2 {- OpenSSL::safe::output_do_not_edit_headers(); -}
6 openssl-req - PKCS#10 certificate request and certificate generating utility
12 [B<-inform> B<DER>|B<PEM>]
13 [B<-outform> B<DER>|B<PEM>]
27 [B<-keyform> B<DER>|B<PEM>]
28 [B<-keyout> I<filename>]
29 [B<-keygen_engine> I<id>]
31 [B<-config> I<filename>]
38 [B<-extensions> I<section>]
39 [B<-reqexts> I<section>]
45 [B<-sigopt> I<nm>:I<v>]
48 [B<-sm2-id> I<string>]
49 [B<-sm2-hex-id> I<hex-string>]
50 {- $OpenSSL::safe::opt_name_synopsis -}
51 {- $OpenSSL::safe::opt_r_synopsis -}
52 {- $OpenSSL::safe::opt_engine_synopsis -}
54 =for openssl ifdef engine keygen_engine sm2-id sm2-hex-id
58 This command primarily creates and processes certificate requests
59 in PKCS#10 format. It can additionally create self signed certificates
60 for use as root CAs for example.
68 Print out a usage message.
70 =item B<-inform> B<DER>|B<PEM>, B<-outform> B<DER>|B<PEM>
72 The input and formats; the default is B<PEM>.
73 See L<openssl(1)/Format Options> for details.
75 The data is a PKCS#10 object.
77 =item B<-in> I<filename>
79 This specifies the input filename to read a request from or standard input
80 if this option is not specified. A request is only read if the creation
81 options (B<-new> and B<-newkey>) are not specified.
83 =item B<-sigopt> I<nm>:I<v>
85 Pass options to the signature algorithm during sign or verify operations.
86 Names and values of these options are algorithm-specific.
88 =item B<-passin> I<arg>, B<-passout> I<arg>
90 The password source for the input and output file.
91 For more information about the format of B<arg>
92 see L<openssl(1)/Pass Phrase Options>.
94 =item B<-out> I<filename>
96 This specifies the output filename to write to or standard output by
101 Prints out the certificate request in text form.
105 Prints out the request subject (or certificate subject if B<-x509> is
110 Outputs the public key.
114 This option prevents output of the encoded version of the request.
118 This option prints out the value of the modulus of the public key
119 contained in the request.
123 Verifies the signature on the request.
127 This option generates a new certificate request. It will prompt
128 the user for the relevant field values. The actual fields
129 prompted for and their maximum and minimum sizes are specified
130 in the configuration file and any requested extensions.
132 If the B<-key> option is not used it will generate a new RSA private
133 key using information specified in the configuration file.
135 =item B<-newkey> I<arg>
137 This option creates a new certificate request and a new private
138 key. The argument takes one of several forms.
140 B<rsa:>I<nbits>, where
141 I<nbits> is the number of bits, generates an RSA key I<nbits>
142 in size. If I<nbits> is omitted, i.e. B<-newkey> I<rsa> specified,
143 the default key size, specified in the configuration file is used.
145 All other algorithms support the B<-newkey> I<alg>:I<file> form, where file
146 may be an algorithm parameter file, created with C<openssl genpkey -genparam>
147 or an X.509 certificate for a key with appropriate algorithm.
149 B<param:>I<file> generates a key using the parameter file or certificate
150 I<file>, the algorithm is determined by the parameters. I<algname>:I<file>
151 use algorithm I<algname> and parameter file I<file>: the two algorithms must
152 match or an error occurs. I<algname> just uses algorithm I<algname>, and
153 parameters, if necessary should be specified via B<-pkeyopt> parameter.
