LIFE_CYCLE-MAC(7SSL)

📦
version 4.0.3 · 13 versions
, in ubuntu stonking

💖 life_cycle-mac — bestie, let's talk about the MAC algorithm life-cycle 💖

okay so. this is LIFE_CYCLE-MAC(7SSL), from the OpenSSL manual set. it's giving ✨ documentation ✨, and it's about literally the entire journey a message authentication code goes on, from "not even born yet" to "freed and at peace". a whole coming-of-age arc. we love a character development moment. 🦋

🌸 NAME 🌸

life_cycle-mac — the MAC algorithm life-cycle, aka the whole glow-up timeline of a message authentication code. no cap, that's the name, that's the vibe. 💅

✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

so here's the tea: literally every message authentication code (MAC) goes through a bunch of stages in its life-cycle. every single one. it's a whole journey and we're about to walk through it together, bestie. 🫶

  • start — this is the MAC in its pre-existence era. like, before it's even been allocated. it's the starting state for literally any life-cycle transition, the start of every story. main character energy from day zero. 🌱
  • newed — this is the MAC right after it's been allocated. it exists now. it's got a body. iconic. ✨
  • initialised — this state is the MAC when it's all set up and ready to process input. it's got its little outfit on and it's ready. 💖
  • updated — this is the MAC when it's set up and capable of processing additional input, or generating output. it's mid-grind, it's working, it's busy. 🔥
  • finaled — this state is the MAC when it has generated output. it did the thing. it ATE. 👑
  • freed — this state happens when the MAC is freed. it is the terminal state for all life-cycle transitions. the end. bye bestie, it was real. 🕊️

🦋 State Transition Diagram 🦋

the usual life-cycle of a MAC is illustrated like this, and yes it's a whole flowchart, and yes it's beautiful:

                        +-------------------+
                        |       start       |
                        +-------------------+
                          |
                          | EVP_MAC_CTX_new
                          v
                        +-------------------+
                        |       newed       |
                        +-------------------+
                          |
                          | EVP_MAC_init
                          v
                        +-------------------+
                     +> |    initialised    | <+
                     |  +-------------------+  |
                     |    |                    |
                     |    | EVP_MAC_update     | EVP_MAC_init
                     |    v                    |
        EVP_MAC_init |  +-------------------+  |
                     |  |      updated      | -+
                     |  +-------------------+
                     |    |               |
                     |    | EVP_MAC_final | EVP_MAC_finalXOF
                     |    v               v
                     |  +-------------------+
                     +- |      finaled      |
                        +-------------------+
                          |
                          | EVP_MAC_CTX_free
                          v
                        +-------------------+
                        |       freed       |
                        +-------------------+

⭐ Formal State Transitions ⭐

this section defines all of the legal state transitions. it's the canonical list, periodt. this is the source of truth, the receipts, the official record. 📜

 Function Call                   --------------------- Current State
----------------------
                                start   newed    initialised   updated
finaled   freed
 EVP_MAC_CTX_new                 newed
 EVP_MAC_init                         initialised initialised
initialised initialised
 EVP_MAC_update                                     updated     updated
 EVP_MAC_final                                                  finaled
 EVP_MAC_finalXOF                                               finaled
 EVP_MAC_CTX_free                freed   freed       freed       freed
freed
 EVP_MAC_CTX_get_params                  newed    initialised   updated
 EVP_MAC_CTX_set_params                  newed    initialised   updated
 EVP_MAC_CTX_gettable_params             newed    initialised   updated
 EVP_MAC_CTX_settable_params             newed    initialised   updated

🌈 NOTES 🌈

at some point the EVP layer will begin enforcing the transitions described herein. so like. heads up. future you is gonna get vibe checked by the EVP layer if you try anything illegal. you've been warned, bestie. 🚨

💜 SEE ALSO 💜

go read those too, iykyk. 📚

🎀 HISTORY 🎀

the provider MAC interface was introduced in OpenSSL 3.0. a whole era began. we were all so young. 😭

Copyright 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>.

okay that's the whole thing, you're officially a MAC life-cycle expert now, no cap 🫶 this was LIFE_CYCLE-MAC(7SSL) from OpenSSL 4.0.3, dated 2026-09-29, and honestly? iconic. slay. bye bestie 💅✨🌸

📦 where this page comes from