses have been ommitted for brevity.
702 From there, new certificates can reference the self-signed certificate:
704 $ certutil -S -s "CN=My Server Cert" -n my-server-cert -c "my-ca-cert" -t ",," -1 -5 -6 -8 -m 730
706 Generating a Certificate from a Certificate Request
708 When a certificate request is created, a certificate can be generated
710 by using the request and then referencing a certificate authority
711 signing certificate (the issuer specified in the -c argument). The
712 issuing certificate must be in the certificate database in the
713 specified directory.
714 certutil -C -c issuer -i cert-request-file -o output-file [-m serial-number] [-v valid-months] [-w offset-months] -d [sql:]directory [-1] [-2] [-3] [-4] [-5 keyword] [-6 keyword] [-7 emailAddress] [-8 dns-names]
716 For example:
718 $ certutil -C -c "my-ca-cert" -i /home/certs/cert.req -o cert.cer -m 010 -v 12 -w 1 -d sql:$HOME/nssdb -1 nonRepudiation,dataEncipherment -5 sslClient -6 clientAuth -7 jsmith@example.com
720 Listing Certificates
722 The -L command option lists all of the certificates listed in the
724 certificate database. The path to the directory (-d) is required.
725 $ certutil -L -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb
727 Certificate Nickname Trust Attributes
729 SSL,S/MIME,JAR/XPI
730 CA Administrator of Instance pki-ca1's Example Domain ID u,u,u
732 TPS Administrator's Example Domain ID u,u,u
733 Google Internet Authority ,,
734 Certificate Authority - Example Domain CT,C,C
735 Using additional arguments with -L can return and print the information
737 for a single, specific certificate. For example, the -n argument passes
738 the certificate name, while the -a argument prints the certificate in
739 ASCII format:
740 $ certutil -L -d sql:$HOME/nssdb -a -n my-ca-cert
742 -----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
743 MIIB1DCCAT2gAwIBAgICDkIwDQYJKoZIhvcNAQEFBQAwFTETMBEGA1UEAxMKRXhh
744 bXBsZSBDQTAeFw0xMzAzMTMxOTEwMjlaFw0xMzA2MTMxOTEwMjlaMBUxEzARBgNV
745 BAMTCkV4YW1wbGUgQ0EwgZ8wDQYJKoZIhvcNAQEBBQADgY0AMIGJAoGBAJ4Kzqvz
746 JyBVgFqDXRYSyTBNw1DrxUU/3GvWA/ngjAwHEv0Cul/6sO/gsCvnABHiH6unns6x
747 XRzPORlC2WY3gkk7vmlsLvYpyecNazAi/NAwVnU/66HOsaoVFWE+gBQo99UrN2yk
748 0BiK/GMFlLm5dXQROgA9ZKKyFdI0LIXtf6SbAgMBAAGjMzAxMBEGCWCGSAGG+EIB
749 AQQEAwIHADAMBgNVHRMEBTADAQH/MA4GA1UdDwEB/wQEAwICBDANBgkqhkiG9w0B
750 AQUFAAOBgQA6chkzkACN281d1jKMrc+RHG2UMaQyxiteaLVZO+Ro1nnRUvseDf09
751 XKYFwPMJjWCihVku6bw/ihZfuMHhxK22Nue6inNQ6eDu7WmrqL8z3iUrQwxs+WiF
752 ob2rb8XRVVJkzXdXxlk4uo3UtNvw8sAz7sWD71qxKaIHU5q49zijfg==
753 -----END CERTIFICATE-----
754 For a human-readable display
756 $ certutil -L -d sql:$HOME/nssdb -n my-ca-cert
758 Certificate:
759 Data:
760 Version: 3 (0x2)
761 Serial Number: 3650 (0xe42)
762 Signature Algorithm: PKCS #1 SHA-1 With RSA Encryption
763 Issuer: "CN=Example CA"
764 Validity:
765 Not Before: Wed Mar 13 19:10:29 2013
766 Not After : Thu Jun 13 19:10:29 2013
767 Subject: "CN=Example CA"
768 Subject Public Key Info:
769 Public Key Algorithm: PKCS #1 RSA Encryption
770 RSA Public Key:
771 Modulus:
772 9e:0a:ce:ab:f3:27:20:55:80:5a:83:5d:16:12:c9:30:
773 4d:c3:50:eb:c5:45:3f:dc:6b:d6:03:f9:e0:8c:0c:07:
774 12:fd:02:ba:5f:fa:b0:ef:e0:b0:2b:e7:00:11:e2:1f:
775 ab:a7:9e:ce:b1:5d:1c:cf:39:19:42:d9:66:37:82:49:
776 3b:be:69:6c:2e:f6:29:c9:e7:0d:6b:30:22:fc:d0:30:
777 56:75:3f:eb:a1:ce:b1:aa:15:15:61:3e:80:14:28:f7:
778 d5:2b:37:6c:a4:d0:18:8a:fc:63:05:94:b9:b9:75:74:
