Visual Basic 6.0

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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Visual Basic 6.0

Dim success As Long
success = 0

'  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.

Dim privKey As New PrivateKey

'  The PEM text of an encrypted private key.
Dim pemText As String
pemText = "-----BEGIN ENCRYPTED PRIVATE KEY-----" & vbLf & "MIIFHzBJ..." & vbLf & "-----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.
Dim password As String
password = "myKeyPassword"

success = privKey.LoadEncryptedPem(pemText,password)
If (success = 0) Then
    Debug.Print privKey.LastErrorText
    Exit Sub
End If

Debug.Print "Loaded a " & privKey.KeyType & " private key."