155 B<dsa:>I<filename> generates a DSA key using the parameters
156 in the file I<filename>. B<ec:>I<filename> generates EC key (usable both with
157 ECDSA or ECDH algorithms), B<gost2001:>I<filename> generates GOST R
158 34.10-2001 key (requires B<gost> engine configured in the configuration
159 file). If just B<gost2001> is specified a parameter set should be
160 specified by B<-pkeyopt> I<paramset:X>
162 =item B<-pkeyopt> I<opt>:I<value>
164 Set the public key algorithm option I<opt> to I<value>. The precise set of
165 options supported depends on the public key algorithm used and its
167 See L<openssl-genpkey(1)/KEY GENERATION OPTIONS> for more details.
169 =item B<-key> I<filename>
171 This specifies the file to read the private key from. It also
172 accepts PKCS#8 format private keys for PEM format files.
174 =item B<-keyform> B<DER>|B<PEM>
176 The format of the private key; the default is B<PEM>.
177 See L<openssl(1)/Format Options> for details.
179 =item B<-keyout> I<filename>
181 This gives the filename to write the newly created private key to.
182 If this option is not specified then the filename present in the
183 configuration file is used.
187 If this option is specified then if a private key is created it
188 will not be encrypted.
192 This specifies the message digest to sign the request.
193 Any digest supported by the OpenSSL B<dgst> command can be used.
194 This overrides the digest algorithm specified in
195 the configuration file.
197 Some public key algorithms may override this choice. For instance, DSA
198 signatures always use SHA1, GOST R 34.10 signatures always use
199 GOST R 34.11-94 (B<-md_gost94>), Ed25519 and Ed448 never use any digest.
201 =item B<-config> I<filename>
203 This allows an alternative configuration file to be specified.
204 Optional; for a description of the default value,
205 see L<openssl(1)/COMMAND SUMMARY>.
207 =item B<-subj> I<arg>
209 Sets subject name for new request or supersedes the subject name
210 when processing a request.
211 The arg must be formatted as C</type0=value0/type1=value1/type2=...>.
212 Keyword characters may be escaped by \ (backslash), and whitespace is retained.
213 Empty values are permitted, but the corresponding type will not be included
216 =item B<-multivalue-rdn>
218 This option causes the -subj argument to be interpreted with full
219 support for multivalued RDNs. Example:
221 C</DC=org/DC=OpenSSL/DC=users/UID=123456+CN=John Doe>
223 If -multi-rdn is not used then the UID value is C<123456+CN=John Doe>.
227 This option outputs a self signed certificate instead of a certificate
228 request. This is typically used to generate a test certificate or
229 a self signed root CA. The extensions added to the certificate
230 (if any) are specified in the configuration file. Unless specified
231 using the B<-set_serial> option, a large random number will be used for
234 If existing request is specified with the B<-in> option, it is converted
235 to the self signed certificate otherwise new request is created.
239 When the B<-x509> option is being used this specifies the number of
240 days to certify the certificate for, otherwise it is ignored. I<n> should
241 be a positive integer. The default is 30 days.
243 =item B<-set_serial> I<n>
245 Serial number to use when outputting a self signed certificate. This
246 may be specified as a decimal value or a hex value if preceded by C<0x>.
248 =item B<-addext> I<ext>
250 Add a specific extension to the certificate (if the B<-x509> option is
251 present) or certificate request. The argument must have the form of
252 a key=value pair as it would appear in a config file.
254 This option can be given multiple times.
256 =item B<-extensions> I<section>
258 =item B<-reqexts> I<section>
260 These options specify alternative sections to include certificate
261 extensions (if the B<-x509> option is present) or certificate
262 request extensions. This allows several different sections to
263 be used in the same configuration file to specify requests for
264 a variety of purposes.
268 A poison extension will be added to the certificate, making it a
269 "pre-certificate" (see RFC6962). This can be submitted to Certificate
270 Transparency logs in order to obtain signed certificate timestamps (SCTs).
271 These SCTs can then be embedded into the pre-certificate as an extension, before
272 removing the poison and signing the certificate.
274 This implies the B<-new> flag.
278 This option causes field values to be interpreted as UTF8 strings, by
279 default they are interpreted as ASCII. This means that the field
280 values, whether prompted from a terminal or obtained from a
281 configuration file, must be valid UTF8 strings.
