Openssl Generate Csr With Public Key

While Encrypting a File with a Password from the Command Line using OpenSSLis very useful in its own right, the real power of the OpenSSL library is itsability to support the use of public key cryptograph for encrypting orvalidating data in an unattended manner (where the password is not required toencrypt) is done with public keys.

The Commands to Run

Generate a 2048 bit RSA Key

You can generate a public and private RSA key pair like this:

As the question title states, I want to make a CSR with only the public key. What I have been able to do is generate a CSR with the information of my choosing along with a new keypair. And then use something like this to force it to use the public key I want when making the certificate. The private key however is stored on the machine that generated the CSR (presumably the server requiring the cert, but not necessarily) and is NOT included in the contents of the CSR, and may not be derived from the CSR. It is kept private. In general terms, the server generating the CSR generates a key pair (public and private).

A separate public key file is not created at the same step though. To extract public key from the private key file into separate public key file you use your openssl rsa -in private.pem -pubout -out public.pem command. When you produce a public key this way, it is extracted from the private key file, not calculated. Mar 12, 2019  Generate the new key and CSR If you have not already, copy the contents of the example openssl.cnf file above into a file called ‘openssl.cnf’ somewhere. Make note of the location. Also make sure you update the DN information (Country, State, etc.). A CSR is a file containing your SSL Certificate application information, including your Public Key. Certificate Auto-Requester: We provides a useful tool to automatically create a public/private key pair on your local machine then use this key pair to generate a CSR and automatically submit it to us over a secure SSL connection to create your certificate for Apache. Enter CSR and Private Key command. Generate a private key and CSR by running the following command: Here is the plain text version to copy and paste into your terminal: openssl req -new -newkey rsa:2048 -nodes -keyout server.key -out server.csr. Note: Replace “server ” with the domain name you intend to secure. Enter your CSR details. Generate CSR From the Existing Key using OpenSSL Use the following command to generate CSR example.csr from the private key example.key: $ openssl req -new -key example.key -out example.csr -subj '/C=GB/ST=London/L=London/O=Global Security/OU=IT Department/CN=example.com'.

openssl genrsa -des3 -out private.pem 2048

That generates a 2048-bit RSA key pair, encrypts them with a password you provideand writes them to a file. You need to next extract the public key file. You willuse this, for instance, on your web server to encrypt content so that it canonly be read with the private key.

Export the RSA Public Key to a File

This is a command that is

openssl rsa -in private.pem -outform PEM -pubout -out public.pem

The -pubout flag is really important. Be sure to include it.

Next open the public.pem and ensure that it starts with-----BEGIN PUBLIC KEY-----. This is how you know that this file is thepublic key of the pair and not a private key.

To check the file from the command line you can use the less command, like this:

less public.pem

Do Not Run This, it Exports the Private Key

A previous version of the post gave this example in error.

openssl rsa -in private.pem -out private_unencrypted.pem -outform PEM

The error is that the -pubout was dropped from the end of the command.That changes the meaning of the command from that of exporting the public keyto exporting the private key outside of its encrypted wrapper. Inspecting theoutput file, in this case private_unencrypted.pem clearly shows that the keyis a RSA private key as it starts with -----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----.

Visually Inspect Your Key Files

It is important to visually inspect you private and public key files to makesure that they are what you expect. OpenSSL will clearly explain the nature ofthe key block with a -----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY----- or -----BEGIN PUBLIC KEY-----.

You can use less to inspect each of your two files in turn:

  • less private.pem to verify that it starts with a -----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----
  • less public.pem to verify that it starts with a -----BEGIN PUBLIC KEY-----

The next section shows a full example of what each key file should look like.

The Generated Key Files

The generated files are base64-encoded encryption keys in plain text format.If you select a password for your private key, its file will be encrypted withyour password. Be sure to remember this password or the key pair becomes useless.

The private.pem file looks something like this:

The public key, public.pem, file looks like:

Protecting Your Keys

Depending on the nature of the information you will protect, it’s important tokeep the private key backed up and secret. The public key can be distributedanywhere or embedded in your web application scripts, such as in your PHP,Ruby, or other scripts. Again, backup your keys!

Remember, if the key goes away the data encrypted to it is gone. Keeping aprinted copy of the key material in a sealed envelope in a bank safety depositbox is a good way to protect important keys against loss due to fire or harddrive failure.

Oh, and one last thing.

If you, dear reader, were planning any funny business with the private key that I have just published here. Know that they were made especially for this series of blog posts. I do not use them for anything else.

