---
website:
- https://www.openssl.org
- https://www.libressl.org
obj: application
---

# OpenSSL
OpenSSL is a [cryptography](Cryptography.md) toolkit implementing the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) network protocols and related [cryptography](Cryptography.md) standards required by them.

The openssl program is a command line program for using the various [cryptography](Cryptography.md) functions of OpenSSL's crypto library from the [shell](../applications/cli/Shell.md).  It can be used for:
- Creation and management of private keys, public keys and parameters
- Public key cryptographic operations
- Creation of X.509 certificates, CSRs and CRLs
- Calculation of Message Digests and Message Authentication Codes
- Encryption and Decryption with Ciphers
- SSL/TLS Client and Server Tests
- Handling of S/MIME signed or encrypted mail
- Timestamp requests, generation and verification

## Usage
```shell
openssl [command] [options]
```

### Certificates (`openssl req`, `openssl x509`)
#### Generate a certificate
Usage: `openssl req -x509 -key private_key.pem -out certificate.pem -days 365`

#### Generate a signed certificate
```shell
# Create Certificate Request
openssl req -new -key entity.key -out entity.csr

# Sign with CA
openssl x509 -req -in entity.csr -CA ca.crt -CAkey ca.key -out entity.crt -CAcreateserial
```

#### Show information about a certificate
Usage: `openssl x509 -in certificate.pem -text -noout`

### Digest (`openssl dgst`)
Use digest (hash) functions. (Use `openssl dgst -list` for a list of all available digests)
Usage: `openssl dgst [options] [file]`

#### Options
| Option        | Description                         |
| ------------- | ----------------------------------- |
| `-c`          | Print digest with seperating colons |
| `-r`          | Print digest in coreutils format    |
| `-out <file>` | Output to filename                  |
| `-hex`        | Output as hex                       |
| `-binary`     | Output in binary                    |
| `-<digest>`   | Use \<digest>                       |

### Encryption (`openssl enc`)
Encrypt and decrypt using ciphers (Use `openssl enc -ciphers` for a list of all available ciphers)
Usage: `openssl enc [options]`

#### Options
| Option          | Description                                     |
| --------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| `-e`            | Do Encryption                                   |
| `-d`            | Do Decryption                                   |
| `-<cipher>`     | Use \<cipher>                                   |
| `-in <input>`   | Input file                                      |
| `-k <val>`      | Passphrase                                      |
| `-kfile <file>` | Read passphrase from file                       |
| `-out <output>` | Output file                                     |
| `-a, -base64`   | [Base64](../files/Base64.md) decode/encode data |
| `-pbkdf2`       | Use password-based key derivation function 2    |
| `-iter <num>`   | Change iterations of `-pbkdf2`                  |

### [RSA](RSA.md) (`openssl genrsa`, `openssl rsa`, `openssl pkeyutl`)
#### Generate [RSA](RSA.md) Private Key (`openssl genrsa`)
```shell
openssl genrsa -out <keyfile> [-<cipher>] [-verbose] [-quiet] <numbits>
```

The `-<cipher>` option lets you protect the key with a password using the specified cipher algo (See `openssl enc -ciphers` for a list of available ciphers).

#### Generate [RSA](RSA.md) Public Key (`openssl rsa`)
```shell
openssl rsa -pubout -in <privatekey> [-passin file:<password_file>] -out <publickey>
```

#### Working with [RSA](RSA.md) (`openssl pkeyutl`)
```shell
# Sign with Private Key
openssl pkeyutl -sign -in <input> -inkey <private_key> [-passin file:<password_file>] -out <output> [-digest algo]

# Verify with Public Key
openssl pkeyutl -verify -in <input> -pubin -inkey <public_key> -sigfile <signature_file>

# Encrypt with Public Key
openssl pkeyutl -encrypt -pubin -inkey <public_key> -in <input> -out <output>

# Decrypt with Private Key
openssl pkeyutl -decrypt -inkey <private_key> [-passin file:<password_file>] -in <input> -out <output>
```

### Password Hash (`openssl passwd`)
Generate hashed passwords
Usage: `openssl passwd [options] [password]`

### Options
| Option       | Description                                      |
| ------------ | ------------------------------------------------ |
| `-in infile` | Read passwords from file                         |
| `-noverify`  | Never verify when reading password from terminal |
| `-stdin`     | Read passwords from stdin                        |
| `-salt val`  | Use provided salt                                |
| `-6`         | SHA512-based password algorithm                  |
| `-5`         | SHA256-based password algorithm                  |
| `-apr1`      | MD5-based password algorithm, Apache variant     |
| `-1`         | MD5-based password algorithm                     |
| `-aixmd5`    | AIX MD5-based password algorithm                 |

### Prime Numbers (`openssl prime`)
Generate and verify prime numbers
Usage: `openssl prime [options] [num]`

#### Options
| Option       | Description                                       |
| ------------ | ------------------------------------------------- |
| `-bits +int` | Size of number in bits                            |
| `-hex`       | Hex output                                        |
| `-generate`  | Generate a prime                                  |
| `-safe`      | When used with `-generate`, generate a safe prime |

### Random Data (`openssl rand`)
Generate random data.
Usage: `openssl rand [options] num`

#### Options
| Option         | Description                                             |
| -------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- |
| `-out outfile` | Output file                                             |
| `-base64`      | [Base64](../files/Base64.md) encode output              | 
| `-hex`         | Hex encode output                                       |
| `-rand val`    | Load the given file(s) into the random number generator |