283 =item B<-reqopt> I<option>
285 Customise the output format used with B<-text>. The I<option> argument can be
286 a single option or multiple options separated by commas.
288 See discussion of the B<-certopt> parameter in the L<openssl-x509(1)>
293 Adds the word B<NEW> to the PEM file header and footer lines on the outputted
294 request. Some software (Netscape certificate server) and some CAs need this.
298 Non-interactive mode.
302 Print extra details about the operations being performed.
304 =item B<-keygen_engine> I<id>
306 Specifies an engine (by its unique I<id> string) which would be used
307 for key generation operations.
311 Specify the ID string to use when verifying an SM2 certificate request. The ID
312 string is required by the SM2 signature algorithm for signing and verification.
316 Specify a binary ID string to use when verifying an SM2 certificate request. The
317 argument for this option is string of hexadecimal digits.
319 {- $OpenSSL::safe::opt_name_item -}
321 {- $OpenSSL::safe::opt_r_item -}
323 {- $OpenSSL::safe::opt_engine_item -}
327 =head1 CONFIGURATION FILE FORMAT
329 The configuration options are specified in the B<req> section of
330 the configuration file. As with all configuration files if no
331 value is specified in the specific section (i.e. B<req>) then
332 the initial unnamed or B<default> section is searched too.
334 The options available are described in detail below.
338 =item B<input_password output_password>
340 The passwords for the input private key file (if present) and
341 the output private key file (if one will be created). The
342 command line options B<passin> and B<passout> override the
343 configuration file values.
345 =item B<default_bits>
347 Specifies the default key size in bits.
349 This option is used in conjunction with the B<-new> option to generate
350 a new key. It can be overridden by specifying an explicit key size in
351 the B<-newkey> option. The smallest accepted key size is 512 bits. If
352 no key size is specified then 2048 bits is used.
354 =item B<default_keyfile>
356 This is the default filename to write a private key to. If not
357 specified the key is written to standard output. This can be
358 overridden by the B<-keyout> option.
362 This specifies a file containing additional B<OBJECT IDENTIFIERS>.
363 Each line of the file should consist of the numerical form of the
364 object identifier followed by white space then the short name followed
365 by white space and finally the long name.
369 This specifies a section in the configuration file containing extra
370 object identifiers. Each line should consist of the short name of the
371 object identifier followed by B<=> and the numerical form. The short
372 and long names are the same when this option is used.
376 At startup the specified file is loaded into the random number generator,
377 and at exit 256 bytes will be written to it.
378 It is used for private key generation.
382 If this is set to B<no> then if a private key is generated it is
383 B<not> encrypted. This is equivalent to the B<-nodes> command line
384 option. For compatibility B<encrypt_rsa_key> is an equivalent option.
388 This option specifies the digest algorithm to use. Any digest supported by the
389 OpenSSL B<dgst> command can be used. This option can be overridden on the
390 command line. Certain signing algorithms (i.e. Ed25519 and Ed448) will ignore
391 any digest that has been set.
395 This option masks out the use of certain string types in certain
396 fields. Most users will not need to change this option.
398 It can be set to several values B<default> which is also the default
399 option uses PrintableStrings, T61Strings and BMPStrings if the
400 B<pkix> value is used then only PrintableStrings and BMPStrings will
401 be used. This follows the PKIX recommendation in RFC2459. If the
402 B<utf8only> option is used then only UTF8Strings will be used: this
403 is the PKIX recommendation in RFC2459 after 2003. Finally the B<nombstr>
404 option just uses PrintableStrings and T61Strings: certain software has
405 problems with BMPStrings and UTF8Strings: in particular Netscape.
407 =item B<req_extensions>
409 This specifies the configuration file section containing a list of
410 extensions to add to the certificate request. It can be overridden
411 by the B<-reqexts> command line switch. See the
412 L<x509v3_config(5)> manual page for details of the
413 extension section format.
