OPENSSL-SPKAC(1ossl)

📦 version 3.5.0, in opensuse-leap 16.0

✨ NAME ✨

okay bestie, welcome to openssl-spkac(1ossl) — the SPKAC printing and generating command, and she is literally here to handle your Netscape signed public key and challenge files 💅

🫶 SYNOPSIS 🫶

       openssl spkac [-help] [-in filename] [-out filename] [-digest digest]
       [-key filename|uri] [-keyform DER|PEM|P12|ENGINE] [-passin arg]
       [-challenge string] [-pubkey] [-spkac spkacname] [-spksect section]
       [-noout] [-verify] [-engine id] [-provider name] [-provider-path path]
       [-provparam [name:]key=value] [-propquery propq]

🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

This command processes Netscape signed public key and challenge (SPKAC) files. It can print out their contents, verify the signature and produce its own SPKACs from a supplied private key. No cap, she does all three. 💖

💅 OPTIONS 💅

  • -help — prints out a usage message. Helpful queen behavior. ✨
  • -in filename — specifies the input filename to read from, or standard input if this option is not specified. Ignored if the -key option is used. Okay? Periodt.
  • -out filename — specifies the output filename to write to, or standard output by default. Classic stdout slay. 🎀
  • -digest digest — use the specified digest to sign a created SPKAC file. The default digest algorithm is MD5. Yes, MD5 is the default — that’s what the page says, bestie.
  • -key filename|uri — create an SPKAC file using the private key specified by filename or uri. The -in, -noout, -spksect and -verify options are ignored if present. She said what she said. 💀
  • -keyform DER|PEM|P12|ENGINE — the key format; unspecified by default. See openssl-format-options(1) for details. Format tea goes here.
  • -passin arg — the input file password source. For more information about the format of arg, see openssl-passphrase-options(1). Password lore unlocked. 🔑
  • -challenge string — specifies the challenge string if an SPKAC is being created. Hello, challenge string moment. 🌈
  • -spkac spkacname — allows an alternative name for the variable containing the SPKAC. The default is "SPKAC". This option affects both generated and input SPKAC files. Default is not mysterious, it’s literally right there. 👑
  • -spksect section — allows an alternative name for the section containing the SPKAC. The default is the default section. Very “the default is the default” of her. ✨
  • -noout — don’t output the text version of the SPKAC (not used if an SPKAC is being created). No text dump when you’re busy birthing an SPKAC. 🦋
  • -pubkey — output the public key of an SPKAC (not used if an SPKAC is being created). Public key reveal, but only when it applies. 🔥
  • -verify — verifies the digital signature on the supplied SPKAC. Vibe check, but cryptographic. ✅
  • -engine id — see “Engine Options” in openssl(1). This option is deprecated. Deprecated, bestie — she’s giving legacy energy. 💀
  • -provider name — see “Provider Options” in openssl(1), provider(7), and property(7). Provider options section says hi.
  • -provider-path path — see “Provider Options” in openssl(1), provider(7), and property(7). Path to the provider tea.
  • -provparam [name:]key=value — see “Provider Options” in openssl(1), provider(7), and property(7). Params, but make it provider.
  • -propquery propq — see “Provider Options” in openssl(1), provider(7), and property(7). Property query, iconic as always.

🦋 EXAMPLES 🦋

Print out the contents of an SPKAC:

openssl spkac -in spkac.cnf

Verify the signature of an SPKAC:

openssl spkac -in spkac.cnf -noout -verify

Create an SPKAC using the challenge string "hello":

openssl spkac -key key.pem -challenge hello -out spkac.cnf

Example of an SPKAC, (long lines split up for clarity):

SPKAC=MIG5MGUwXDANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQEFAANLADBIAkEA\
1cCoq2Wa3Ixs47uI7FPVwHVIPDx5yso105Y6zpozam135a\
8R0CpoRvkkigIyXfcCjiVi5oWk+6FfPaD03uPFoQIDAQAB\
FgVoZWxsbzANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQQFAANBAFpQtY/FojdwkJ\
h1bEIYuc2EeM2KHTWPEepWYeawvHD0gQ3DngSC75YCWnnD\
dq+NQ3F+X4deMx9AaEglZtULwV4=

🧚 NOTES 🧚

A created SPKAC with suitable DN components appended can be fed to openssl-ca(1). Like, add the right DN bits and send her to CA land. 💖

SPKACs are typically generated by Netscape when a form is submitted containing the KEYGEN tag as part of the certificate enrollment process. Netscape lore, no cap.

The challenge string permits a primitive form of proof of possession of private key. By checking the SPKAC signature and a random challenge string some guarantee is given that the user knows the private key corresponding to the public key being certified. This is important in some applications. Without this it is possible for a previous SPKAC to be used in a “replay attack”. Replay attack warning — do not ignore, bestie. 😭

⭐ SEE ALSO ⭐

openssl(1), openssl-ca(1)

🌈 HISTORY 🌈

The -engine option was deprecated in OpenSSL 3.0. Legacy era.

The -digest option was added in OpenSSL 3.0. New-ish queen behavior. ✨

Copyright 2000-2021 The OpenSSL Project Authors. All Rights Reserved.

Licensed under the Apache License 2.0 (the “License”). You may not use this file except in compliance with the License. You can obtain a copy in the file LICENSE in the source distribution or at <https://www.openssl.org/source/license.html>. Legal text stays legal text, but make it cute. 🫶

This lil page is from OpenSSL 3.5.0, dated 2026-09-25 — mwah, go slay some SPKACs 💋

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