PHP | openssl_pkey_new() Function

Hello folks! welcome back to a new edition of our tutorial on PHP. In this tutorial guide, we are going to be studying about the PHP openssl_pkey_new() Function.

The openssl_pkey_new() function returns a resource identifier that has new private and public key pair.

This function returns a resource identifier. You can use openssl_pkey_get_details() function to get all the details of the key generated. The key (public/private pair) is used later with other openssl functions like openssl_sign(), openssl_csr_new() to get CSR certificate, that helps in the creation of cryptographic digital signature.

syntax

Following below is the syntax to use this function -

openssl_pkey_new ([ array $configargs ] ) : resource

READ: PHP | OpenSSL Functions

Parameter Details

Sr.No	Parameter	Description
1	configargs	The parameter configargs is the configuration details that need to be given to the function to generate the private/public key pair. The details are described below.

configargs

By default the openssl_pkey_new() function makes use of configuration details present in openssl.cnf. But using configargs you can overwrite them. The config details are as follows -

key in configargs	type	key used in openssl.conf	description
digest_alg	string	default_md	Digest methods that you get from openssl_get_md_methods().
x509_extensions	string	x509_extensions	Extensions used when creating an x509 certificate.
req_extensions	string	req_extensions	Extensions used when creating a CSR.
private_key_bits	integer	default_bits	Specifies how many bits to be used while generating a private key.
private_key_type	integer	none	The type of private key to create. It can be one of OPENSSL_KEYTYPE_DSA, OPENSSL_KEYTYPE_DH, OPENSSL_KEYTYPE_RSA or OPENSSL_KEYTYPE_EC. The default value is OPENSSL_KEYTYPE_RSA.
encrypt_key	boolean	encrypt_key	Whether the exported key be encrypted?
encrypt_key_cipher	integer	none	Cipher constants like OPENSSL_CIPHER_RC2_40 (integer),OPENSSL_CIPHER_RC2_128 (integer),OPENSSL_CIPHER_RC2_64 (integer),OPENSSL_CIPHER_DES (integer), OPENSSL_CIPHER_3DES (integer) etc.
curve_name	string	none	One of the curve name returned by this function openssl_get_curve_names().
config	string	N/A	You can change the configuration in openssl.conf as per your requirement and give the path of it here.

Return Value

This function returns a resource identifier if there is no error, or it returns false if the key generation fails.

PHP Version

This built-in function works from PHP version greater than 5.0.0.

Example1

The following example below illustrates the usage of the openssl_pkey_new() function -

<?php
   // Generate a new private (and public) key pair
   $privkey = openssl_pkey_new(array(
      "digest_alg"=>'md5',
      "private_key_bits" => 2048,
      "private_key_type" => OPENSSL_KEYTYPE_RSA,
   ));
   var_dump($privkey);
?>

Output

When the above code is executed, it will produce the following result -

resource(2) of type (OpenSSL key)

Example2

The following example below illustrates the usage of the PHP openssl_pkey_new() and PHP openssl_pkey_get_details() functions -

<?php
   // Generate a new private (and public) key pair
   $privkey = openssl_pkey_new(array(
      "digest_alg"=>'md5',
      "private_key_bits" => 2048,
      "private_key_type" => OPENSSL_KEYTYPE_RSA,
   ));
   $key_details = openssl_pkey_get_details($privkey);
   print_r($key_details);
?>

Output

When the above code is executed, it will produce the following result -

Array (
   [bits] => 2048
   [key] => -----BEGIN PUBLIC KEY-----
   MIIBIjANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQEFAAOCAQ8AMIIBCgKCAQEA1IGWxnWzICSkjrOVrYkw
   9EKpIhcAYbhaymiwQY/ii9d7hnuGhpjjitDxzFftGafL6XOFKOhgbO2yrcpFxRKu
   AY3t5wyUcqUJV6CNwV2Hipk90psUcTmK3+pcCzcqCKr7sLWlHI48lse92xane8Sf
   CATNNbr9vmqUaTZ9FQqWihm3o/rNGuZTwMSKvcKsVguFpwrEDJaSLP1nt7RSHGc+
   PixQSXp3PtQCH+S0CM9jt1jD9NkYXuuAlNbrsPm1fl2zAGR5Vh15evz5765lZ2mH
   LIZScfsO/qgai3R6foaBlJM5tiSeiVZgnnQDKFBi5XK2GhzDnKggJe4tdY7awTFm
   CQIDAQAB
   -----END PUBLIC KEY-----

   [rsa] => Array (
      [n] => ԁ��u� $��0�B�"a�Z�h�A��{�{��W���s�(�`l��E��
���r�	W��]��=қq9��\7*���<�ǽ��{ğ�5��j�i6}
      �����S�Ċ�¬V��
      ���,�g��Rg>>,PIzw>���c�X��^뀔��~]�dyVyz��egi�,�Rq����tz~��9�$��V`�t(Pb�r�Ü� %�-u��1f	
         [e] => 


