RSA_PSS_PARAMS_NEW(3)

📦 version 4.4.0, in alpine 3.24, arch rolling

💅 RSA_PSS_PARAMS_NEW(3) 💅

okay bestie, welcome to the Library Functions Manual page for RSA_PSS_PARAMS_new and RSA_PSS_PARAMS_free — yes, the whole thing lives in libcrypto, no cap ✨

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

like, first you gotta pull in the header:

#include <openssl/rsa.h>

and then the two functions themselves, exactly like this:

RSA_PSS_PARAMS *
RSA_PSS_PARAMS_new(void);

void
RSA_PSS_PARAMS_free(RSA_PSS_PARAMS *params);

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

okay so RSA_PSS_PARAMS_new() is the main character here 👑 — it allocates and initializes a whole empty RSA_PSS_PARAMS object for you. and what even is that, you ask? it's literally the representation of an ASN.1 RSASSA-PSS-params structure, which is defined in RFC 8017 appendix A.2.3. iykyk 📜

that object is lowkey holding onto a bunch of stuff: it references the hash function and the mask generation function, and it stores the length of the salt plus the trailer field number. that's the whole vibe check of the struct 💅

and then RSA_PSS_PARAMS_free() is the cleanup bestie — it frees params. periodt. 🧹

⭐ RETURN VALUES ⭐

RSA_PSS_PARAMS_new() returns the brand new RSA_PSS_PARAMS object 💖 …or NULL if an error happens 😭 (rip, it's giving "something went wrong").

🎀 SEE ALSO 🎀

go check out your other faves, they're all linked up:

🌈 STANDARDS 🌈

RFC 8017: PKCS#1: RSA Cryptography Specifications Version 2.2 — that's the one, go read it if you're feeling academic 📚

💜 HISTORY 💜

RSA_PSS_PARAMS_new() and RSA_PSS_PARAMS_free() first appeared in OpenSSL 1.0.1, and they've been available since OpenBSD 5.3. iconic longevity honestly 🫶

aaaand that's the page!! mwah 💋 this one came from Debian, dated June 8, 2025 — so go forth and allocate your PSS params responsibly, bestie 🍓✨

📦 where this page comes from