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Name
Name


   certutil — Manage keys and certificate in the the NSS database.
   certutil — Manage keys and certificate in the NSS database.


Synopsis
Synopsis

Latest revision as of 01:08, 3 October 2010

Name

  certutil — Manage keys and certificate in the NSS database.

Synopsis

  certutil [options] arguments

Description

  The Certificate Database Tool, certutil, is a command-line
  utility that can create and modify certificate and key database
  files. It can also list, generate, modify, or delete
  certificates within the database, create or change the
  password, generate new public and private key pairs, display
  the contents of the key database, or delete key pairs within
  the key database.
  The key and certificate management process generally begins
  with creating keys in the key database, then generating and
  managing certificates in the certificate database. This
  document discusses certificate and key database management. For
  information security module database management, see the
  modutil manpages.

Options and Arguments

  Running certutil always requires one (and only one) option to
  specify the type of certificate operation. Each option may take
  arguments, anywhere from none to multiple arguments. Run the
  command option and -H to see the arguments available for each
  command option.
  Options
  Options specify an action and are uppercase.
  -A
         Add an existing certificate to a certificate database.
         The certificate database should already exist; if one is
         not present, this option will initialize one by default.
  -B
         Run a series of commands from the specified batch file.
         This requires the -i argument.
  -C
         Create a new binary certificate file from a binary
         certificate request file. Use the -i argument to specify
         the certificate request file. If this argument is not
         used, certutil prompts for a filename.
  -D
         Delete a certificate from the certificate database.
  -E
         Add an email certificate to the certificate database.
  -F
         Delete a private key from a key database. Specify the
         key to delete with the -n argument. Specify the database
         from which to delete the key with the -d argument. Use
         the -k argument to specify explicitly whether to delete
         a DSA, RSA, or ECC key. If you don't use the -k
         argument, the option looks for an RSA key matching the
         specified nickname.
         When you delete keys, be sure to also remove any
         certificates associated with those keys from the
         certificate database, by using -D. Some smart cards (for
         example, the Litronic card) do not let you remove a
         public key you have generated. In such a case, only the
         private key is deleted from the key pair. You can
         display the public key with the command certutil -K -h
         tokenname.
  -G
         Generate a new public and private key pair within a key
         database. The key database should already exist; if one
         is not present, this option will initialize one by
         default. Some smart cards (for example, the Litronic
         card) can store only one key pair. If you create a new
         key pair for such a card, the previous pair is
         overwritten.
  -H
         Display a list of the options and arguments used by the
         Certificate Database Tool.
  -K
         List the key ID of keys in the key database. A key ID is
         the modulus of the RSA key or the publicValue of the DSA
         key. IDs are displayed in hexadecimal ("0x" is not
         shown).
  -L
         List all the certificates, or display information about
         a named certificate, in a certificate database. Use the
         -h tokenname argument to specify the certificate
         database on a particular hardware or software token.
  -M
         Modify a certificate's trust attributes using the values
         of the -t argument.
  -N
         Create new certificate and key databases.
  -O
         Print the certificate chain.
  -R
         Create a certificate request file that can be submitted
         to a Certificate Authority (CA) for processing into a
         finished certificate. Output defaults to standard out
         unless you use -o output-file argument. Use the -a
         argument to specify ASCII output.
  -S
         Create an individual certificate and add it to a
         certificate database.
  -T
         Reset the key database or token.
  -U
         List all available modules or print a single named
         module.
  -V
         Check the validity of a certificate and its attributes.
  -W
         Change the password to a key database.
  --merge
         Merge a source database into the target database. This
         is used to merge legacy NSS databases (cert8.db and
         key3.db) into the newer SQLite databases (cert9.db and
         key4.db).
  --upgrade-merge
         Upgrade an old database and merge it into a new
         database. This is used to migrate legacy NSS databases
         (cert8.db and key3.db) into the newer SQLite databases
         (cert9.db and key4.db).
  Arguments
  Option arguments modify an action and are lowercase.
  -a
         Use ASCII format or allow the use of ASCII format for
         input or output. This formatting follows RFC 1113. For
         certificate requests, ASCII output defaults to standard
         output unless redirected.
  -b validity-time
         Specify a time at which a certificate is required to be
         valid. Use when checking certificate validity with the
         -V option. The format of the validity-time argument is
         YYMMDDHHMMSS[+HHMM|-HHMM|Z], which allows offsets to be
         set relative to the validity end time. Specifying
         seconds (SS) is optional. When specifying an explicit
         time, use a Z at the end of the term, YYMMDDHHMMSSZ, to
         close it. When specifying an offset time, use
         YYMMDDHHMMSS+HHMM or YYMMDDHHMMSS-HHMM for adding or
         subtracting time, respectively.
         If this option is not used, the validity check defaults
         to the current system time.
  -c issuer
         Identify the certificate of the CA from which a new
         certificate will derive its authenticity. Use the exact
         nickname or alias of the CA certificate, or use the CA's