         [d] => F"��3��4��!K�yF��R�lY�9�]Ξ��A��@�f��~�<�YPєG��=��TkTP�rl�Mԓ{�lŮ^��!��q�˂�7�|�f��lE+#�@.�GIH�tS�R.mbc�U~��7&w�ݥ�P.Fe�ϨU�@��m��X�ECsemjI$@/�$l��)�8�@���c�w�NRo��+!'�.��fvT7�=n")LQ�s
dš�%zZ��G��{�{�1A^��v��E
         [p] => �>u)��1bǰK�r��pHE��k���LBE��y�'�3-�/��Pd��jeFV1����?�.O���:�bl2�z�U�{��{��*��A���<�}m4��J�Y�'�f@���
         [q] => ߦz\��96�=��V]"k��2w��>�r�袤�6�/�-Z�_��8!Y��I��L���_3Ym���.p�֏
^��>�I:��oZ��"��=��8���뻢1��:�
         [dmp1] => z"�TW*��Ƴm�$�HQ�$0��sa��j� #�
         P�*�P��Q�G
\42�a�26(�5�K�7zj��xj7��@e�$.6��b�Dq]]I}�L�m�d��54)@:���#
         [dmq1] => +��4}��\dc�R�K�Bw�\�E6�����%_�m$3蚞9�Fh�D�uz��$�8HPK�ˇԁ^�K�k�]e�g�>ºX�"<ƌ�`ė��&,9E��MS"��¥�)
         [iqmp] => !��߷�=�z�=ܰ7��V�6q�~���3V��t�P�$��O�kgv��3=W\ѝm���	�J���5^�K��a�t��~��U�.��!�l�v�#��z*���	���r
      )
      [type] => 0
   )

Example3

The following example below illustrates the usage of the openssl_pkey_new() function to read public key -

<?php
   echo "The hash of Welcome to Webdesigntutorialz is - ". hash('crc32b', 'Welcome to Webdesigntutorialz');
?>

Output

When the above code is executed, it will produce the following result -

-----BEGIN PUBLIC KEY----- MIIBIjANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQEFAAOCAQ8AMIIBCgKCAQEArAWYwKIaf3uN1bwww4R8 51ifDPGsreqr9cV3J1gSKC8kaAEsAQaZ/6gQlDBsUGs4nE8zKgOlcdOV/JApgAdz +CwoLJUgmEUkLDxOcWaCIUVuHAiyBGJaRKZ+MASy7wRG8hb+INd0/zoQRGXk3+jf Fj6rvSinVg49C4RAkRtkEdNnH0G5s6cedV6ec30DouRTuEQ/Fgizf0qaVtQbAURP n+/LT9V8c4LMaCyID7caTQOXAEjQqD4ooXGkOzmcsp03j2/F+T2mSIQRtI1gGJkZ oCMGX/xRxh5uemCcC4jcshn45Ikmb/S7WFqTCOC0e8l8CiTZ5Rr8EKFgtwliMds8 pQIDAQAB -----END PUBLIC KEY-----

Example4

The following example below illustrates the usage of the openssl_pkey_new() function to store public in a file -

<?php
   // Generate a new private (and public) key pair

   $privkey = openssl_pkey_new(array(
      "digest_alg"=>'md5',
      "private_key_bits" => 2048,
      "private_key_type" => OPENSSL_KEYTYPE_RSA,
   ));
   $keydetails = openssl_pkey_get_details($privkey);

   // To save the public key to a file 
   file_put_contents('mypublic.key', $keydetails['key']);
?>

Output

The contents of file mypublic.key is -

-----BEGIN PUBLIC KEY-----
MIIBIjANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQEFAAOCAQ8AMIIBCgKCAQEA3QxA7vWIz+F5t12/fl0H
vyavVy/ZNZFWGK6BID/koYeVA2wKdXx9De3gn0hs4sSrN3aV58ctuxDVx36rKvYd
AjKHfnfh7NmXnCEeUE4SgUUe0UUleoEMtsPP2Q8BC1HUjcC6SyJQKZG0bQqQlnAb
HL7ou2TNsjA/SiJbPD+0OpsLAcW1c/DeoM+TAkZo0JIlgxjcJ5ZlEbJ0Mxv6m9XK
k3bbMYHtKmZl+fzfPNcxCuK8Djnm5mYVR9KX1L86m1jz2kUQT/+wW84QRnZ7G+z8
4rQ77sZvWiIwwO2JmUvIsYeUxEP6/keZbDRuyO/2tWk/VxqQry4+Ktix/M2/iKWo
QQIDAQAB
-----END PUBLIC KEY-----

READ: PHP | vprintf() Function

Alright guys! This is where we are going to be rounding up for this tutorial post. In our next tutorial, we will be studying about the PHP openssl_pkey_get_private() Function.

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