Sample code for 30+ languages & platforms
Lianja

Check if an Email Was Received Digitally Signed

See more Email Object Examples

Demonstrates the read-only Chilkat Email.ReceivedSigned property, which is true if the email was originally received carrying one or more digital signatures. Knowing a message was signed is separate from knowing the signature checked out, so this example also reads SignaturesValid to report whether the signed content verified.

Background: A digital signature on an email (S/MIME) provides two things: authenticity (it was really sent by the holder of a particular certificate) and integrity (the content was not altered in transit). The sender signs a hash of the message with their private key; the recipient verifies it with the sender's public certificate. ReceivedSigned simply tells you a signature is present — verifying it is a separate step exposed through SignaturesValid.

Chilkat Lianja Downloads

Lianja
llSuccess = .F.

//  Demonstrates the read-only Email.ReceivedSigned property, which is true if this
//  email was originally received with a digital signature.  Use SignaturesValid to
//  determine whether the signed content actually verified.

loEmail = createobject("CkEmail")

llSuccess = loEmail.LoadEml("qa_data/eml/signed.eml")
if (llSuccess = .F.) then
    ? loEmail.LastErrorText
    release loEmail
    return
endif

if (loEmail.ReceivedSigned = .T.) then
    ? "This email was received with a digital signature."
    if (loEmail.SignaturesValid = .T.) then
        ? "All signatures are valid."
    else
        ? "One or more signatures are NOT valid."
    endif

else
    ? "This email was not signed."
endif

//  Note: Paths such as "qa_data/..." are relative local filesystem paths,
//  relative to the current working directory of the running application.


release loEmail