(mozilla-projects-nss-reference-nss-tools-crlutil)=

# NSS tools : crlutil

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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] [\[[arguments]\]](arguments)

STATUS

This documentation is still work in progress. Please contribute to the initial review in
Mozilla NSS bug 836477[1]

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

1. 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/](https://www.mozilla.org/projects/security/pki/nss/)

.
The NSS site relates

directly to NSS code changes and releases.

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

IRC: Freenode at #dogtag-pki

Authors

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

Sun, Oracle, Mozilla, and Google.

Authors: Elio Maldonado \<

<mailto:emaldona@redhat.com>

>, Deon Lackey

\<

<mailto:dlackey@redhat.com>

>.

License

Licensed under the Mozilla Public License, v. 2.0.

If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this file, You can

obtain one at

<https://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/>

.

References

1. Mozilla NSS bug 836477 - <https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=836477>

Visible links

1.

<http://pki.fedoraproject.org/wiki/>

1.

[http://www.mozilla.org/projects/security/pki/nss/](https://www.mozilla.org/projects/security/pki/nss/)
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