C++

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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C++

#include <CkPrivateKey.h>

void ChilkatSample(void)
    {
    bool 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.

    CkPrivateKey privKey;

    //  The PEM text of an encrypted private key.
    const char *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.
    const char *password = "myKeyPassword";

    success = privKey.LoadEncryptedPem(pemText,password);
    if (success == false) {
        std::cout << privKey.lastErrorText() << "\r\n";
        return;
    }

    std::cout << "Loaded a " << privKey.keyType() << " private key." << "\r\n";
    }