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Generate a certificate signing request

Before you can install a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificate, you must first generate a certificate signing request (CSR). You can do this by using one of the following methods:

OpenSSL

The following sections describe how to use OpenSSL to generate a CSR for a single host name. If you want to generate a CSR for multiple host names, we recommend using the Cloud Control Panel or the MyRackspace Portal.

Install OpenSSL

Openssl Generate Csr With Public Key System

Check whether OpenSSL is installed by using the following command:

  • CentOS® and Red Hat® Enterprise Linux®

    The following output provides an example of what the command returns:

  • Debian® and the Ubuntu® operating system

    The following output provides an example of what the command returns:

If the preceding packages are not returned, install OpenSSL by running the following command:

  • CentOS and Red Hat

  • Debian and the Ubuntu operating system

Generate the RSA key

Run the following commands to create a directory in which to store your RSA key, substituting a directory name of your choice:

Run the following command to generate a private key:

Create a CSR

Run the following command to create a CSR with the RSA private key (output is in Privacy-Enhanced Mail (PEM) format):

When prompted, enter the necessary information for creating a CSR by using the conventions shown in the following table.

Note: You cannot use the following characters in the Organization Name or Organizational Unit fields: < > ~ ! @ # $ % ^ * / ( ) ? . , &

FieldExplanationExample
Common NameThe fully qualified domain name to which the certificate applies. The domain names example.com and www.example.com are distinct from each other, so be sure to submit your request for the right domain. If you are purchasing a wildcard certificate, use *.example.com.example.com
Organization NameThe exact legal name of your organization. The Certificate Authority (CA) might seek to confirm that your organization is real and legally registered, so don’t abbreviate words that aren’t abbreviated in the organization’s legal name.Example Inc.
Organizational UnitThe branch of your organization that is making the request.Marketing
City/localityThe city where your organization is legally located. Do not abbreviate the city name.San Antonio
State/provinceThe state or province where your organization is legally located. Do not abbreviate the state or province name.Texas
Country/regionThe two-letter International Standards Organization (ISO) abbreviation for your country.US

Warning: Leave the challenge password blank (press Enter).

Verify your CSR

Run the following command to verify your CSR:

After you have verified your CSR, you can submit it to a CA to purchase an SSL certificate.

Windows IIS Manager

Use the following steps to generate a CSR by using Windows IIS Manager: apple office for mac download

/vipre-internet-security-2015-key-generator.html. Note: The following steps are for IIS 8 or IIS 8.5 on Windows Server 2012.

  1. Open IIS Manager.
  2. In the left-hand Connections pane, click the server for which you want to generate a CSR.
  3. In the center server Home pane under the IIS section, double-click Server Certificates.
  4. In the right-hand Actions pane, click Create Certificate Request.
  5. In the Request Certificate wizard, on the Distinguished Name Properties page, enter the following information and then click Next.

    FieldExplanationExample
    Common NameThe fully qualified domain name to which the certificate applies. The domain names example.com and www.example.com are distinct from each other, so be sure to submit your request for the right domain. If you are purchasing a wildcard certificate, use *.example.com.example.com
    Organization NameThe exact legal name of your organization. The CA might seek to confirm that your organization is real and legally registered, so don’t abbreviate words that aren’t abbreviated in the organization’s legal name.Example Inc.
    Organizational UnitThe branch of your organization that is making the request.Marketing
    City/localityThe city where your organization is legally located. Do not abbreviate the city name.San Antonio
    State/provinceThe state or province where your organization is legally located. Do not abbreviate the state or province name.Texas
    Country/regionThe two-letter ISO abbreviation for your country.US
  6. On the Cryptographic Server Provider Properties page, enter the following information and then click Next.

    • Cryptographic service provider: Unless you have a specific cryptographic provider, use the default selection.
    • Bit length: 2048 is the recommended bit length.
  7. On the File Name page, enter the location where you want to save the certificate request file and then click Finish.

After you have generated the CSR, you can submit it to a CA to purchase an SSL certificate.

Cloud Control Panel

Rackspace provides the CSR Generator for generating a CSR. The CSR Generator shows you the CSRs that you currently have and lets you create new CSRs with a simple form. After you have entered your details, the generator combines them with your private key so that you can submit the combined encoded information to a CA.

When you are done with the generator, you can return to the Cloud Control Panel by clicking any of the links in the top navigation or by going to login.rackspace.com and selecting Rackspace Cloud from the drop-down product menu in the top navigation bar.

