PKCS 11

In cryptography, PKCS #11 is one of the Public-Key Cryptography Standards,^[1] and also refers to the programming interface to create and manipulate cryptographic tokens (a token where the secret is a cryptographic key).

Detail

The PKCS #11 standard defines a platform-independent API to cryptographic tokens, such as hardware security modules (HSM) and smart cards, and names the API itself "Cryptoki" (from "cryptographic token interface" and pronounced as "crypto-key", although "PKCS #11" is often used to refer to the API as well as the standard that defines it).

The API defines most commonly used cryptographic object types (RSA keys, X.509 certificates, DES/Triple DES keys, etc.) and all the functions needed to use, create/generate, modify and delete those objects.

Usage

Most commercial certificate authority (CA) software uses PKCS #11 to access the CA signing key^{[clarification needed]} or to enroll user certificates. Cross-platform software that needs to use smart cards uses PKCS #11, such as Mozilla Firefox and OpenSSL (using an extension). It is also used to access smart cards and HSMs. Software written for Microsoft Windows may use the platform specific MS-CAPI API instead. Both Oracle Solaris and Red Hat Enterprise Linux contain implementations for use by applications, as well.

Relationship to KMIP

The Key Management Interoperability Protocol (KMIP) defines a wire protocol that has similar functionality to the PKCS#11 API.

The two standards were originally developed independently but are now both governed by an OASIS technical committee. It is the stated objective of both the PKCS#11 and KMIP committees to align the standards where practicable. For example, the PKCS#11 Sensitive and Extractable attributes are being added to KMIP version 1.4. There is considerable overlap between members of the two technical committees.

History

The PKCS#11 standard originated from RSA Security along with its other PKCS standards in 1994. In 2013, RSA contributed the latest draft revision of the standard (PKCS#11 2.30) to OASIS to continue the work on the standard within the newly created OASIS PKCS11 Technical Committee.^[2] The following list contains significant revision information:

01/1994: project launched
04/1995: v1.0 published
12/1997: v2.01 published
12/1999: v2.10 published
01/2001: v2.11 published
06/2004: v2.20 published^[1]
12/2005: amendments 1 & 2 (one-time password tokens, CT-KIP ^[3])
01/2007: amendment 3 (additional mechanisms)
09/2009: v2.30 draft published for review, but final version never published
12/2012: RSA announce that PKCS #11 management is being transitioned to OASIS^[4]
03/2013: OASIS PKCS #11 Technical Committee Inaugural meetings, works starts on v2.40 ^[5]
04/2015: OASIS PKCS #11 v2.40 specifications become approved OASIS standards ^[6]
05/2016: OASIS PKCS #11 v2.40 Errata 01 specifications become approved OASIS errata ^[7]
07/2020: OASIS PKCS #11 v3.0 specifications become approved OASIS standards ^[8]
07/2023: OASIS PKCS #11 v3.1 specifications become approved OASIS standards ^[9]

References

^ ^a ^b Dieter Bong; Tony Cox, eds. (2023-07-23). "PKCS #11 Specification Version 3.1". OASIS. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
^ "OASIS Enhances Popular Public-Key Cryptography Standard, PKCS #11, for Mobile and Cloud". OASIS. 26 March 2013. Retrieved 2016-08-24.
^ "CT-KIP: Cryptographic Token Key Initialization Protocol". RSA Security. Archived from the original on 2017-04-17.
^ Griffin, Bob (2012-12-26). "Re-invigorating the PKCS #11 Standard". Archived from the original on 2013-05-25.
^ "OASIS PKCS 11 TC Public Documents". OASIS. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
^ "#PKCS #11 Cryptographic Token Interface Base Specification, Interface Profiles, Current Mechanisms Specification, and Historical Mechanisms Specification Versions 2.40 become OASIS Standards". OASIS. 15 April 2015. Retrieved 2016-08-24.
^ "#PKCS 11 V2.40 Approved Erratas published by PKCS 11 TC". OASIS. 28 June 2016. Retrieved 2016-08-24.
^ "#PKCS #11 Cryptographic Token Interface Base Specification, Interface Profiles, Current Mechanisms Specification, and Historical Mechanisms Specification Versions 3.0 become OASIS Standards". OASIS. 22 July 2020. Retrieved 2020-07-23.
^ "Two PKCS #11 OASIS Standards published". OASIS. 10 August 2023. Retrieved 2024-08-29.

External links

RFC 7512 - The PKCS #11 URI Scheme
PKCS#11: Cryptographic Token Interface Standard
OASIS PKCS #11 Technical Committee home page

[pkcs11-1] Dieter Bong; Tony Cox, eds. (2023-07-23). "PKCS #11 Specification Version 3.1". OASIS. Retrieved 2024-08-29.

[2] "OASIS Enhances Popular Public-Key Cryptography Standard, PKCS #11, for Mobile and Cloud". OASIS. 26 March 2013. Retrieved 2016-08-24.

[3] "CT-KIP: Cryptographic Token Key Initialization Protocol". RSA Security. Archived from the original on 2017-04-17.

[4] Griffin, Bob (2012-12-26). "Re-invigorating the PKCS #11 Standard". Archived from the original on 2013-05-25.

[5] "OASIS PKCS 11 TC Public Documents". OASIS. Retrieved 2020-01-16.

[6] "#PKCS #11 Cryptographic Token Interface Base Specification, Interface Profiles, Current Mechanisms Specification, and Historical Mechanisms Specification Versions 2.40 become OASIS Standards". OASIS. 15 April 2015. Retrieved 2016-08-24.

[7] "#PKCS 11 V2.40 Approved Erratas published by PKCS 11 TC". OASIS. 28 June 2016. Retrieved 2016-08-24.

[8] "#PKCS #11 Cryptographic Token Interface Base Specification, Interface Profiles, Current Mechanisms Specification, and Historical Mechanisms Specification Versions 3.0 become OASIS Standards". OASIS. 22 July 2020. Retrieved 2020-07-23.

[9] "Two PKCS #11 OASIS Standards published". OASIS. 10 August 2023. Retrieved 2024-08-29.

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