VB.NET

Set the Decryption Certificate for an Email

Demonstrates the Chilkat Email.SetDecryptCert method, which explicitly provides a certificate (with access to its private key) for decrypting a received encrypted email. Set the certificate before loading the encrypted message so Chilkat can decrypt it automatically. This example loads the certificate from a PFX, sets it, and then loads an encrypted email.

Background: Decrypting S/MIME email requires the recipient's private key. On Windows and macOS, Chilkat can find an installed certificate automatically, but when the key lives in a standalone PFX file you provide it explicitly with SetDecryptCert. A PFX (PKCS#12) bundles the certificate and its private key in one password-protected file. If the certificate and key are in separate files, use SetDecryptCert2 instead.

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VB.NET

Dim success As Boolean = False

'  Demonstrates the SetDecryptCert method, which explicitly provides a certificate (with
'  access to its private key) for decrypting a received encrypted email.  Set the cert
'  before loading the encrypted email so it can be decrypted automatically.

Dim email As New Chilkat.Email

'  Load a certificate together with its private key from a PFX file.
Dim cert As New Chilkat.Cert
success = cert.LoadPfxFile("qa_data/certs/decryption.pfx","pfx_password")
If (success = False) Then
    Debug.WriteLine(cert.LastErrorText)
    Exit Sub
End If


'  Provide the certificate to use for decryption.
success = email.SetDecryptCert(cert)
If (success = False) Then
    Debug.WriteLine(email.LastErrorText)
    Exit Sub
End If


'  Load the encrypted email; Chilkat decrypts it using the certificate.
success = email.LoadEml("qa_data/eml/encrypted.eml")
If (success = False) Then
    Debug.WriteLine(email.LastErrorText)
    Exit Sub
End If


Debug.WriteLine("ReceivedEncrypted = " & email.ReceivedEncrypted)
Debug.WriteLine("Decrypted = " & email.Decrypted)

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