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 sql-lite database
177 If no prefix is specified the default type is retrieved from
179 NSS_DEFAULT_DB_TYPE. If NSS_DEFAULT_DB_TYPE is not set then sql: is
180 the default.
181 --dump-ext-val OID
183 For single cert, print binary DER encoding of extension OID.
184 -e
186 Check a certificate's signature during the process of validating a
187 certificate.
188 --email email-address
190 Specify the email address of a certificate to list. Used with the
191 -L command option.
192 --extGeneric OID:critical-flag:filename[,OID:critical-flag:filename]...
194 Add one or multiple extensions that certutil cannot encode yet, by
195 loading their encodings from external files.
196 • OID (example): 1.2.3.4
198 • critical-flag: critical or not-critical
200 • filename: full path to a file containing an encoded extension
202 -f password-file
204 Specify a file that will automatically supply the password to
205 include in a certificate or to access a certificate database. This
206 is a plain-text file containing one password. Be sure to prevent
207 unauthorized access to this file.
208 -g keysize
210 Set a key size to use when generating new public and private key
211 pairs. The minimum is 512 bits and the maximum is 16384 bits. The
212 default is 2048 bits. Any size between the minimum and maximum is
213 allowed.
214 -h tokenname
216 Specify the name of a token to use or act on. If not specified the
217 default token is the internal database slot.
218 The name can also be a PKCS #11 URI. For example, the NSS internal
220 certificate store can be unambiguously specified as
221 "pkcs11:token=NSS%20Certificate%20DB". For details about the
222 format, see RFC 7512.
223 -i input_file
225 Pass an input file to the command. Depending on the command option,
226 an input file can be a specific certificate, a certificate request
227 file, or a batch file of commands.
228 -k key-type-or-id
230 Specify the type or specific ID of a key.
231 The valid key type options are rsa, dsa, ec, or all. The default
233 value is rsa. Specifying the type of key can avoid mistakes caused
234 by duplicate nicknames. Giving a key type generates a new key pair;
235 giving the ID of an existing key reuses that key pair (which is
236 required to renew certificates).
237 -l
239 Display detailed information when validating a certificate with the
240 -V option.
241 -m serial-number
243 Assign a unique serial number to a certificate being created. This
244 operation should be performed by a CA. If no serial number is
245 provided a default serial number is made from the current time.
246 Serial numbers are limited to integers
247 -n nickname
249 Specify the nickname of a certificate or key to list, create, add
250 to a database, modify, or validate. Bracket the nickname string
251 with quotation marks if it contains spaces.
252 The nickname can also be a PKCS #11 URI. For example, if you have a
254 certificate named "my-server-cert" on the internal certificate
255 store, it can be unambiguously specified as
256 "pkcs11:token=NSS%20Certificate%20DB;object=my-server-cert". For
257 details about the format, see RFC 7512.
258 -o output-file
260 Specify the output file name for new certificates or binary
261 certificate requests. Bracket the output-file string with quotation
262 marks if it contains spaces. If this argument is not used the
263 output destination defaults to standard output.
264 -P dbPrefix
266 Specify the prefix used on the certificate and key database file.
267 This argument is provided to support legacy servers. Most
268 applications do not use a database prefix.
269 -p phone
271 Specify a contact telephone number to include in new certificates
272 or certificate requests. Bracket this string with quotation marks
273 if it contains spaces.
274 -q pqgfile or curve-name
276 Read an alternate PQG value from the specified file when generating
277 DSA key pairs. If this argument is not used, certutil generates its
278 own PQG value. PQG files are created with a separate DSA utility.
279 Elliptic curve name is one of the ones from nistp256, nistp384,
281 nistp521, curve25519.