779 11:3a:00:3d:64:a2:b2:15:d2:34:2c:85:ed:7f:a4:9b
780 Exponent: 65537 (0x10001)
781 Signed Extensions:
782 Name: Certificate Type
783 Data: none
784 Name: Certificate Basic Constraints
786 Data: Is a CA with no maximum path length.
787 Name: Certificate Key Usage
789 Critical: True
790 Usages: Certificate Signing
791 Signature Algorithm: PKCS #1 SHA-1 With RSA Encryption
793 Signature:
794 3a:72:19:33:90:00:8d:db:cd:5d:d6:32:8c:ad:cf:91:
795 1c:6d:94:31:a4:32:c6:2b:5e:68:b5:59:3b:e4:68:d6:
796 79:d1:52:fb:1e:0d:fd:3d:5c:a6:05:c0:f3:09:8d:60:
797 a2:85:59:2e:e9:bc:3f:8a:16:5f:b8:c1:e1:c4:ad:b6:
798 36:e7:ba:8a:73:50:e9:e0:ee:ed:69:ab:a8:bf:33:de:
799 25:2b:43:0c:6c:f9:68:85:a1:bd:ab:6f:c5:d1:55:52:
800 64:cd:77:57:c6:59:38:ba:8d:d4:b4:db:f0:f2:c0:33:
801 ee:c5:83:ef:5a:b1:29:a2:07:53:9a:b8:f7:38:a3:7e
802 Fingerprint (MD5):
803 86:D8:A5:8B:8A:26:BE:9E:17:A8:7B:66:10:6B:27:80
804 Fingerprint (SHA1):
805 48:78:09:EF:C5:D4:0C:BD:D2:64:45:59:EB:03:13:15:F7:A9:D6:F7
806 Certificate Trust Flags:
808 SSL Flags:
809 Valid CA
810 Trusted CA
811 User
812 Email Flags:
813 Valid CA
814 Trusted CA
815 User
816 Object Signing Flags:
817 Valid CA
818 Trusted CA
819 User
820 Listing Keys
823 Keys are the original material used to encrypt certificate data. The
825 keys generated for certificates are stored separately, in the key
826 database.
827 To list all keys in the database, use the -K command option and the
829 (required) -d argument to give the path to the directory.
830 $ certutil -K -d sql:$HOME/nssdb
832 certutil: Checking token "NSS Certificate DB" in slot "NSS User Private Key and Certificate Services "
833 < 0> rsa 455a6673bde9375c2887ec8bf8016b3f9f35861d Thawte Freemail Member's Thawte Consulting (Pty) Ltd. ID
834 < 1> rsa 40defeeb522ade11090eacebaaf1196a172127df Example Domain Administrator Cert
835 < 2> rsa 1d0b06f44f6c03842f7d4f4a1dc78b3bcd1b85a5 John Smith user cert
836 There are ways to narrow the keys listed in the search results:
838 · To return a specific key, use the -n name argument with the name of
840 the key.
841 · If there are multiple security devices loaded, then the -h
843 tokenname argument can search a specific token or all tokens.
844 · If there are multiple key types available, then the -k key-type
846 argument can search a specific type of key, like RSA, DSA, or ECC.
847 Listing Security Modules
849 The devices that can be used to store certificates -- both internal
851 databases and external devices like smart cards -- are recognized and
852 used by loading security modules. The -U command option lists all of
853 the security modules listed in the secmod.db database. The path to the
854 directory (-d) is required.
855 $ certutil -U -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb
857 slot: NSS User Private Key and Certificate Services
859 token: NSS Certificate DB
860 uri: pkcs11:token=NSS%20Certificate%20DB;manufacturer=Mozilla%20Foundation;serial=0000000000000000;model=NSS%203
861 slot: NSS Internal Cryptographic Services
863 token: NSS Generic Crypto Services
864 uri: pkcs11:token=NSS%20Generic%20Crypto%20Services;manufacturer=Mozilla%20Foundation;serial=0000000000000000;model=NSS%203
865 Adding Certificates to the Database
867 Existing certificates or certificate requests can be added manually to
869 the certificate database, even if they were generated elsewhere. This
870 uses the -A command option.
