Re: pk12util fails to import EC keys

On 29 June 2016 at 12:02, Hubert Kario <[email protected]> wrote:

> On Tuesday 28 June 2016 02:59:18 chrisr wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > I'm trying to import an EC key and cert generated with openssl into an
> NSS
> > DB but am getting this error from pk12util:
> > pk12util: PKCS12 decode import bags failed:
> > SEC_ERROR_PKCS12_UNABLE_TO_IMPORT_KEY: Unable to import.  Error
> attempting
> > to import private key.
> >
> > I've tested this on Gentoo x86 with nss versions 3.23(portage),
> > 3.24(portage) and 3.25 (from source) with the same result. Changing the
> key
> > type to RSA works so I wonder if this might be bug in the EC key
> handling?
> >
> > Steps to reproduce:
> > # Create an empty NSS db
> > mkdir nss
> > openssl rand -base64 -out nss/pw 21
> > certutil -d nss -f nss/pw -N
> > # Generate an EC key/cert
> > openssl req -x509 -newkey ec -pkeyopt ec_paramgen_curve:secp521r1 -keyout
> > key.pem -out cert.pem -days 3650 -nodes -subj "/CN=Test CA"
> > # Export to pkcs12 format
> > openssl pkcs12 -export -in cert.pem -inkey key.pem -out cert.p12 -name
> Test
> > # Import to nss db
> > pk12util -i cert.p12 -d nss -k nss/pw
> > # pk12util reports error
>
> Using nss 3.23.0 and openssl 1.0.1 on Fedora with slightly different
> commands,
> I can't reproduce it:
>
> mkdir nssdb
> certutil -N --empty-password -d sql:nssdb/
> openssl ecparam -out secp521r1.pem -name secp521r1
> openssl req -x509 -newkey ec:secp521r1.pem -keyout localhost.key -out
> localhost.crt -subj /CN=localhost -nodes -batch
> openssl pkcs12 -export -passout pass: -out localhost.p12 -inkey
> localhost.key -in localhost.crt
> pk12util -i localhost.p12 -d sql:nssdb/ -W ''
> certutil -L -d sql:nssdb/ -n localhost -a | openssl x509 -noout -text
>
> so it doesn't look to me like a problem with EC keys specifically
>
> which version of OpenSSL are you using?
>

I'm using openssl-1.0.2g.

Your script also works on my environment so I'll switch to that method.
It looks like there is a significant difference in the keys produced by
openssl in the two cases -
your script produces a key that looks like this:
$ openssl pkey -in localhost.key -text -noout

Private-Key: (521 bit)

priv:

    <hex>

pub:

    <hex>

ASN1 OID: secp521r1

NIST CURVE: P-521

while mine produces this:
$ openssl pkey -in key.pem -text -noout
Private-Key: (521 bit)



priv:



   <hex>


pub:


   <hex>


Field Type: prime-field



Prime:


   <hex>


A:



   <hex>
B:



   <hex>
Generator (uncompressed):



   <hex>
Order:



   <hex>
Cofactor:  1 (0x1)
Seed:



   <hex>

so I assume (perhaps stating the obvious) that the problem is that in the
latter case the key is a definition of the finite field in parametric form
rather than using the standard curve name and that this is not supported by
nss.

Many thanks!

*Chris Richardson*, System Architect
[email protected]


*FourC AS, Vestre Rosten 81, Trekanten, NO-7075 Tiller, Norwaywww.fourc.eu
<http://www.fourc.eu/>*
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