282 If a token is available that supports more curves, the foolowing
284 curves are supported as well: sect163k1, nistk163, sect163r1,
285 sect163r2, nistb163, sect193r1, sect193r2, sect233k1, nistk233,
286 sect233r1, nistb233, sect239k1, sect283k1, nistk283, sect283r1,
287 nistb283, sect409k1, nistk409, sect409r1, nistb409, sect571k1,
288 nistk571, sect571r1, nistb571, secp160k1, secp160r1, secp160r2,
289 secp192k1, secp192r1, nistp192, secp224k1, secp224r1, nistp224,
290 secp256k1, secp256r1, secp384r1, secp521r1, prime192v1, prime192v2,
291 prime192v3, prime239v1, prime239v2, prime239v3, c2pnb163v1,
292 c2pnb163v2, c2pnb163v3, c2pnb176v1, c2tnb191v1, c2tnb191v2,
293 c2tnb191v3, c2pnb208w1, c2tnb239v1, c2tnb239v2, c2tnb239v3,
294 c2pnb272w1, c2pnb304w1, c2tnb359w1, c2pnb368w1, c2tnb431r1,
295 secp112r1, secp112r2, secp128r1, secp128r2, sect113r1, sect113r2,
296 sect131r1, sect131r2
297 -r
299 Display a certificate's binary DER encoding when listing
300 information about that certificate with the -L option.
301 -s subject
303 Identify a particular certificate owner for new certificates or
304 certificate requests. Bracket this string with quotation marks if
305 it contains spaces. The subject identification format follows RFC
306 #1485.
307 -t trustargs
309 Specify the trust attributes to modify in an existing certificate
310 or to apply to a certificate when creating it or adding it to a
311 database. There are three available trust categories for each
312 certificate, expressed in the order SSL, email, object signing for
313 each trust setting. In each category position, use none, any, or
314 all of the attribute codes:
315 • p - Valid peer
317 • P - Trusted peer (implies p)
319 • c - Valid CA
321 • C - Trusted CA (implies c)
323 • T - trusted CA for client authentication (ssl server only)
325 The attribute codes for the categories are separated by commas, and
327 the entire set of attributes enclosed by quotation marks. For
328 example:
329 -t "TC,C,T"
331 Use the -L option to see a list of the current certificates and
333 trust attributes in a certificate database.
334 Note that the output of the -L option may include "u" flag, which
336 means that there is a private key associated with the certificate.
337 It is a dynamic flag and you cannot set it with certutil.
338 -u certusage
340 Specify a usage context to apply when validating a certificate with
341 the -V option.
342 The contexts are the following:
344 • C (as an SSL client)
346 • V (as an SSL server)
348 • L (as an SSL CA)
350 • A (as Any CA)
352 • Y (Verify CA)
354 • S (as an email signer)
356 • R (as an email recipient)
358 • O (as an OCSP status responder)
360 • J (as an object signer)
362 • I (as an IPSEC user)
364 -v valid-months
366 Set the number of months a new certificate will be valid. The
367 validity period begins at the current system time unless an offset
368 is added or subtracted with the -w option. If this argument is not
369 used, the default validity period is three months.
370 -w offset-months
372 Set an offset from the current system time, in months, for the
373 beginning of a certificate's validity period. Use when creating the
374 certificate or adding it to a database. Express the offset in
375 integers, using a minus sign (-) to indicate a negative offset. If
376 this argument is not used, the validity period begins at the
377 current system time. The length of the validity period is set with
378 the -v argument.
379 -X
381 Force the key and certificate database to open in read-write mode.
382 This is used with the -U and -L command options.
383 -x
385 Use certutil to generate the signature for a certificate being
386 created or added to a database, rather than obtaining a signature
387 from a separate CA.
388 -y exp
390 Set an alternate exponent value to use in generating a new RSA
391 public key for the database, instead of the default value of 65537.
392 The available alternate values are 3 and 17.
393 --pss
395 Restrict the generated certificate (with the -S option) or
396 certificate request (with the -R option) to be used with the
397 RSA-PSS signature scheme. This only works when the private key of
398 the certificate or certificate request is RSA.
399 --pss-sign
401 Sign the generated certificate with the RSA-PSS signature scheme
402 (with the -C or -S option). This only works when the private key of
403 the signer's certificate is RSA. If the signer's certificate is
404 restricted to RSA-PSS, it is not necessary to specify this option.
