SSL_NEW(3ossl)

💖 SSL_NEW 💖

okay bestie, welcome to the OpenSSL page for SSL_dup, SSL_new and SSL_up_ref — aka the trio that makes you an SSL structure so your connection has somewhere cute to live 🏠✨ This one's in the OpenSSL manual, section 3ossl, iykyk.

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🌸 NAME 🌸

SSL_dup, SSL_new, SSL_up_ref — create an SSL structure for a connection 🫶

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

#include <openssl/ssl.h>

SSL *SSL_dup(SSL *s);
SSL *SSL_new(SSL_CTX *ctx);
int SSL_up_ref(SSL *s);

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

SSL_new() creates a brand-new SSL structure, and like… you literally need one of these to hold the data for a TLS/SSL connection. No SSL, no vibes. 💅

The new structure inherits the settings of the underlying context ctx: connection method, options, verification settings, timeout settings. It's giving "I got it from my mama."

An SSL structure is reference counted. Creating an SSL structure for the first time increments the reference count. Freeing it (using SSL_free) decrements it. When the reference count drops to zero, any memory or resources allocated to the SSL structure are freed. periodt 💀

SSL_up_ref() increments the reference count for an existing SSL structure. just bumping the number, no drama.

The function SSL_dup() creates and returns a new SSL structure from the same SSL_CTX that was used to create s. It additionally duplicates a subset of the settings in s into the new SSL object. not everything, bestie, just a subset, keep reading.

⚠️ For SSL_dup() to work, the connection MUST be in its initial state and MUST NOT have yet started the SSL handshake. For connections that are not in their initial state SSL_dup() just increments an internal reference count and returns the same handle. It may be possible to use SSL_clear(3) to recycle an SSL handle that is not in its initial state for reuse, but this is best avoided. Instead, save and restore the session, if desired, and construct a fresh handle for each connection. 🚨

The subset of settings in s that are duplicated are:

• any session data if configured (including the session_id_context)
• any tmp_dh settings set via SSL_set_tmp_dh(3), SSL_set_tmp_dh_callback(3), or SSL_set_dh_auto(3)
• any configured certificates, private keys or certificate chains
• any configured signature algorithms, or client signature algorithms
• any DANE settings
• any Options set via SSL_set_options(3)
• any Mode set via SSL_set_mode(3)
• any minimum or maximum protocol settings set via SSL_set_min_proto_version(3) or SSL_set_max_proto_version(3) (Note: Only from OpenSSL 1.1.1h and above)
• any verify mode, callback or depth set via SSL_set_verify(3) or SSL_set_verify_depth(3) or any configured X509 verification parameters
• any msg callback or info callback set via SSL_set_msg_callback(3) or SSL_set_info_callback(3)
• any default password callback set via SSL_set_default_passwd_cb(3)
• any session id generation callback set via SSL_set_generate_session_id(3)
• any configured Cipher List
• initial accept (server) or connect (client) state
• the max cert list value set via SSL_set_max_cert_list(3)
• the read_ahead value set via SSL_set_read_ahead(3)
• application specific data set via SSL_set_ex_data(3)
• any CA list or client CA list set via SSL_set0_CA_list(3), SSL_set0_client_CA_list() or similar functions
• any security level settings or callbacks
• any configured serverinfo data
• any configured PSK identity hint
• any configured custom extensions
• any client certificate types configured via SSL_set1_client_certificate_types
• type of server certificate set via SSL_set1_server_cert_type(3).
• type of client certificate set via SSL_set1_client_cert_type(3).
• certificate transparency validation callback set via SSL_set_ct_validation_callback(3),
• OCSP validation set via SSL_set_tlsext_status_type(3).

🙈 SSL_dup() is not supported on QUIC SSL objects and returns NULL if called on such an object. no QUIC duping, we don't do that here.

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🌈 RETURN VALUES 🌈

The following return values can occur:

• NULL — The creation of a new SSL structure failed. Check the error stack to find out the reason. 😭
• Pointer to an SSL structure — The return value points to an allocated SSL structure.

SSL_up_ref() returns 1 for success and 0 for failure. ✨

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🎀 SEE ALSO 🎀

SSL_free(3), SSL_clear(3), SSL_CTX_set_options(3), SSL_get_SSL_CTX(3), ssl(7)

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👑 COPYRIGHT 👑

Copyright 2000-2026 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>.

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and that's the whole page, bestie!! 🫶✨💖 this icon of a manual page is from OpenSSL 3.5.9, dated 2026-09-29, and it goes by SSL_NEW(3ossl) — go forth and allocate responsibly, mwah 💅🌸