         email address. Bracket the issuer string with quotation
         marks if it contains spaces.
  -d [sql:]directory
         Specify the database directory containing the
         certificate and key database files.
         certutil supports two types of databases: the legacy
         security databases (cert8.db, key3.db, and secmod.db)
         and new SQLite databases (cert9.db, key4.db, and
         pkcs11.txt). If the prefix sql: is not used, then the
         tool assumes that the given databases are in the old
         format.
  -e
         Check a certificate's signature during the process of
         validating a certificate.
  -f password-file
         Specify a file that will automatically supply the
         password to include in a certificate or to access a
         certificate database. This is a plain-text file
         containing one password. Be sure to prevent unauthorized
         access to this file.
  -g keysize
         Set a key size to use when generating new public and
         private key pairs. The minimum is 512 bits and the
         maximum is 8192 bits. The default is 1024 bits. Any size
         between the minimum and maximum is allowed.
  -h tokenname
         Specify the name of a token to use or act on. Unless
         specified otherwise the default token is an internal
         slot (specifically, internal slot 2). This slot can also
         be explicitly named with the string "internal". An
         internal slots is a virtual slot maintained in software,
         rather than a hardware device. Internal slot 2 is used
         by key and certificate services. Internal slot 1 is used
         by cryptographic services.
  -i input_file
         Pass an input file to the command. Depending on the
         command option, an input file can be a specific
         certificate, a certificate request file, or a batch file
         of commands.
  -k rsa|dsa|ec|all
         Specify the type of a key. The valid options are RSA,
         DSA, ECC, or all. The default value is rsa. Specifying
         the type of key can avoid mistakes caused by duplicate
         nicknames.
  -k key-type-or-id
         Specify the type or specific ID of a key. Giving a key
         type generates a new key pair; giving the ID of an
         existing key reuses that key pair (which is required to
         renew certificates).
  -l
         Display detailed information when validating a
         certificate with the -V option.
  -m serial-number
         Assign a unique serial number to a certificate being
         created. This operation should be performed by a CA. The
         default serial number is 0 (zero). Serial numbers are
         limited to integers.
  -n nickname
         Specify the nickname of a certificate or key to list,
         create, add to a database, modify, or validate. Bracket
         the nickname string with quotation marks if it contains
         spaces.
  -o output-file
         Specify the output file name for new certificates or
         binary certificate requests. Bracket the output-file
         string with quotation marks if it contains spaces. If
         this argument is not used the output destination
         defaults to standard output.
  -P dbPrefix
         Specify the prefix used on the certificate and key
         database file. This option is provided as a special
         case. Changing the names of the certificate and key
         databases is not recommended.
  -p phone
         Specify a contact telephone number to include in new
         certificates or certificate requests. Bracket this
         string with quotation marks if it contains spaces.
  -q pqgfile
         Read an alternate PQG value from the specified file when
         generating DSA key pairs. If this argument is not used,
         certutil generates its own PQG value. PQG files are
         created with a separate DSA utility.
  -q curve-name
         Set the elliptic curve name to use when generating ECC
         key pairs. A complete list of ECC curves is given in the
         help (-H).
  -r
         Display a certificate's binary DER encoding when listing
         information about that certificate with the -L option.
  -s subject
         Identify a particular certificate owner for new
         certificates or certificate requests. Bracket this
         string with quotation marks if it contains spaces. The
         subject identification format follows RFC #1485.
  -t trustargs
         Specify the trust attributes to modify in an existing
         certificate or to apply to a certificate when creating
         it or adding it to a database. There are three available
         trust categories for each certificate, expressed in the
         order SSL, email, object signing for each trust setting.
         In each category position, use none, any, or all of the
         attribute codes:
         + p - Valid peer
         + P - Trusted peer (implies p)
         + c - Valid CA
         + T - Trusted CA to issue client certificates (implies
           c)
         + C - Trusted CA to issue server certificates (SSL only)
           (implies c)
         + u - Certificate can be used for authentication or
           signing
         + w - Send warning (use with other attributes to include
           a warning when the certificate is used in that
           context)
         The attribute codes for the categories are separated by
         commas, and the entire set of attributes enclosed by
         quotation marks. For example:
         -t "TCu,Cu,Tuw"
         Use the -L option to see a list of the current
         certificates and trust attributes in a certificate
         database.
  -u certusage
         Specify a usage context to apply when validating a
         certificate with the -V option.
         The contexts are the following:
         + C (as an SSL client)
         + V (as an SSL server)
         + S (as an email signer)
         + R (as an email recipient)
         + O (as an OCSP status responder)
         + J (as an object signer)
  -v valid-months
         Set the number of months a new certificate will be
         valid. The validity period begins at the current system
         time unless an offset is added or subtracted with the -w
         option. If this argument is not used, the default
         validity period is three months. When this argument is
         used, the default three-month period is automatically