405 -z noise-file
407 Read a seed value from the specified file to generate a new private
408 and public key pair. This argument makes it possible to use
409 hardware-generated seed values or manually create a value from the
410 keyboard. The minimum file size is 20 bytes.
411 -Z hashAlg
413 Specify the hash algorithm to use with the -C, -S or -R command
414 options. Possible keywords:
415 • MD2
417 • MD4
419 • MD5
421 • SHA1
423 • SHA224
425 • SHA256
427 • SHA384
429 • SHA512
431 -0 SSO_password
433 Set a site security officer password on a token.
434 -1 | --keyUsage keyword,keyword
436 Set an X.509 V3 Certificate Type Extension in the certificate.
437 There are several available keywords:
438 • digitalSignature
440 • nonRepudiation
442 • keyEncipherment
444 • dataEncipherment
446 • keyAgreement
448 • certSigning
450 • crlSigning
452 • critical
454 -2
456 Add a basic constraint extension to a certificate that is being
457 created or added to a database. This extension supports the
458 certificate chain verification process. certutil prompts for the
459 certificate constraint extension to select.
460 X.509 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.
462 -3
464 Add an authority key ID extension to a certificate that is being
465 created or added to a database. This extension supports the
466 identification of a particular certificate, from among multiple
467 certificates associated with one subject name, as the correct
468 issuer of a certificate. The Certificate Database Tool will prompt
469 you to select the authority key ID extension.
470 X.509 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.
472 -4
474 Add a CRL distribution point extension to a certificate that is
475 being created or added to a database. This extension identifies the
476 URL of a certificate's associated certificate revocation list
477 (CRL). certutil prompts for the URL.
478 X.509 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.
480 -5 | --nsCertType keyword,keyword
482 Add an X.509 V3 certificate type extension to a certificate that is
483 being created or added to the database. There are several available
484 keywords:
485 • sslClient
487 • sslServer
489 • smime
491 • objectSigning
493 • sslCA
495 • smimeCA
497 • objectSigningCA
499 • critical
501 X.509 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.
503 -6 | --extKeyUsage keyword,keyword
505 Add an extended key usage extension to a certificate that is being
506 created or added to the database. Several keywords are available:
507 • serverAuth
509 • clientAuth
511 • codeSigning
513 • emailProtection
515 • timeStamp
517 • ocspResponder
519 • stepUp
521 • msTrustListSign
523 • critical
525 • x509Any
527 • ipsecIKE
529 • ipsecIKEEnd
531 • ipsecIKEIntermediate
533 • ipsecEnd
535 • ipsecTunnel
537 • ipsecUser
539 X.509 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.
541 -7 emailAddrs
543 Add a comma-separated list of email addresses to the subject
544 alternative name extension of a certificate or certificate request
545 that is being created or added to the database. Subject alternative
546 name extensions are described in Section 4.2.1.7 of RFC 3280.
547 -8 dns-names
549 Add a comma-separated list of DNS names to the subject alternative
550 name extension of a certificate or certificate request that is
551 being created or added to the database. Subject alternative name
552 extensions are described in Section 4.2.1.7 of RFC 3280.
553 --extAIA
555 Add the Authority Information Access extension to the certificate.
556 X.509 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.
557 --extSIA
559 Add the Subject Information Access extension to the certificate.
560 X.509 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.
561 --extCP
563 Add the Certificate Policies extension to the certificate. X.509
564 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.
565 --extPM
567 Add the Policy Mappings extension to the certificate. X.509
568 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.
569 --extPC
571 Add the Policy Constraints extension to the certificate. X.509
572 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.
573 --extIA
575 Add the Inhibit Any Policy Access extension to the certificate.
576 X.509 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.
577 --extSKID
579 Add the Subject Key ID extension to the certificate. X.509
580 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.
581 --extNC
583 Add a Name Constraint extension to the certificate. X.509
584 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.
585 --extSAN type:name[,type:name]...