415 =item B<x509_extensions>
417 This specifies the configuration file section containing a list of
418 extensions to add to certificate generated when the B<-x509> switch
419 is used. It can be overridden by the B<-extensions> command line switch.
423 If set to the value B<no> this disables prompting of certificate fields
424 and just takes values from the config file directly. It also changes the
425 expected format of the B<distinguished_name> and B<attributes> sections.
429 If set to the value B<yes> then field values to be interpreted as UTF8
430 strings, by default they are interpreted as ASCII. This means that
431 the field values, whether prompted from a terminal or obtained from a
432 configuration file, must be valid UTF8 strings.
436 This specifies the section containing any request attributes: its format
437 is the same as B<distinguished_name>. Typically these may contain the
438 challengePassword or unstructuredName types. They are currently ignored
439 by OpenSSL's request signing utilities but some CAs might want them.
441 =item B<distinguished_name>
443 This specifies the section containing the distinguished name fields to
444 prompt for when generating a certificate or certificate request. The format
445 is described in the next section.
449 =head1 DISTINGUISHED NAME AND ATTRIBUTE SECTION FORMAT
451 There are two separate formats for the distinguished name and attribute
452 sections. If the B<prompt> option is set to B<no> then these sections
453 just consist of field names and values: for example,
457 emailAddress=someone@somewhere.org
459 This allows external programs (e.g. GUI based) to generate a template file with
460 all the field names and values and just pass it to this command. An example
461 of this kind of configuration file is contained in the B<EXAMPLES> section.
463 Alternatively if the B<prompt> option is absent or not set to B<no> then the
464 file contains field prompting information. It consists of lines of the form:
467 fieldName_default="default field value"
471 "fieldName" is the field name being used, for example commonName (or CN).
472 The "prompt" string is used to ask the user to enter the relevant
473 details. If the user enters nothing then the default value is used if no
474 default value is present then the field is omitted. A field can
475 still be omitted if a default value is present if the user just
476 enters the '.' character.
478 The number of characters entered must be between the fieldName_min and
479 fieldName_max limits: there may be additional restrictions based
480 on the field being used (for example countryName can only ever be
481 two characters long and must fit in a PrintableString).
483 Some fields (such as organizationName) can be used more than once
484 in a DN. This presents a problem because configuration files will
485 not recognize the same name occurring twice. To avoid this problem
486 if the fieldName contains some characters followed by a full stop
487 they will be ignored. So for example a second organizationName can
488 be input by calling it "1.organizationName".
490 The actual permitted field names are any object identifier short or
491 long names. These are compiled into OpenSSL and include the usual
492 values such as commonName, countryName, localityName, organizationName,
493 organizationalUnitName, stateOrProvinceName. Additionally emailAddress
494 is included as well as name, surname, givenName, initials, and dnQualifier.
496 Additional object identifiers can be defined with the B<oid_file> or
497 B<oid_section> options in the configuration file. Any additional fields
498 will be treated as though they were a DirectoryString.