         added to any value given in the valid-month argument.
         For example, using this option to set a value of 3 would
         cause 3 to be added to the three-month default, creating
         a validity period of six months. You can use negative
         values to reduce the default period. For example,
         setting a value of -2 would subtract 2 from the default
         and create a validity period of one month.
  -w offset-months
         Set an offset from the current system time, in months,
         for the beginning of a certificate's validity period.
         Use when creating the certificate or adding it to a
         database. Express the offset in integers, using a minus
         sign (-) to indicate a negative offset. If this argument
         is not used, the validity period begins at the current
         system time. The length of the validity period is set
         with the -v argument.
  -X
         Force the key and certificate database to open in
         read-write mode. This is used with the -U and -L command
         options.
  -x
         Use certutil to generate the signature for a certificate
         being created or added to a database, rather than
         obtaining a signature from a separate CA.
  -y exp
         Set an alternate exponent value to use in generating a
         new RSA public key for the database, instead of the
         default value of 65537. The available alternate values
         are 3 and 17.
  -z noise-file
         Read a seed value from the specified file to generate a
         new private and public key pair. This argument makes it
         possible to use hardware-generated seed values or
         manually create a value from the keyboard. The minimum
         file size is 20 bytes.
  -0 SSO_password
         Set a site security officer password on a token.
  -1 | --keyUsage keyword,keyword
         Set a Netscape Certificate Type Extension in the
         certificate. There are several available keywords:
         + digital signature
         + nonRepudiation
         + keyEncipherment
         + dataEncipherment
         + keyAgreement
         + certSigning
         + crlSigning
         + critical
  -2
         Add a basic constraint extension to a certificate that
         is being created or added to a database. This extension
         supports the certificate chain verification process.
         certutil prompts for the certificate constraint
         extension to select.
         X.509 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.
  -3
         Add an authority key ID extension to a certificate that
         is being created or added to a database. This extension
         supports the identification of a particular certificate,
         from among multiple certificates associated with one
         subject name, as the correct issuer of a certificate.
         The Certificate Database Tool will prompt you to select
         the authority key ID extension.
         X.509 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.
  -4
         Add a CRL distribution point extension to a certificate
         that is being created or added to a database. This
         extension identifies the URL of a certificate's
         associated certificate revocation list (CRL). certutil
         prompts for the URL.
         X.509 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.
  -5 | --nsCertType keyword,keyword
         Add a Netscape certificate type extension to a
         certificate that is being created or added to the
         database. There are several available keywords:
         + sslClient
         + sslServer
         + smime
         + objectSigning
         + sslCA
         + smimeCA
         + objectSigningCA
         + critical
         X.509 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.
  -6 | --extKeyUsage keyword,keyword
         Add an extended key usage extension to a certificate
         that is being created or added to the database. Several
         keywords are available:
         + serverAuth
         + clientAuth
         + codeSigning
         + emailProtection
         + timeStamp
         + ocspResponder
         + stepUp
         + critical
         X.509 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.
  -7 emailAddrs
         Add a comma-separated list of email addresses to the
         subject alternative name extension of a certificate or
         certificate request that is being created or added to
         the database. Subject alternative name extensions are
         described in Section 4.2.1.7 of RFC 3280.
  -8 dns-names
         Add a comma-separated list of DNS names to the subject
         alternative name extension of a certificate or
         certificate request that is being created or added to
         the database. Subject alternative name extensions are
         described in Section 4.2.1.7 of RFC 3280.
  --extAIA
         Add the Authority Information Access extension to the
         certificate. X.509 certificate extensions are described
         in RFC 5280.
  --extSIA
         Add the Subject Information Access extension to the
         certificate. X.509 certificate extensions are described
         in RFC 5280.
  --extCP
         Add the Certificate Policies extension to the
         certificate. X.509 certificate extensions are described
         in RFC 5280.
  --extPM
         Add the Policy Mappings extension to the certificate.
         X.509 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.
  --extPC
         Add the Policy Constraints extension to the certificate.
         X.509 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.
  --extIA
         Add the Inhibit Any Policy Access extension to the
         certificate. X.509 certificate extensions are described
         in RFC 5280.
  --extSKID
         Add the Subject Key ID extension to the certificate.
         X.509 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.
  --source-dir certdir
         Identify the certificate database directory to upgrade.
  --source-prefix certdir
         Give the prefix of the certificate and key databases to
         upgrade.
  --upgrade-id uniqueID
         Give the unique ID of the database to upgrade.
  --upgrade-token-name name
         Set the name of the token to use while it is being
         upgraded.
  -@ pwfile
         Give the name of a password file to use for the database
         being upgraded.