587 Create a Subject Alt Name extension with one or multiple names.
588 -type: directory, dn, dns, edi, ediparty, email, ip, ipaddr, other,
590 registerid, rfc822, uri, x400, x400addr
591 --empty-password
593 Use empty password when creating new certificate database with -N.
594 --keyAttrFlags attrflags
596 PKCS #11 key Attributes. Comma separated list of key attribute
597 flags, selected from the following list of choices: {token |
598 session} {public | private} {sensitive | insensitive} {modifiable |
599 unmodifiable} {extractable | unextractable}
600 --keyOpFlagsOn opflags, --keyOpFlagsOff opflags
602 PKCS #11 key Operation Flags. Comma separated list of one or more
603 of the following: {token | session} {public | private} {sensitive |
604 insensitive} {modifiable | unmodifiable} {extractable |
605 unextractable}
606 --new-n nickname
608 A new nickname, used when renaming a certificate.
609 --source-dir certdir
611 Identify the certificate database directory to upgrade.
612 --source-prefix certdir
614 Give the prefix of the certificate and key databases to upgrade.
615 --upgrade-id uniqueID
617 Give the unique ID of the database to upgrade.
618 --upgrade-token-name name
620 Set the name of the token to use while it is being upgraded.
621 -@ pwfile
623 Give the name of a password file to use for the database being
624 upgraded.
625
627 Most of the command options in the examples listed here have more
628 arguments available. The arguments included in these examples are the
629 most common ones or are used to illustrate a specific scenario. Use the
630 -H option to show the complete list of arguments for each command
631 option.
632 Creating New Security Databases
634 Certificates, keys, and security modules related to managing
636 certificates are stored in three related databases:
637 • cert8.db or cert9.db
639 • key3.db or key4.db
641 • secmod.db or pkcs11.txt
643 These databases must be created before certificates or keys can be
645 generated.
646 certutil -N -d directory
648 Creating a Certificate Request
650 A certificate request contains most or all of the information that is
652 used to generate the final certificate. This request is submitted
653 separately to a certificate authority and is then approved by some
654 mechanism (automatically or by human review). Once the request is
655 approved, then the certificate is generated.
656 $ certutil -R -k key-type-or-id [-q pqgfile|curve-name] -g key-size -s subject [-h tokenname] -d directory [-p phone] [-o output-file] [-a]
658 The -R command options requires four arguments:
660 • -k to specify either the key type to generate or, when renewing a
662 certificate, the existing key pair to use
663 • -g to set the keysize of the key to generate
665 • -s to set the subject name of the certificate
667 • -d to give the security database directory
669 The new certificate request can be output in ASCII format (-a) or can
671 be written to a specified file (-o).
672 For example:
674 $ certutil -R -k rsa -g 1024 -s "CN=John Smith,O=Example Corp,L=Mountain View,ST=California,C=US" -d $HOME/nssdb -p 650-555-0123 -a -o cert.cer
676 Generating key. This may take a few moments...
678 Creating a Certificate
681 A valid certificate must be issued by a trusted CA. This can be done by
683 specifying a CA certificate (-c) that is stored in the certificate
684 database. If a CA key pair is not available, you can create a
685 self-signed certificate using the -x argument with the -S command
686 option.
687 $ certutil -S -k rsa|dsa|ec -n certname -s subject [-c issuer |-x] -t trustargs -d 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]
689 The series of numbers and --ext* options set certificate extensions
691 that can be added to the certificate when it is generated by the CA.
692 Interactive prompts will result.
693 For example, this creates a self-signed certificate:
695 $ certutil -S -s "CN=Example CA" -n my-ca-cert -x -t "C,C,C" -1 -2 -5 -m 3650
697 The interative prompts for key usage and whether any extensions are
699 critical and responses have been ommitted for brevity.
700 From there, new certificates can reference the self-signed certificate:
702 $ certutil -S -s "CN=My Server Cert" -n my-server-cert -c "my-ca-cert" -t ",," -1 -5 -6 -8 -m 730
704 Generating a Certificate from a Certificate Request
706 When a certificate request is created, a certificate can be generated
708 by using the request and then referencing a certificate authority
709 signing certificate (the issuer specified in the -c argument). The
710 issuing certificate must be in the certificate database in the
711 specified directory.
