PKCS ♯12

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"PFX" redirects here. For the managed concurrency library from Microsoft, see Parallel FX Library.
The correct title of this article is PKCS #12. The substitution or omission of the # sign is because of technical restrictions.
PKCS #12
Filename extension .p12, .pfx
Developed by RSA Security
Initial release 1996 (1996)
Latest release PKCS #12 v1.0 / 24 June 1999; 13 years ago (1999-06-24)
Technical Corrigendum 1 / 25 February 2000; 13 years ago (2000-02-25)
Type of format Archive file format
Container for X.509 public key certificates, X.509 private keys, X.509 CRLs, generic data
Extended from Microsoft PFX file format

In cryptography, PKCS #12 defines an archive file format for storing many cryptography objects as a single file. It is commonly used to bundle a private key with its X.509 certificate or to bundle all the members of a chain of trust.[1]

A PKCS #12 file may be encrypted and signed. The internal storage containers, called "SafeBag"s, may also be encrypted and signed. A few SafeBags are predefined to store certificates, private keys and CRLs. Another SafeBag is provided to store any other data at individual implementer's choice. [2][3]

PKCS #12 is one of the family of standards called Public-Key Cryptography Standards (PKCS) published by RSA Laboratories.

The filename extension for PKCS #12 files is ".p12" or ".pfx".[4]

These files can be created, parsed and read out with the OpenSSL pkcs12 command.[5]

Relationship to PFX file format [edit]

Actually PKCS #12 is the successor to Microsoft's "PFX".[6] But confusingly the terms "PKCS #12 file" and "PFX file" are sometimes used interchangeably.[4] [5] [7]

Microsoft's "PFX" has received heavy criticism of being one of the most complex cryptographic protocols.[7]

References [edit]

  1. ^ http://help.globalscape.com/help/secureserver3/Generating_a_PKCS_12_private_key_public_certificate.htm
  2. ^ "PKCS #12: Personal Information Exchange Syntax Standard". RSA Laboratories. Retrieved 2013-03-14. "This standard specifies a portable format for storing or transporting a user's private keys, certificates, miscellaneous secrets, etc." 
  3. ^ "PKCS 12 v1.0: Personal Information Exchange Syntax". RSA Laboratories. 1999-06-24. Retrieved 2013-03-14. 
  4. ^ a b Michel I. Gallant (March 2004). "PKCS #12 File Types: Portable Protected Keys in .NET". Microsoft Corporation. Retrieved 2013-03-14. "All Windows operating systems define the extensions .pfx and .p12 as Personal Information Exchange, or PKCS #12, file types." 
  5. ^ a b "OpenSSL: Documents, pkcs12(1)". OpenSSL Project. 2013-01-17. Retrieved 2013-03-14. "The pkcs12 command allows PKCS#12 files (sometimes referred to as PFX files) to be created and parsed." 
  6. ^ Peter Gutmann (August 2002). "Lessons Learned in Implementing and Deploying Crypto Software". The USENIX Association. Retrieved 2013-03-14. "In 1996 Microsoft introduced a new storage format [...] called PFX (Personal Information Exchange) [...] it was later re-released in a cleaned-up form as PKCS #12" 
  7. ^ a b Peter Gutmann (1998-03-12). "PFX - How Not to Design a Crypto Protocol/Standard". Retrieved 2013-03-14. 

External links [edit]

 
 


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