NSS tools : crlutil

Name

   crlutil — List, generate, modify, or delete CRLs within the NSS security
   database file(s) and list, create, modify or delete certificates entries
   in a particular CRL.

Synopsis

   crlutil [options] arguments

Description

   The Certificate Revocation List (CRL) Management Tool, crlutil, is a
   command-line utility that can list, generate, modify, or delete CRLs
   within the NSS security database file(s) and list, create, modify or
   delete certificates entries in a particular CRL.

   The key and certificate management process generally begins with creating
   keys in the key database, then generating and managing certificates in the
   certificate database(see certutil tool) and continues with certificates
   expiration or revocation.

   This document discusses certificate revocation list management. For
   information on security module database management, see Using the Security
   Module Database Tool. For information on certificate and key database
   management, see Using the Certificate Database Tool.

   To run the Certificate Revocation List Management Tool, type the command

   crlutil option [arguments]

   where options and arguments are combinations of the options and arguments
   listed in the following section. Each command takes one option. Each
   option may take zero or more arguments. To see a usage string, issue the
   command without options, or with the -H option.

Options and Arguments

   Options

   Options specify an action. Option arguments modify an action. The options
   and arguments for the crlutil command are defined as follows:

   -G

           Create new Certificate Revocation List(CRL).

   -D

           Delete Certificate Revocation List from cert database.

   -I

           Import a CRL to the cert database

   -E

           Erase all CRLs of specified type from the cert database

   -L

           List existing CRL located in cert database file.

   -M

           Modify existing CRL which can be located in cert db or in
           arbitrary file. If located in file it should be encoded in ASN.1
           encode format.

   -G

   Arguments

   Option arguments modify an action and are lowercase.

   -B

           Bypass CA signature checks.

   -P dbprefix

           Specify the prefix used on the NSS security database files (for
           example, my_cert8.db and my_key3.db). This option is provided as a
           special case. Changing the names of the certificate and key
           databases is not recommended.

   -a

           Use ASCII format or allow the use of ASCII format for input and
           output. This formatting follows RFC #1113.

   -c crl-gen-file

           Specify script file that will be used to control crl
           generation/modification. See crl-cript-file format below. If
           options -M|-G is used and -c crl-script-file is not specified,
           crlutil will read script data from standard input.

   -d directory

           Specify the database directory containing the certificate and key
           database files. On Unix the Certificate Database Tool defaults to
           $HOME/.netscape (that is, ~/.netscape). On Windows NT the default
           is the current directory.

           The NSS database files must reside in the same directory.

   -i crl-import-file

           Specify the file which contains the CRL to import

   -f password-file

           Specify a file that will automatically supply the password to
           include in a certificate or to access a certificate database. This
           is a plain-text file containing one password. Be sure to prevent
           unauthorized access to this file.

   -l algorithm-name

           Specify a specific signature algorithm. List of possible
           algorithms: MD2 | MD4 | MD5 | SHA1 | SHA256 | SHA384 | SHA512

   -n nickname

           Specify the nickname of a certificate or key to list, create, add
           to a database, modify, or validate. Bracket the nickname string
           with quotation marks if it contains spaces.

   -o output-file

           Specify the output file name for new CRL. Bracket the output-file
           string with quotation marks if it contains spaces. If this
           argument is not used the output destination defaults to standard
           output.

   -t crl-type

           Specify type of CRL. possible types are: 0 - SEC_KRL_TYPE, 1 -
           SEC_CRL_TYPE. This option is obsolete

   -u url

           Specify the url.

CRL Generation script syntax

   CRL generation script file has the following syntax:

   * Line with comments should have # as a first symbol of a line

   * Set "this update" or "next update" CRL fields:

   update=YYYYMMDDhhmmssZ nextupdate=YYYYMMDDhhmmssZ

   Field "next update" is optional. Time should be in GeneralizedTime format
   (YYYYMMDDhhmmssZ). For example: 20050204153000Z

   * Add an extension to a CRL or a crl certificate entry:

   addext extension-name critical/non-critical [arg1[arg2 ...]]

   Where:

   extension-name: string value of a name of known extensions.
   critical/non-critical: is 1 when extension is critical and 0 otherwise.
   arg1, arg2: specific to extension type extension parameters

   addext uses the range that was set earlier by addcert and will install an
   extension to every cert entries within the range.

   * Add certificate entries(s) to CRL:

   addcert range date

   range: two integer values separated by dash: range of certificates that
   will be added by this command. dash is used as a delimiter. Only one cert
   will be added if there is no delimiter. date: revocation date of a cert.
   Date should be represented in GeneralizedTime format (YYYYMMDDhhmmssZ).

   * Remove certificate entry(s) from CRL

   rmcert range

   Where:

   range: two integer values separated by dash: range of certificates that
   will be added by this command. dash is used as a delimiter. Only one cert
   will be added if there is no delimiter.