871 certutil -A -n certname -t trustargs -d [sql:]directory [-a] [-i input-file]
873 For example:
875 $ certutil -A -n "CN=My SSL Certificate" -t ",," -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb -i /home/example-certs/cert.cer
877 A related command option, -E, is used specifically to add email
879 certificates to the certificate database. The -E command has the same
880 arguments as the -A command. The trust arguments for certificates have
881 the format SSL,S/MIME,Code-signing, so the middle trust settings relate
882 most to email certificates (though the others can be set). For example:
883 $ certutil -E -n "CN=John Smith Email Cert" -t ",P," -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb -i /home/example-certs/email.cer
885 Deleting Certificates to the Database
887 Certificates can be deleted from a database using the -D option. The
889 only required options are to give the security database directory and
890 to identify the certificate nickname.
891 certutil -D -d [sql:]directory -n "nickname"
893 For example:
895 $ certutil -D -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb -n "my-ssl-cert"
897 Validating Certificates
899 A certificate contains an expiration date in itself, and expired
901 certificates are easily rejected. However, certificates can also be
902 revoked before they hit their expiration date. Checking whether a
903 certificate has been revoked requires validating the certificate.
904 Validation can also be used to ensure that the certificate is only used
905 for the purposes it was initially issued for. Validation is carried out
906 by the -V command option.
907 certutil -V -n certificate-name [-b time] [-e] [-u cert-usage] -d [sql:]directory
909 For example, to validate an email certificate:
911 $ certutil -V -n "John Smith's Email Cert" -e -u S,R -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb
913 Modifying Certificate Trust Settings
915 The trust settings (which relate to the operations that a certificate
917 is allowed to be used for) can be changed after a certificate is
918 created or added to the database. This is especially useful for CA
919 certificates, but it can be performed for any type of certificate.
920 certutil -M -n certificate-name -t trust-args -d [sql:]directory
922 For example:
924 $ certutil -M -n "My CA Certificate" -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb -t "CT,CT,CT"
926 Printing the Certificate Chain
928 Certificates can be issued in chains because every certificate
930 authority itself has a certificate; when a CA issues a certificate, it
931 essentially stamps that certificate with its own fingerprint. The -O
932 prints the full chain of a certificate, going from the initial CA (the
933 root CA) through ever intermediary CA to the actual certificate. For
934 example, for an email certificate with two CAs in the chain:
935 $ certutil -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb -O -n "jsmith@example.com"
937 "Builtin Object Token:Thawte Personal Freemail CA" [E=personal-freemail@thawte.com,CN=Thawte Personal Freemail CA,OU=Certification Services Division,O=Thawte Consulting,L=Cape Town,ST=Western Cape,C=ZA]
938 "Thawte Personal Freemail Issuing CA - Thawte Consulting" [CN=Thawte Personal Freemail Issuing CA,O=Thawte Consulting (Pty) Ltd.,C=ZA]
940 "(null)" [E=jsmith@example.com,CN=Thawte Freemail Member]
942 Resetting a Token
944 The device which stores certificates -- both external hardware devices
946 and internal software databases -- can be blanked and reused. This
947 operation is performed on the device which stores the data, not
948 directly on the security databases, so the location must be referenced
949 through the token name (-h) as well as any directory path. If there is
950 no external token used, the default value is internal.
951 certutil -T -d [sql:]directory -h token-name -0 security-officer-password
953 Many networks have dedicated personnel who handle changes to security
955 tokens (the security officer). This person must supply the password to
956 access the specified token. For example:
957 $ certutil -T -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb -h nethsm -0 secret
959 Upgrading or Merging the Security Databases
961 Many networks or applications may be using older BerkeleyDB versions of
963 the certificate database (cert8.db). Databases can be upgraded to the
964 new SQLite version of the database (cert9.db) using the --upgrade-merge
965 command option or existing databases can be merged with the new
966 cert9.db databases using the ---merge command.
967 The --upgrade-merge command must give information about the original
969 database and then use the standard arguments (like -d) to give the
970 information about the new databases. The command also requires
971 information that the tool uses for the process to upgrade and write
972 over the original database.
