Java

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 com.chilkatsoft.chilkat2.ChilkatException;
import com.chilkatsoft.chilkat2.PrivateKey;

public class ChilkatExample {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // 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.

        PrivateKey privKey = new PrivateKey();

        // The PEM text of an encrypted private key.
        String 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.
        String password = "myKeyPassword";

        try {
            privKey.loadEncryptedPem(pemText, password);
        } catch (ChilkatException e) {
            System.out.println(e.getLastErrorText());
            return;
        }

        System.out.println("Loaded a " + privKey.getKeyType() + " private key.");
    }
}