Usage and Examples

  Most of the command options in the examples listed here have
  more arguments available. The arguments included in these
  examples are the most common ones or are used to illustrate a
  specific scenario. Use the -H option to show the complete list
  of arguments for each command option.
  Creating New Security Databases
  Certificates, keys, and security modules related to managing
  certificates are stored in three related databases:
    * cert8.db or cert9.db
    * key3.db or key4.db
    * secmod.db or pkcs11.txt
  These databases must be created before certificates or keys can
  be generated.

certutil -N -d [sql:]directory

  Creating a Certificate Request
  A certificate request contains most or all of the information
  that is used to generate the final certificate. This request is
  submitted separately to a certificate authority and is then
  approved by some mechanism (automatically or by human review).
  Once the request is approved, then the certificate is
  generated.

$ certutil -R -k key-type-or-id [-q pqgfile|curve-name] -g key-size -s s ubject [-h tokenname] -d [sql:]directory [-p phone] [-o output-file] [-a ]

  The -R command options requires four arguments:
    * -k to specify either the key type to generate or, when
      renewing a certificate, the existing key pair to use
    * -g to set the keysize of the key to generate
    * -s to set the subject name of the certificate
    * -d to give the security database directory
  The new certificate request can be output in ASCII format (-a)
  or can be written to a specified file (-o).
  For example:

$ certutil -R -k ec -q nistb409 -g 512 -s "CN=John Smith,O=Example Corp, L=Mountain View,ST=California,C=US" -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb -p 650-5 55-0123 -a -o cert.cer

Generating key. This may take a few moments...