712 certutil -C -c issuer -i cert-request-file -o output-file [-m serial-number] [-v valid-months] [-w offset-months] -d directory [-1] [-2] [-3] [-4] [-5 keyword] [-6 keyword] [-7 emailAddress] [-8 dns-names]
714 For example:
716 $ certutil -C -c "my-ca-cert" -i /home/certs/cert.req -o cert.cer -m 010 -v 12 -w 1 -d $HOME/nssdb -1 nonRepudiation,dataEncipherment -5 sslClient -6 clientAuth -7 jsmith@example.com
718 Listing Certificates
720 The -L command option lists all of the certificates listed in the
722 certificate database. The path to the directory (-d) is required.
723 $ certutil -L -d /home/my/sharednssdb
725 Certificate Nickname Trust Attributes
727 SSL,S/MIME,JAR/XPI
728 CA Administrator of Instance pki-ca1's Example Domain ID u,u,u
730 TPS Administrator's Example Domain ID u,u,u
731 Google Internet Authority ,,
732 Certificate Authority - Example Domain CT,C,C
733 Using additional arguments with -L can return and print the information
735 for a single, specific certificate. For example, the -n argument passes
736 the certificate name, while the -a argument prints the certificate in
737 ASCII format:
738 $ certutil -L -d $HOME/nssdb -a -n my-ca-cert
740 -----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
741 MIIB1DCCAT2gAwIBAgICDkIwDQYJKoZIhvcNAQEFBQAwFTETMBEGA1UEAxMKRXhh
742 bXBsZSBDQTAeFw0xMzAzMTMxOTEwMjlaFw0xMzA2MTMxOTEwMjlaMBUxEzARBgNV
743 BAMTCkV4YW1wbGUgQ0EwgZ8wDQYJKoZIhvcNAQEBBQADgY0AMIGJAoGBAJ4Kzqvz
744 JyBVgFqDXRYSyTBNw1DrxUU/3GvWA/ngjAwHEv0Cul/6sO/gsCvnABHiH6unns6x
745 XRzPORlC2WY3gkk7vmlsLvYpyecNazAi/NAwVnU/66HOsaoVFWE+gBQo99UrN2yk
746 0BiK/GMFlLm5dXQROgA9ZKKyFdI0LIXtf6SbAgMBAAGjMzAxMBEGCWCGSAGG+EIB
747 AQQEAwIHADAMBgNVHRMEBTADAQH/MA4GA1UdDwEB/wQEAwICBDANBgkqhkiG9w0B
748 AQUFAAOBgQA6chkzkACN281d1jKMrc+RHG2UMaQyxiteaLVZO+Ro1nnRUvseDf09
749 XKYFwPMJjWCihVku6bw/ihZfuMHhxK22Nue6inNQ6eDu7WmrqL8z3iUrQwxs+WiF
750 ob2rb8XRVVJkzXdXxlk4uo3UtNvw8sAz7sWD71qxKaIHU5q49zijfg==
751 -----END CERTIFICATE-----
752 For a human-readable display
754 $ certutil -L -d $HOME/nssdb -n my-ca-cert
756 Certificate:
757 Data:
758 Version: 3 (0x2)
759 Serial Number: 3650 (0xe42)
760 Signature Algorithm: PKCS #1 SHA-1 With RSA Encryption
761 Issuer: "CN=Example CA"
762 Validity:
763 Not Before: Wed Mar 13 19:10:29 2013
764 Not After : Thu Jun 13 19:10:29 2013
765 Subject: "CN=Example CA"
766 Subject Public Key Info:
767 Public Key Algorithm: PKCS #1 RSA Encryption
768 RSA Public Key:
769 Modulus:
770 9e:0a:ce:ab:f3:27:20:55:80:5a:83:5d:16:12:c9:30:
771 4d:c3:50:eb:c5:45:3f:dc:6b:d6:03:f9:e0:8c:0c:07:
772 12:fd:02:ba:5f:fa:b0:ef:e0:b0:2b:e7:00:11:e2:1f:
773 ab:a7:9e:ce:b1:5d:1c:cf:39:19:42:d9:66:37:82:49:
774 3b:be:69:6c:2e:f6:29:c9:e7:0d:6b:30:22:fc:d0:30:
775 56:75:3f:eb:a1:ce:b1:aa:15:15:61:3e:80:14:28:f7:
776 d5:2b:37:6c:a4:d0:18:8a:fc:63:05:94:b9:b9:75:74:
777 11:3a:00:3d:64:a2:b2:15:d2:34:2c:85:ed:7f:a4:9b
778 Exponent: 65537 (0x10001)
779 Signed Extensions:
780 Name: Certificate Type
781 Data: none
782 Name: Certificate Basic Constraints
784 Data: Is a CA with no maximum path length.
785 Name: Certificate Key Usage
787 Critical: True
788 Usages: Certificate Signing
789 Signature Algorithm: PKCS #1 SHA-1 With RSA Encryption
791 Signature:
792 3a:72:19:33:90:00:8d:db:cd:5d:d6:32:8c:ad:cf:91:
793 1c:6d:94:31:a4:32:c6:2b:5e:68:b5:59:3b:e4:68:d6:
794 79:d1:52:fb:1e:0d:fd:3d:5c:a6:05:c0:f3:09:8d:60:
795 a2:85:59:2e:e9:bc:3f:8a:16:5f:b8:c1:e1:c4:ad:b6:
796 36:e7:ba:8a:73:50:e9:e0:ee:ed:69:ab:a8:bf:33:de:
797 25:2b:43:0c:6c:f9:68:85:a1:bd:ab:6f:c5:d1:55:52:
798 64:cd:77:57:c6:59:38:ba:8d:d4:b4:db:f0:f2:c0:33:
799 ee:c5:83:ef:5a:b1:29:a2:07:53:9a:b8:f7:38:a3:7e
800 Fingerprint (MD5):
801 86:D8:A5:8B:8A:26:BE:9E:17:A8:7B:66:10:6B:27:80
802 Fingerprint (SHA1):
803 48:78:09:EF:C5:D4:0C:BD:D2:64:45:59:EB:03:13:15:F7:A9:D6:F7
804 Certificate Trust Flags:
806 SSL Flags:
807 Valid CA
808 Trusted CA
809 User
810 Email Flags:
811 Valid CA
812 Trusted CA
813 User
814 Object Signing Flags:
815 Valid CA
816 Trusted CA
817 User
818 Listing Keys
821 Keys are the original material used to encrypt certificate data. The
823 keys generated for certificates are stored separately, in the key
824 database.
825 To list all keys in the database, use the -K command option and the
827 (required) -d argument to give the path to the directory.
828 $ certutil -K -d $HOME/nssdb
830 certutil: Checking token "NSS Certificate DB" in slot "NSS User Private Key and Certificate Services "
831 < 0> rsa 455a6673bde9375c2887ec8bf8016b3f9f35861d Thawte Freemail Member's Thawte Consulting (Pty) Ltd. ID
832 < 1> rsa 40defeeb522ade11090eacebaaf1196a172127df Example Domain Administrator Cert
833 < 2> rsa 1d0b06f44f6c03842f7d4f4a1dc78b3bcd1b85a5 John Smith user cert
834 There are ways to narrow the keys listed in the search results:
836 • To return a specific key, use the -n name argument with the name of
838 the key.
839 • If there are multiple security devices loaded, then the -h
841 tokenname argument can search a specific token or all tokens.
842 • If there are multiple key types available, then the -k key-type
844 argument can search a specific type of key, like RSA, DSA, or ECC.
845 Listing Security Modules
847 The devices that can be used to store certificates -- both internal
849 databases and external devices like smart cards -- are recognized and
850 used by loading security modules. The -U command option lists all of
851 the security modules listed in the secmod.db database. The path to the
852 directory (-d) is required.
