"openssl enc" Converting Keys from Binary to PEM

This section provides a tutorial example on how to convert a private and public key pair stored in binary PKCS#8 format into PEM (Privacy Enhanced Mail) format with the 'openssl enc' command.

Using my DumpKey.java program, I managed to get a private and public key pair dumped out of the "keytool" keystore file into herong_bin.key. My DumpKey.java program told me that this is a DSA key pair stored in binary PKCS#8 format.

I tried to view herong_bin.key as is with the "openssl dsa" command:

herong> openssl dsa -in herong_bin.key -text

read DSA key
unable to load Key
2228:error:0906D06C:PEM routines:PEM_read_bio:no start line:
pem_lib.c:632:Expecting: ANY PRIVATE KEY

Looks like "openssl dsa" command only understand PEM (Privacy Enhanced Mail) format which requires the key to be encoded in Base64 format. This can be done in two steps. First, use "openssl enc" command as shown below:

herong> openssl enc -in herong_bin.key -out herong.key -a

herong> more herong.key
MIIBSwIBADCCASwGByqGSM44BAEwggEfAoGBAP1/U4EddRIpUt9KnC7s5Of2EbdS
...
g9/hWuWfBpKLZl6Ae1UlZAFMO/7PSSoEFgIUSVbo98XAZDN9RZoZ+li3kIKVEbk=

The last step to make my herong.key file to meet PEM format standard is to add a header line and a footer line with a text editor:

-----BEGIN PRIVATE KEY-----
MIIBSwIBADCCASwGByqGSM44BAEwggEfAoGBAP1/U4EddRIpUt9KnC7s5Of2EbdS
...
g9/hWuWfBpKLZl6Ae1UlZAFMO/7PSSoEFgIUSVbo98XAZDN9RZoZ+li3kIKVEbk=
-----END PRIVATE KEY-----

Now I got my private and public key pair converted from the binary format to the PEM format in the file called herong.key. Remember my key pair was generated by "keytool".

Actually, "openssl dsa" does understand keys in binary format by specifying the "-inform DER" option, as pointed by Dan Lukes in the Web version. So we can convert a key pair from the binary format to the PEM format with a single "openssl dsa" command:

herong> openssl dsa -in herong_bin.key -inform DER -out herong.key \
   -outform PEM

The next thing I want to do is view this key pair with the "openssl dsa" command as described in the next section.

Table of Contents

 About This Book

 Cryptography Terminology

 Cryptography Basic Concepts

 Introduction to AES (Advanced Encryption Standard)

 Introduction to DES Algorithm

 DES Algorithm - Illustrated with Java Programs

 DES Algorithm Java Implementation

 DES Algorithm - Java Implementation in JDK JCE

 DES Encryption Operation Modes

 DES in Stream Cipher Modes

 PHP Implementation of DES - mcrypt

 Blowfish - 8-Byte Block Cipher

 Secret Key Generation and Management

 Cipher - Secret Key Encryption and Decryption

 Introduction of RSA Algorithm

 RSA Implementation using java.math.BigInteger Class

 Introduction of DSA (Digital Signature Algorithm)

 Java Default Implementation of DSA

 Private key and Public Key Pair Generation

 PKCS#8/X.509 Private/Public Encoding Standards

 Cipher - Public Key Encryption and Decryption

 MD5 Mesasge Digest Algorithm

 SHA1 Mesasge Digest Algorithm

 OpenSSL Introduction and Installation

 OpenSSL Generating and Managing RSA Keys

 OpenSSL Managing Certificates

 OpenSSL Generating and Signing CSR

 OpenSSL Validating Certificate Path

 "keytool" and "keystore" from JDK

 "OpenSSL" Signing CSR Generated by "keytool"

Migrating Keys from "keystore" to "OpenSSL" Key Files

 No "keytool" Command to Export Keys

 "keytool -genkeypair" Generating PrivateKeyEntry

 "keytool -exportcert" Exporting PrivateKeyEntry

 "keytool -printcert" Printing Certificate Details

 "openssl x509" Viewing Certificate Details

 "DumpKey.java" Dumping Private Keys Out of "keystore"

"openssl enc" Converting Keys from Binary to PEM

 "openssl dsa" Viewing Private and Public Key Pair

 Certificate X.509 Standard and DER/PEM Formats

 Migrating Keys from "OpenSSL" Key Files to "keystore"

 Using Certificates in IE

 Using Certificates in Google Chrome

 Using Certificates in Firefox

 Archived Tutorials

 References

 Full Version in PDF/EPUB