Certificate request generated by Netscape Phone: 650-555-0123 Common Name: John Smith Email: (not ed) Organization: Example Corp State: California Country: US


BEGIN NEW CERTIFICATE REQUEST-----

MIIBIDCBywIBADBmMQswCQYDVQQGEwJVUzETMBEGA1UECBMKQ2FsaWZvcm5pYTEW MBQGA1UEBxMNTW91bnRhaW4gVmlldzEVMBMGA1UEChMMRXhhbXBsZSBDb3JwMRMw EQYDVQQDEwpKb2huIFNtaXRoMFwwDQYJKoZIhvcNAQEBBQADSwAwSAJBAMVUpDOZ KmHnOx7reP8Cc0Lk+fFWEuYIDX9W5K/BioQOKvEjXyQZhit9aThzBVMoSf1Y1S8J CzdUbCg1+IbnXaECAwEAAaAAMA0GCSqGSIb3DQEBBQUAA0EAryqZvpYrUtQ486Ny qmtyQNjIi1F8c1Z+TL4uFYlMg8z6LG/J/u1E5t1QqB5e9Q4+BhRbrQjRR1JZx3tB 1hP9Gg==


END NEW CERTIFICATE REQUEST-----

  Creating a Certificate
  A valid certificate must be issued by a trusted CA. This can be
  done by specifying a CA certificate (-c) that is stored in the
  certificate database. If a CA key pair is not available, you
  can create a self-signed certificate using the -x argument with
  the -S command option.

$ certutil -S -k rsa|dsa|ec -n certname -s subject [-c issuer |-x] -t tr ustargs -d [sql:]directory [-m serial-number] [-v valid-months] [-w offs et-months] [-p phone] [-1] [-2] [-3] [-4] [-5 keyword] [-6 keyword] [-7 emailAddress] [-8 dns-names] [--extAIA] [--extSIA] [--extCP] [--extPM] [ --extPC] [--extIA] [--extSKID]

  The series of numbers and --ext* options set certificate
  extensions that can be added to the certificate when it is
  generated by the CA.
  For example, this creates a self-signed certificate:

$ certutil -S -s "CN=Example CA" -n my-ca-cert -x -t "C,C,C" -1 -2 -5 -m

3650
  From there, new certificates can reference the self-signed
  certificate:

$ certutil -S -s "CN=My Server Cert" -n my-server-cert -c "my-ca-cert" - t "u,u,u" -1 -5 -6 -8 -m 730

  Generating a Certificate from a Certificate Request
  When a certificate request is created, a certificate can be
  generated by using the request and then referencing a
  certificate authority signing certificate (the issuer specified
  in the -c argument). The issuing certificate must be in the
  certificate database in the specified directory.

certutil -C -c issuer -i cert-request-file -o output-file [-m serial-num ber] [-v valid-months] [-w offset-months] -d [sql:]directory [-1] [-2] [ -3] [-4] [-5 keyword] [-6 keyword] [-7 emailAddress] [-8 dns-names]

  For example:

$ certutil -C -c "my-ca-cert" -i /home/certs/cert.req -o cert.cer -m 010

-v 12 -w 1 -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb -1 nonRepudiation,dataEncipherme

nt -5 sslClient -6 clientAuth -7 jsmith@example.com

  Generating Key Pairs
  Key pairs are generated automatically with a certificate
  request or certificate, but they can also be generated
  independently using the -G command option.

certutil -G -d [sql:]directory | -h tokenname -k key-type -g key-size [- y exponent-value] -q pqgfile|curve-name

  For example:

$ certutil -G -h lunasa -k ec -g 256 -q sect193r2

  Listing Certificates
  The -L command option lists all of the certificates listed in
  the certificate database. The path to the directory (-d) is
  required.

$ certutil -L -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb

Certificate Nickname Trust Attri butes

                                                            SSL,S/MIME,

JAR/XPI

CA Administrator of Instance pki-ca1's Example Domain ID u,u,u TPS Administrator's Example Domain ID u,u,u Google Internet Authority ,, Certificate Authority - Example Domain CT,C,C

  Using additional arguments with -L can return and print the
  information for a single, specific certificate. For example,
  the -n argument passes the certificate name, while the -a
  argument prints the certificate in ASCII format:

$ certutil -L -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb -a -n "Certificate Authority -

Example Domain"

BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----

MIIDmTCCAoGgAwIBAgIBATANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQUFADA5MRcwFQYDVQQKEw5FeGFt cGxlIERvbWFpbjEeMBwGA1UEAxMVQ2VydGlmaWNhdGUgQXV0aG9yaXR5MB4XDTEw MDQyOTIxNTY1OFoXDTEyMDQxODIxNTY1OFowOTEXMBUGA1UEChMORXhhbXBsZSBE b21haW4xHjAcBgNVBAMTFUNlcnRpZmljYXRlIEF1dGhvcml0eTCCASIwDQYJKoZI hvcNAQEBBQADggEPADCCAQoCggEBAO/bqUli2KwqXFKmMMG93KN1SANzNTXA/Vlf Tmrih3hQgjvR1ktIY9aG6cB7DSKWmtHp/+p4PUCMqL4ZrSGt901qxkePyZ2dYmM2 RnelK+SEUIPiUtoZaDhNdiYsE/yuDE8vQWj0vHCVL0w72qFUcSQ/WZT7FCrnUIUI udeWnoPSUn70gLhcj/lvxl7K9BHyD4Sq5CzktwYtFWLiiwV+ZY/Fl6JgbGaQyQB2 bP4iRMfloGqsxGuB1evWVDF1haGpFDSPgMnEPSLg3/3dXn+HDJbZ29EU8/xKzQEb 3V0AHKbu80zGllLEt2Zx/WDIrgJEN9yMfgKFpcmL+BvIRsmh0VsCAwEAAaOBqzCB qDAfBgNVHSMEGDAWgBQATgxHQyRUfKIZtdp55bZlFr+tFzAPBgNVHRMBAf8EBTAD AQH/MA4GA1UdDwEB/wQEAwIBxjAdBgNVHQ4EFgQUAE4MR0MkVHyiGbXaeeW2ZRa/ rRcwRQYIKwYBBQUHAQEEOTA3MDUGCCsGAQUFBzABhilodHRwOi8vbG9jYWxob3N0 LmxvY2FsZG9tYWluOjkxODAvY2Evb2NzcDANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQUFAAOCAQEAi8Gk L3XO43u7/TDOeEsWPmq+jZsDZ3GZ85Ajt3KROLWeKVZZZa2E2Hnsvf2uXbk5amKe lRxdSeRH9g85pv4KY7Z8xZ71NrI3+K3uwmnqkc6t0hhYb1mw/gx8OAAoluQx3biX JBDxjI73Cf7XUopplHBjjiwyGIJUO8BEZJ5L+TF4P38MJz1snLtzZpEAX5bl0U76 bfu/tZFWBbE8YAWYtkCtMcalBPj6jn2WD3M01kGozW4mmbvsj1cRB9HnsGsqyHCu U0ujlL1H/RWcjn607+CTeKH9jLMUqCIqPJNOa+kq/6F7NhNRRiuzASIbZc30BZ5a nI7q5n1USM3eWQlVXw==


END CERTIFICATE-----

  Listing Keys
  Keys are the original material used to encrypt certificate
  data. The keys generated for certificates are stored
  separately, in the key database.
  To list all keys in the database, use the -K command option and
  the (required) -d argument to give the path to the directory.

$ certutil -K -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb certutil: Checking token "NSS Certificate DB" in slot "NSS User Private Key and Certificate Services " < 0> rsa 455a6673bde9375c2887ec8bf8016b3f9f35861d Thawte Freemail

Member's Thawte Consulting (Pty) Ltd. ID

< 1> rsa 40defeeb522ade11090eacebaaf1196a172127df Example Domain Administrator Cert < 2> rsa 1d0b06f44f6c03842f7d4f4a1dc78b3bcd1b85a5 John Smith user

cert
  There are ways to narrow the keys listed in the search results:
    * To return a specific key, use the -n name argument with the
      name of the key.
    * If there are multiple security devices loaded, then the -h
      tokenname argument can search a specific token or all
      tokens.
    * If there are multiple key types available, then the -k
      key-type argument can search a specific type of key, like
      RSA, DSA, or ECC.
  Listing Security Modules
  The devices that can be used to store certificates -- both
  internal databases and external devices like smart cards -- are
  recognized and used by loading security modules. The -U command
  option lists all of the security modules listed in the
  secmod.db database. The path to the directory (-d) is required.