853 $ certutil -U -d /home/my/sharednssdb
855 slot: NSS User Private Key and Certificate Services
857 token: NSS Certificate DB
858 uri: pkcs11:token=NSS%20Certificate%20DB;manufacturer=Mozilla%20Foundation;serial=0000000000000000;model=NSS%203
859 slot: NSS Internal Cryptographic Services
861 token: NSS Generic Crypto Services
862 uri: pkcs11:token=NSS%20Generic%20Crypto%20Services;manufacturer=Mozilla%20Foundation;serial=0000000000000000;model=NSS%203
863 Adding Certificates to the Database
865 Existing certificates or certificate requests can be added manually to
867 the certificate database, even if they were generated elsewhere. This
868 uses the -A command option.
869 certutil -A -n certname -t trustargs -d directory [-a] [-i input-file]
871 For example:
873 $ certutil -A -n "CN=My SSL Certificate" -t ",," -d /home/my/sharednssdb -i /home/example-certs/cert.cer
875 A related command option, -E, is used specifically to add email
877 certificates to the certificate database. The -E command has the same
878 arguments as the -A command. The trust arguments for certificates have
879 the format SSL,S/MIME,Code-signing, so the middle trust settings relate
880 most to email certificates (though the others can be set). For example:
881 $ certutil -E -n "CN=John Smith Email Cert" -t ",P," -d /home/my/sharednssdb -i /home/example-certs/email.cer
883 Deleting Certificates to the Database
885 Certificates can be deleted from a database using the -D option. The
887 only required options are to give the security database directory and
888 to identify the certificate nickname.
889 certutil -D -d directory -n "nickname"
891 For example:
893 $ certutil -D -d /home/my/sharednssdb -n "my-ssl-cert"
895 Validating Certificates
897 A certificate contains an expiration date in itself, and expired
899 certificates are easily rejected. However, certificates can also be
900 revoked before they hit their expiration date. Checking whether a
901 certificate has been revoked requires validating the certificate.
902 Validation can also be used to ensure that the certificate is only used
903 for the purposes it was initially issued for. Validation is carried out
904 by the -V command option.
905 certutil -V -n certificate-name [-b time] [-e] [-u cert-usage] -d directory
907 For example, to validate an email certificate:
909 $ certutil -V -n "John Smith's Email Cert" -e -u S,R -d /home/my/sharednssdb
911 Modifying Certificate Trust Settings
913 The trust settings (which relate to the operations that a certificate
915 is allowed to be used for) can be changed after a certificate is
916 created or added to the database. This is especially useful for CA
917 certificates, but it can be performed for any type of certificate.
918 certutil -M -n certificate-name -t trust-args -d directory
920 For example:
922 $ certutil -M -n "My CA Certificate" -d /home/my/sharednssdb -t "CT,CT,CT"
924 Printing the Certificate Chain
926 Certificates can be issued in chains because every certificate
928 authority itself has a certificate; when a CA issues a certificate, it
929 essentially stamps that certificate with its own fingerprint. The -O
930 prints the full chain of a certificate, going from the initial CA (the
931 root CA) through ever intermediary CA to the actual certificate. For
932 example, for an email certificate with two CAs in the chain:
933 $ certutil -d /home/my/sharednssdb -O -n "jsmith@example.com"
935 "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]
936 "Thawte Personal Freemail Issuing CA - Thawte Consulting" [CN=Thawte Personal Freemail Issuing CA,O=Thawte Consulting (Pty) Ltd.,C=ZA]
938 "(null)" [E=jsmith@example.com,CN=Thawte Freemail Member]
940 Resetting a Token
942 The device which stores certificates -- both external hardware devices
944 and internal software databases -- can be blanked and reused. This
945 operation is performed on the device which stores the data, not
946 directly on the security databases, so the location must be referenced
947 through the token name (-h) as well as any directory path. If there is
948 no external token used, the default value is internal.
949 certutil -T -d directory -h token-name -0 security-officer-password
951 Many networks have dedicated personnel who handle changes to security
953 tokens (the security officer). This person must supply the password to
954 access the specified token. For example:
955 $ certutil -T -d /home/my/sharednssdb -h nethsm -0 secret
957 Upgrading or Merging the Security Databases
959 Many networks or applications may be using older BerkeleyDB versions of
961 the certificate database (cert8.db). Databases can be upgraded to the
962 new SQLite version of the database (cert9.db) using the --upgrade-merge
963 command option or existing databases can be merged with the new
964 cert9.db databases using the ---merge command.
