Chilkat2-Python

Load an Encrypted Private Key from PEM Text

Demonstrates the Chilkat PrivateKey.LoadEncryptedPem method, which loads a private key from PEM text, using a password when the PEM is encrypted. The first argument is the PEM string and the second is the password. Unencrypted PEM is also accepted.

Background: An encrypted PEM protects the key material at rest — a stolen file is useless without the passphrase — which is why encrypted keys are preferred for anything shipped or stored. This loader supplies that passphrase to decrypt a BEGIN ENCRYPTED PRIVATE KEY block (and gracefully handles unencrypted PEM too), so it is a safe default when a PEM might be either. The password should come from a secure source, never a hard-coded literal.

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import sys
import chilkat2

success = False

# Demonstrates the PrivateKey.LoadEncryptedPem method, which loads a private key from PEM text.
# The 1st argument is the PEM string and the 2nd is the password (used when the PEM is
# encrypted).  Unencrypted PEM is also accepted.

privKey = chilkat2.PrivateKey()

# The PEM text of an encrypted private key.
pemText = "-----BEGIN ENCRYPTED PRIVATE KEY-----\nMIIFHzBJ...\n-----END ENCRYPTED PRIVATE KEY-----"

# The key password is not hard-coded in a real application; obtain it from an interactive
# prompt, environment variable, or a secrets vault.
password = "myKeyPassword"

success = privKey.LoadEncryptedPem(pemText,password)
if (success == False):
    print(privKey.LastErrorText)
    sys.exit()

print("Loaded a " + privKey.KeyType + " private key.")