$ certutil -U -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb

   slot: NSS User Private Key and Certificate Services
  token: NSS Certificate DB
   slot: NSS Internal Cryptographic Services
  token: NSS Generic Crypto Services
  Adding Certificates to the Database
  Existing certificates or certificate requests can be added
  manually to the certificate database, even if they were
  generated elsewhere. This uses the -A command option.

certutil -A -n certname -t trustargs -d [sql:]directory [-a] [-i input-f ile]

  For example:

$ certutil -A -n "CN=My SSL Certificate" -t "u,u,u" -d sql:/home/my/shar ednssdb -i /home/example-certs/cert.cer

  A related command option, -E, is used specifically to add email
  certificates to the certificate database. The -E command has
  the same arguments as the -A command. The trust arguments for
  certificates have the format SSL,S/MIME,Code-signing, so the
  middle trust settings relate most to email certificates (though
  the others can be set). For example:

$ certutil -E -n "CN=John Smith Email Cert" -t ",Pu," -d sql:/home/my/sh arednssdb -i /home/example-certs/email.cer

  Deleting Certificates to the Database
  Certificates can be deleted from a database using the -D
  option. The only required options are to give the security
  database directory and to identify the certificate nickname.

certutil -D -d [sql:]directory -n "nickname"

  For example:

$ certutil -D -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb -n "my-ssl-cert"

  Validating Certificates
  A certificate contains an expiration date in itself, and
  expired certificates are easily rejected. However, certificates
  can also be revoked before they hit their expiration date.
  Checking whether a certificate has been revoked requires
  validating the certificate. Validation can also be used to
  ensure that the certificate is only used for the purposes it
  was initially issued for. Validation is carried out by the -V
  command option.

certutil -V -n certificate-name [-b time] [-e] [-u cert-usage] -d [sql:] directory

  For example, to validate an email certificate:

$ certutil -V -n "John Smith's Email Cert" -e -u S,R -d sql:/home/my/sha rednssdb

  Modifying Certificate Trust Settings
  The trust settings (which relate to the operations that a
  certificate is allowed to be used for) can be changed after a
  certificate is created or added to the database. This is
  especially useful for CA certificates, but it can be performed
  for any type of certificate.

certutil -M -n certificate-name -t trust-args -d [sql:]directory

  For example:

$ certutil -M -n "My CA Certificate" -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb -t "CTu ,CTu,CTu"

  Printing the Certificate Chain
  Certificates can be issued in chains because every certificate
  authority itself has a certificate; when a CA issues a
  certificate, it essentially stamps that certificate with its
  own fingerprint. The -O prints the full chain of a certificate,
  going from the initial CA (the root CA) through ever
  intermediary CA to the actual certificate. For example, for an
  email certificate with two CAs in the chain:

$ certutil -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb -O -n "jsmith@example.com" "Builtin Object Token:Thawte Personal Freemail CA" [E=personal-freemail@ thawte.com,CN=Thawte Personal Freemail CA,OU=Certification Services Divi sion,O=Thawte Consulting,L=Cape Town,ST=Western Cape,C=ZA]

 "Thawte Personal Freemail Issuing CA - Thawte Consulting" [CN=Thawte P

ersonal Freemail Issuing CA,O=Thawte Consulting (Pty) Ltd.,C=ZA]

   "(null)" [E=jsmith@example.com,CN=Thawte Freemail Member]
  Resetting a Token
  The device which stores certificates -- both external hardware
  devices and internal software databases -- can be blanked and
  reused. This operation is performed on the device which stores
  the data, not directly on the security databases, so the
  location must be referenced through the token name (-h) as well
  as any directory path. If there is no external token used, the
  default value is internal.

certutil -T -d [sql:]directory -h token-name -0 security-officer-passwor d

  Many networks have dedicated personnel who handle changes to
  security tokens (the security officer). This person must supply
  the password to access the specified token. For example:

$ certutil -T -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb -h nethsm -0 secret

  Upgrading or Merging the Security Databases
  Many networks or applications may be using older BerkeleyDB
  versions of the certificate database (cert8.db). Databases can
  be upgraded to the new SQLite version of the database
  (cert9.db) using the --upgrade-merge command option or existing
  databases can be merged with the new cert9.db databases using
  the ---merge command.
  The --upgrade-merge command must give information about the
  original database and then use the standard arguments (like -d)
  to give the information about the new databases. The command
  also requires information that the tool uses for the process to
  upgrade and write over the original database.