503 Examine and verify certificate request:
505 openssl req -in req.pem -text -verify -noout
507 Create a private key and then generate a certificate request from it:
509 openssl genrsa -out key.pem 2048
510 openssl req -new -key key.pem -out req.pem
512 The same but just using req:
514 openssl req -newkey rsa:2048 -keyout key.pem -out req.pem
516 Generate a self signed root certificate:
518 openssl req -x509 -newkey rsa:2048 -keyout key.pem -out req.pem
520 Create an SM2 private key and then generate a certificate request from it:
522 openssl ecparam -genkey -name SM2 -out sm2.key
523 openssl req -new -key sm2.key -out sm2.csr -sm3 -sigopt "sm2_id:1234567812345678"
525 Examine and verify an SM2 certificate request:
527 openssl req -verify -in sm2.csr -sm3 -sm2-id 1234567812345678
529 Example of a file pointed to by the B<oid_file> option:
531 1.2.3.4 shortName A longer Name
532 1.2.3.6 otherName Other longer Name
534 Example of a section pointed to by B<oid_section> making use of variable
538 testoid2=${testoid1}.6
540 Sample configuration file prompting for field values:
544 default_keyfile = privkey.pem
545 distinguished_name = req_distinguished_name
546 attributes = req_attributes
547 req_extensions = v3_ca
549 dirstring_type = nobmp
551 [ req_distinguished_name ]
552 countryName = Country Name (2 letter code)
553 countryName_default = AU
557 localityName = Locality Name (eg, city)
559 organizationalUnitName = Organizational Unit Name (eg, section)
561 commonName = Common Name (eg, YOUR name)
564 emailAddress = Email Address
565 emailAddress_max = 40
568 challengePassword = A challenge password
569 challengePassword_min = 4
570 challengePassword_max = 20
574 subjectKeyIdentifier=hash
575 authorityKeyIdentifier=keyid:always,issuer:always
576 basicConstraints = critical, CA:true
578 Sample configuration containing all field values:
583 default_keyfile = keyfile.pem
584 distinguished_name = req_distinguished_name
585 attributes = req_attributes
587 output_password = mypass
589 [ req_distinguished_name ]
591 ST = Test State or Province
593 O = Organization Name
594 OU = Organizational Unit Name
596 emailAddress = test@email.address
599 challengePassword = A challenge password
601 Example of giving the most common attributes (subject and extensions)
604 openssl req -new -subj "/C=GB/CN=foo" \
605 -addext "subjectAltName = DNS:foo.co.uk" \
606 -addext "certificatePolicies = 1.2.3.4" \
607 -newkey rsa:2048 -keyout key.pem -out req.pem
612 The certificate requests generated by B<Xenroll> with MSIE have extensions
613 added. It includes the B<keyUsage> extension which determines the type of
614 key (signature only or general purpose) and any additional OIDs entered
615 by the script in an B<extendedKeyUsage> extension.
619 The following messages are frequently asked about:
621 Using configuration from /some/path/openssl.cnf
622 Unable to load config info
624 This is followed some time later by:
626 unable to find 'distinguished_name' in config
627 problems making Certificate Request
629 The first error message is the clue: it can't find the configuration
630 file! Certain operations (like examining a certificate request) don't
631 need a configuration file so its use isn't enforced. Generation of
632 certificates or requests however does need a configuration file. This
633 could be regarded as a bug.
635 Another puzzling message is this:
640 this is displayed when no attributes are present and the request includes
641 the correct empty B<SET OF> structure (the DER encoding of which is 0xa0
642 0x00). If you just see:
646 then the B<SET OF> is missing and the encoding is technically invalid (but
647 it is tolerated). See the description of the command line option B<-asn1-kludge>
648 for more information.
652 OpenSSL's handling of T61Strings (aka TeletexStrings) is broken: it effectively
653 treats them as ISO-8859-1 (Latin 1), Netscape and MSIE have similar behaviour.
654 This can cause problems if you need characters that aren't available in
655 PrintableStrings and you don't want to or can't use BMPStrings.
657 As a consequence of the T61String handling the only correct way to represent
658 accented characters in OpenSSL is to use a BMPString: unfortunately Netscape
659 currently chokes on these. If you have to use accented characters with Netscape
660 and MSIE then you currently need to use the invalid T61String form.
662 The current prompting is not very friendly. It doesn't allow you to confirm what
663 you've just entered. Other things like extensions in certificate requests are
664 statically defined in the configuration file. Some of these: like an email
665 address in subjectAltName should be input by the user.
672 L<openssl-genrsa(1)>,
673 L<openssl-gendsa(1)>,
679 Copyright 2000-2019 The OpenSSL Project Authors. All Rights Reserved.
681 Licensed under the Apache License 2.0 (the "License"). You may not use
682 this file except in compliance with the License. You can obtain a copy
683 in the file LICENSE in the source distribution or at
684 L<https://www.openssl.org/source/license.html>.