VB.NET

Use a Smart Card Certificate + Private Key for SSL/TLS Authentication

See more ScMinidriver Examples

Demonstrates how to use a certificate + private key located on a smart card for the TLS client certificate in an HTTPS request.

Note: This example only works on Windows. ScMinidriver is a Windows-specific smart card and USB token minidriver that enables smart card authentication and cryptographic operations within Windows operating systems.

VB.NET

Dim success As Boolean = False

' This example requires the Chilkat API to have been previously unlocked.
' See Global Unlock Sample for sample code.

Dim scmd As New Chilkat.ScMinidriver

' Reader names (smart card readers or USB tokens) can be discovered
' via List Readers or Find Smart Cards
Dim readerName As String = "SCM Microsystems Inc. SCR33x USB Smart Card Reader 0"
success = scmd.AcquireContext(readerName)
If (success = False) Then
    Debug.WriteLine(scmd.LastErrorText)
    Exit Sub
End If


' If successful, the name of the currently inserted smart card is available:
Debug.WriteLine("Card name: " & scmd.CardName)

' If desired, perform regular PIN authentication with the smartcard.
' For more details about smart card PIN authentication, see the Smart Card PIN Authentication Example
Dim retval As Integer = scmd.PinAuthenticate("user","000000")
If (retval <> 0) Then
    Debug.WriteLine("PIN Authentication failed.")
End If


' You can find a cerficate using any of the following certificate parts:
' "subjectDN" -- The full distinguished name of the cert.
' "subjectDN_withTags" -- Same as above, but in a format that includes the subject part tags, such as the "CN=" in "CN=something"
' "subjectCN" -- The common name part (CN) of the certificate's subject.
' "serial" -- The certificate serial number.
' "serial:issuerCN" -- The certificate serial number + the issuer's common name, delimited with a colon char.
' These are the same certificate parts that can be retrieved by listing certificates on the smart card (or USB token).
' See List Certificates on Smart Card Example
Dim certPart As String = "subjectCN"
Dim partValue As String = "BadSSL Client Certificate"

' If the certificate is found, it is loaded into the cert object.
' Note: We imported this certificate from a .p12/.pfx using this Example to Import a .pfx/.p12 onto a Smart Card
Dim cert As New Chilkat.Cert
success = scmd.FindCert(certPart,partValue,cert)
If (success = False) Then
    Debug.WriteLine("Failed to find the certificate.")
    scmd.DeleteContext()
    Exit Sub
End If


Debug.WriteLine("Successfully loaded the cert object from the smart card / USB token.")

' Note: When successful, the cert object is internally linked to the ScMinidriver object's authenticated session.
' The cert object can now be used to sign or do other cryptographic operations that occur on the smart card / USB token.
' If your application calls PinDeauthenticate or DeleteContext, the cert will no longer be able to sign on the smart card
' because the smart card ScMinidriver session will no longer be authenticated or deleted.

' ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

' Send an HTTPS request to https://client.badssl.com
' https://client.badssl.com (part of the badssl.com service) lets you test authentication using client SSL certificates. 
' The client certificate can be downloaded from https://badssl.com/download/.
' This server returns 200 OK if the correct client certificate is provided, and 400 Bad Request otherwise.

Dim http As New Chilkat.Http

' Provide the client certificate (linked internally to our authenticated smartcard session)
success = http.SetSslClientCert(cert)
If (success = False) Then
    Debug.WriteLine(http.LastErrorText)
    scmd.DeleteContext()
    Exit Sub
End If


Dim responseBody As String = http.QuickGetStr("https://client.badssl.com/")
If (http.LastMethodSuccess = False) Then
    Debug.WriteLine(http.LastErrorText)
    scmd.DeleteContext()
    Exit Sub
End If


Debug.WriteLine("Response status code: " & http.LastStatus)
Debug.WriteLine("Response body: ")
Debug.WriteLine(responseBody)

' ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
' Cleanup our ScMinidriver session...

' When finished with operations that required authentication, you may if you wish, deauthenticate the session.
success = scmd.PinDeauthenticate("user")
If (success = False) Then
    Debug.WriteLine(scmd.LastErrorText)
End If


' Delete the context when finished with the card.
success = scmd.DeleteContext()
If (success = False) Then
    Debug.WriteLine(scmd.LastErrorText)
End If