   * Change range of certificate entry(s) in CRL

   range new-range

   Where:

   new-range: two integer values separated by dash: range of certificates
   that will be added by this command. dash is used as a delimiter. Only one
   cert will be added if there is no delimiter.

   Implemented Extensions

   The extensions defined for CRL provide methods for associating additional
   attributes with CRLs of theirs entries. For more information see RFC #3280

   * Add The Authority Key Identifier extension:

   The authority key identifier extension provides a means of identifying the
   public key corresponding to the private key used to sign a CRL.

   authKeyId critical [key-id | dn cert-serial]

   Where:

   authKeyIdent: identifies the name of an extension critical: value of 1 of
   0. Should be set to 1 if this extension is critical or 0 otherwise.
   key-id: key identifier represented in octet string. dn:: is a CA
   distinguished name cert-serial: authority certificate serial number.

   * Add Issuer Alternative Name extension:

   The issuer alternative names extension allows additional identities to be
   associated with the issuer of the CRL. Defined options include an rfc822
   name (electronic mail address), a DNS name, an IP address, and a URI.

   issuerAltNames non-critical name-list

   Where:

   subjAltNames: identifies the name of an extension should be set to 0 since
   this is non-critical extension name-list: comma separated list of names

   * Add CRL Number extension:

   The CRL number is a non-critical CRL extension which conveys a
   monotonically increasing sequence number for a given CRL scope and CRL
   issuer. This extension allows users to easily determine when a particular
   CRL supersedes another CRL

   crlNumber non-critical number

   Where:

   crlNumber: identifies the name of an extension critical: should be set to
   0 since this is non-critical extension number: value of long which
   identifies the sequential number of a CRL.

   * Add Revocation Reason Code extension:

   The reasonCode is a non-critical CRL entry extension that identifies the
   reason for the certificate revocation.

   reasonCode non-critical code

   Where:

   reasonCode: identifies the name of an extension non-critical: should be
   set to 0 since this is non-critical extension code: the following codes
   are available:

   unspecified (0), keyCompromise (1), cACompromise (2), affiliationChanged
   (3), superseded (4), cessationOfOperation (5), certificateHold (6),
   removeFromCRL (8), privilegeWithdrawn (9), aACompromise (10)

   * Add Invalidity Date extension:

   The invalidity date is a non-critical CRL entry extension that provides
   the date on which it is known or suspected that the private key was
   compromised or that the certificate otherwise became invalid.

   invalidityDate non-critical date

   Where:

   crlNumber: identifies the name of an extension non-critical: should be set
   to 0 since this is non-critical extension date: invalidity date of a cert.
   Date should be represented in GeneralizedTime format (YYYYMMDDhhmmssZ).

Usage

   The Certificate Revocation List Management Tool's capabilities are grouped
   as follows, using these combinations of options and arguments. Options and
   arguments in square brackets are optional, those without square brackets
   are required.

   See "Implemented extensions" for more information regarding extensions and
   their parameters.

   * Creating or modifying a CRL:

 crlutil -G|-M -c crl-gen-file -n nickname [-i crl] [-u url] [-d keydir] [-P dbprefix] [-l alg] [-a] [-B]


   * Listing all CRls or a named CRL:

         crlutil -L [-n crl-name] [-d krydir]


   * Deleting CRL from db:

         crlutil -D -n nickname [-d keydir] [-P dbprefix]


   * Erasing CRLs from db:

         crlutil -E [-d keydir] [-P dbprefix]


   * Deleting CRL from db:

           crlutil -D -n nickname [-d keydir] [-P dbprefix]


   * Erasing CRLs from db:

           crlutil -E [-d keydir] [-P dbprefix]


   * Import CRL from file:

           crlutil -I -i crl [-t crlType] [-u url] [-d keydir] [-P dbprefix] [-B]


See also

   certutil(1)

See Also

Additional Resources

   NSS is maintained in conjunction with PKI and security-related projects
   through Mozilla dn Fedora. The most closely-related project is Dogtag PKI,
   with a project wiki at [1]http://pki.fedoraproject.org/wiki/.

   For information specifically about NSS, the NSS project wiki is located at
   [2]http://www.mozilla.org/projects/security/pki/nss/. The NSS site relates
   directly to NSS code changes and releases.

   Mailing lists: pki-devel@redhat.com and pki-users@redhat.com

   IRC: Freenode at #dogtag-pki

Authors

   The NSS tools were written and maintained by developers with Netscape and
   now with Red Hat.

   Authors: Elio Maldonado <emaldona@redhat.com>, Deon Lackey
   <dlackey@redhat.com>.

Copyright

   (c) 2010, Red Hat, Inc. Licensed under the GNU Public License version 2.

References

   Visible links
   1. http://pki.fedoraproject.org/wiki/
   2. http://www.mozilla.org/projects/security/pki/nss/

Document Tags and Contributors

 Contributors to this page: fscholz, emaldona@redhat.com
 Last updated by: fscholz,