certutil --upgrade-merge -d [sql:]directory [-P dbprefix] --source-dir d irectory --source-prefix dbprefix --upgrade-id id --upgrade-token-name n ame [-@ password-file]

  For example:

$ certutil --upgrade-merge -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb --source-dir /opt /my-app/alias/ --source-prefix serverapp- --upgrade-id 1 --upgrade-token -name internal

  The --merge command only requires information about the
  location of the original database; since it doesn't change the
  format of the database, it can write over information without
  performing interim step.

certutil --merge -d [sql:]directory [-P dbprefix] --source-dir directory

--source-prefix dbprefix [-@ password-file]
  For example:

$ certutil --merge -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb --source-dir /opt/my-app/ alias/ --source-prefix serverapp-

  Running certutil Commands from a Batch File
  A series of commands can be run sequentially from a text file
  with the -B command option. The only argument for this
  specifies the input file.

$ certutil -B -i /path/to/batch-file

NSS Database Types

  NSS originally used BerkeleyDB databases to store security
  information. The last versions of these legacy databases are:
    * cert8.db for certificates
    * key3.db for keys
    * secmod.db for PKCS #11 module information
  BerkeleyDB has performance limitations, though, which prevent
  it from being easily used by multiple applications
  simultaneously. NSS has some flexibility that allows
  applications to use their own, independent database engine
  while keeping a shared database and working around the access
  issues. Still, NSS requires more flexibility to provide a truly
  shared security database.
  In 2009, NSS introduced a new set of databases that are SQLite
  databases rather than BerkleyDB. These new databases provide
  more accessibility and performance:
    * cert9.db for certificates
    * key4.db for keys
    * pkcs11.txt, which is listing of all of the PKCS #11 modules
      contained in a new subdirectory in the security databases
      directory
  Because the SQLite databases are designed to be shared, these
  are the shared database type. The shared database type is
  preferred; the legacy format is included for backward
  compatibility.
  By default, the tools (certutil, pk12util, modutil) assume that
  the given security databases follow the more common legacy
  type. Using the SQLite databases must be manually specified by
  using the sql: prefix with the given security directory. For
  example:

$ certutil -L -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb

  To set the shared database type as the default type for the
  tools, set the NSS_DEFAULT_DB_TYPE environment variable to sql:

export NSS_DEFAULT_DB_TYPE="sql"

  This line can be set added to the ~/.bashrc file to make the
  change permanent.
  Most applications do not use the shared database by default,
  but they can be configured to use them. For example, this
  how-to article covers how to configure Firefox and Thunderbird
  to use the new shared NSS databases:
    * https://wiki.mozilla.org/NSS_Shared_DB_Howto
  For an engineering draft on the changes in the shared NSS
  databases, see the NSS project wiki:
    * https://wiki.mozilla.org/NSS_Shared_DB

See Also

  pk12util (1)
  modutil (1)
  certutil has arguments or operations that use features defined
  in several IETF RFCs.
    * http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc5280
    * http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc1113
    * http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc1485
  The NSS wiki has information on the new database design and how
  to configure applications to use it.
    * https://wiki.mozilla.org/NSS_Shared_DB_Howto
    * https://wiki.mozilla.org/NSS_Shared_DB

Additional Resources

  For information about NSS and other tools related to NSS (like
  JSS), check out the NSS project wiki at
  http://www.mozilla.org/projects/security/pki/nss/. The NSS site
  relates directly to NSS code changes and releases.
  Mailing lists:
  https://lists.mozilla.org/listinfo/dev-tech-crypto
  IRC: Freenode at #dogtag-pki

Authors

  The NSS tools were written and maintained by developers with
  Netscape, Red Hat, and Sun.
  Authors: Elio Maldonado <emaldona@redhat.com>, Deon Lackey
  <dlackey@redhat.com>.

Copyright

  (c) 2010, Red Hat, Inc. Licensed under the GNU Public License
  version 2.