973 certutil --upgrade-merge -d [sql:]directory [-P dbprefix] --source-dir directory --source-prefix dbprefix --upgrade-id id --upgrade-token-name name [-@ password-file]
975 For example:
977 $ certutil --upgrade-merge -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb --source-dir /opt/my-app/alias/ --source-prefix serverapp- --upgrade-id 1 --upgrade-token-name internal
979 The --merge command only requires information about the location of the
981 original database; since it doesn't change the format of the database,
982 it can write over information without performing interim step.
983 certutil --merge -d [sql:]directory [-P dbprefix] --source-dir directory --source-prefix dbprefix [-@ password-file]
985 For example:
987 $ certutil --merge -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb --source-dir /opt/my-app/alias/ --source-prefix serverapp-
989 Running certutil Commands from a Batch File
991 A series of commands can be run sequentially from a text file with the
993 -B command option. The only argument for this specifies the input file.
994 $ certutil -B -i /path/to/batch-file
996
998 NSS originally used BerkeleyDB databases to store security information.
999 The last versions of these legacy databases are:
1000 · cert8.db for certificates
1002 · key3.db for keys
1004 · secmod.db for PKCS #11 module information
1006 BerkeleyDB has performance limitations, though, which prevent it from
1008 being easily used by multiple applications simultaneously. NSS has some
1009 flexibility that allows applications to use their own, independent
1010 database engine while keeping a shared database and working around the
1011 access issues. Still, NSS requires more flexibility to provide a truly
1012 shared security database.
1013 In 2009, NSS introduced a new set of databases that are SQLite
1015 databases rather than BerkeleyDB. These new databases provide more
1016 accessibility and performance:
1017 · cert9.db for certificates
1019 · key4.db for keys
1021 · pkcs11.txt, a listing of all of the PKCS #11 modules, contained in
1023 a new subdirectory in the security databases directory
1024 Because the SQLite databases are designed to be shared, these are the
1026 shared database type. The shared database type is preferred; the legacy
1027 format is included for backward compatibility.
1028 By default, the tools (certutil, pk12util, modutil) assume that the
1030 given security databases follow the more common legacy type. Using the
1031 SQLite databases must be manually specified by using the sql: prefix
1032 with the given security directory. For example:
1033 $ certutil -L -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb
1035 To set the shared database type as the default type for the tools, set
1037 the NSS_DEFAULT_DB_TYPE environment variable to sql:
1038 export NSS_DEFAULT_DB_TYPE="sql"
1040 This line can be set added to the ~/.bashrc file to make the change
1042 permanent.
1043 Most applications do not use the shared database by default, but they
1045 can be configured to use them. For example, this how-to article covers
1046 how to configure Firefox and Thunderbird to use the new shared NSS
1047 databases:
1048 · https://wiki.mozilla.org/NSS_Shared_DB_Howto
1050 For an engineering draft on the changes in the shared NSS databases,
1052 see the NSS project wiki:
1053 · https://wiki.mozilla.org/NSS_Shared_DB
1055
1057 pk12util (1)
1058 modutil (1)
1060 certutil has arguments or operations that use features defined in
1062 several IETF RFCs.
1063 · http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc5280
1065 · http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc1113
1067 · http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc1485
1069 The NSS wiki has information on the new database design and how to
1071 configure applications to use it.
1072 · https://wiki.mozilla.org/NSS_Shared_DB_Howto
1074 · https://wiki.mozilla.org/NSS_Shared_DB
1076
1078 For information about NSS and other tools related to NSS (like JSS),
1079 check out the NSS project wiki at
1080 http://www.mozilla.org/projects/security/pki/nss/. The NSS site relates
1081 directly to NSS code changes and releases.
1082 Mailing lists: https://lists.mozilla.org/listinfo/dev-tech-crypto
1084 IRC: Freenode at #dogtag-pki
1086
1088 The NSS tools were written and maintained by developers with Netscape,
1089 Red Hat, Sun, Oracle, Mozilla, and Google.
1090 Authors: Elio Maldonado <emaldona@redhat.com>, Deon Lackey
1092 <dlackey@redhat.com>.
1093
1095 Licensed under the Mozilla Public License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL
1096 was not distributed with this file, You can obtain one at
1097 http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
1098
1100 1. Mozilla NSS bug 836477
1101 https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=836477
1102nss-tools 3.44.0 Nov 13 2013 CERTUTIL(1)