965 The --upgrade-merge command must give information about the original
967 database and then use the standard arguments (like -d) to give the
968 information about the new databases. The command also requires
969 information that the tool uses for the process to upgrade and write
970 over the original database.
971 certutil --upgrade-merge -d directory [-P dbprefix] --source-dir directory --source-prefix dbprefix --upgrade-id id --upgrade-token-name name [-@ password-file]
973 For example:
975 $ certutil --upgrade-merge -d /home/my/sharednssdb --source-dir /opt/my-app/alias/ --source-prefix serverapp- --upgrade-id 1 --upgrade-token-name internal
977 The --merge command only requires information about the location of the
979 original database; since it doesn't change the format of the database,
980 it can write over information without performing interim step.
981 certutil --merge -d directory [-P dbprefix] --source-dir directory --source-prefix dbprefix [-@ password-file]
983 For example:
985 $ certutil --merge -d /home/my/sharednssdb --source-dir /opt/my-app/alias/ --source-prefix serverapp-
987 Running certutil Commands from a Batch File
989 A series of commands can be run sequentially from a text file with the
991 -B command option. The only argument for this specifies the input file.
992 $ certutil -B -i /path/to/batch-file
994
996 NSS originally used BerkeleyDB databases to store security information.
997 The last versions of these legacy databases are:
998 • cert8.db for certificates
1000 • key3.db for keys
1002 • secmod.db for PKCS #11 module information
1004 BerkeleyDB has performance limitations, though, which prevent it from
1006 being easily used by multiple applications simultaneously. NSS has some
1007 flexibility that allows applications to use their own, independent
1008 database engine while keeping a shared database and working around the
1009 access issues. Still, NSS requires more flexibility to provide a truly
1010 shared security database.
1011 In 2009, NSS introduced a new set of databases that are SQLite
1013 databases rather than BerkeleyDB. These new databases provide more
1014 accessibility and performance:
1015 • cert9.db for certificates
1017 • key4.db for keys
1019 • pkcs11.txt, a listing of all of the PKCS #11 modules, contained in
1021 a new subdirectory in the security databases directory
1022 Because the SQLite databases are designed to be shared, these are the
1024 shared database type.
1025 By default, the tools (certutil, pk12util, modutil) assume that the
1027 given security databases use the SQLite type.
1028 • https://wiki.mozilla.org/NSS_Shared_DB_Howto
1030 For an engineering draft on the changes in the shared NSS databases,
1032 see the NSS project wiki:
1033 • https://wiki.mozilla.org/NSS_Shared_DB
1035
1037 pk12util (1)
1038 modutil (1)
1040 certutil has arguments or operations that use features defined in
1042 several IETF RFCs.
1043 • http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc5280
1045 • http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc1113
1047 • http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc1485
1049 The NSS wiki has information on the new database design and how to
1051 configure applications to use it.
1052 • https://wiki.mozilla.org/NSS_Shared_DB_Howto
1054 • https://wiki.mozilla.org/NSS_Shared_DB
1056
1058 For information about NSS and other tools related to NSS (like JSS),
1059 check out the NSS project wiki at
1060 http://www.mozilla.org/projects/security/pki/nss/. The NSS site relates
1061 directly to NSS code changes and releases.
1062 Mailing lists: https://lists.mozilla.org/listinfo/dev-tech-crypto
1064 IRC: Freenode at #dogtag-pki
1066
1068 The NSS tools were written and maintained by developers with Netscape,
1069 Red Hat, Sun, Oracle, Mozilla, and Google.
1070 Authors: Elio Maldonado <emaldona@redhat.com>, Deon Lackey
1072 <dlackey@redhat.com>.
1073
1075 Licensed under the Mozilla Public License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL
1076 was not distributed with this file, You can obtain one at
1077 http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
1078
1080 1. Mozilla NSS bug 836477
1081 https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=836477
1082nss-tools 26 October 2023 CERTUTIL(1)