Access the CSR Generator

Openssl Generate Csr With Public Key Certificate

Access the CSR Generator directly or through the Control Panel by using the following steps:

  1. Log in to the Cloud Control Panel and select Rackspace Cloud from the drop-down product menu in the top navigation bar.
  2. In the top navigation bar, click Servers > Cloud Servers.
  3. Click the name of the server for which you want to generate a CSR.
  4. In the right-hand Managing Your Server section under Help me with, click Generate a CSR.

The generator lists your existing CSRs, if you have any, organized by domain name.

Generate a CSR

  1. Click Create CSR.

  2. Enter the following information, which will be associated with the CSR:

    FieldExplanationExample
    Domain NameThe fully qualified domain name to which the certificate applies. The domain names example.com and www.example.com are distinct from each other, so be sure to submit your request for the right domain. If you want to secure both domains, you can use the Alt Names field. If you are purchasing a wildcard certificate, use *.example.com.example.com
    Alt Names(Optional) Additional domains that you want to add to the request. Each CA treats these differently, and the CA might charge for additional names. You can submit a comma-separated list.www.example.com, secure.example.com
    Email Address(Optional) A contact email address for the certificate.support@example.com
    Organization NameThe exact legal name of your organization. The CA might seek to confirm that your organization is real and legally registered, so don’t abbreviate words that aren’t abbreviated in the organization’s legal name.Example Inc.
    Organizational Unit(Optional) The branch of your organization that is making the request.Marketing
    CityThe city where your organization is legally located. Do not abbreviate the city name.San Antonio
    State or ProvinceThe state or province where your organization is legally located. Do not abbreviate the state or province name.Texas
    CountryChoose your country from the drop-down menu. The two-letter ISO abbreviation for your country is included in the CSR.United States
    Private Key Bit LengthKey sizes smaller than 2048 are considered insecure and might not be accepted by a CA.1024,2048,4096
    Hashing AlgorithmBoth algorithms are currently trusted in mainstream browsers and offer industry recommended security. SHA-512 requires additional CPU processing.SHA-256, SHA-512

    Note: You cannot use the following characters in the Organization Name or Organizational Unit fields: < > ~ ! @ # $ % ^ * / ( ) ? . , &

  3. After you have entered all the required information, click Create CSR.

It can take between 5 and 60 seconds for the CSR to be generated. You might need to refresh the page that displays your CSRs before the new CSR is listed.

View CSR details

When CSR has been generated, you can click its UUID (unique identifier) in the CSR list to view its details screen.

This screen displays the information that you provided, the text of the CSR, and its associated private key.

Submit the CSR to the CA

The text in the Certificate Request field is the CSR. It contains encoded details of the CSR and your public key.

To request your SSL certificate, copy the Certificate Request text and submit it to your CA. Include all the text, including the BEGIN and END lines at the beginning and end of the text block.

Install the private key

Copy the private key to the server that will host the certificate. See your application documentation to determine where to install the private key and certificate on your server.

MyRackspace Portal

If you are a Managed or Dedicated customer, you can request a CSR through the MyRackspace Portal by using the following steps:

  1. Log in to the MyRackspace Portal and select Dedicated Hosting from the drop-down product menu in the top navigation bar.
  2. In the top navigation bar, click Tickets > Create Ticket.
  3. On the Tickets / Create New Ticket page, select Generate Certificate Signing Request (CSR) from the Subject drop-down list.
  4. Enter the following information in the Ticket Details section:

    FieldExplanationExample
    Device(s)The server or servers for which you want to generate a CSR. Use the drop-down menu to select your servers.
    Common NameThe fully qualified domain name to which the certificate applies. The domain names example.com and www.example.com are distinct from each other, so be sure to submit your request for the right domain. If you want to secure both domains, you can use the Alt Names field. If you are purchasing a wildcard certificate, use *.example.com.example.com
    Alt. Names(Optional) Additional domains that you want to add to the request. Each CA treats these differently, and the CA might charge for additional names. You can submit a comma-separated list.www.example.com, secure.example.com
    Email Address(Optional) A contact email address for the certificate.support@example.com
    OrganizationThe exact legal name of your organization. The CA might seek to confirm that your organization is real and legally registered, so don’t abbreviate words that aren’t abbreviated in the organization’s legal name.Example Inc.
    Organizational Unit(Optional) The branch of your organization that is making the request.Marketing
    Locality (City)The city where your organization is legally located. Do not abbreviate the city name.San Antonio
    State or Province NameThe state or province where your organization is legally located. Do not abbreviate the state or province name.Texas
    CountryChoose your country from the drop-down menu. The two-letter ISO abbreviation for your country is included in the CSR.United States

    Note: The bit length is automatically set to 2048.

  5. Click Create Ticket.

Next steps

Reference

Openssl Create Csr From Public Key

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