certutil¶

Name

certutil — Manage keys and certificate in the NSS database.

Synopsis

certutil [options] arguments

Description

The Certificate Database Tool, certutil, is a command-line utility that
can create and modify certificate and key database files. It can also
list, generate, modify, or delete certificates within the database, create
or change the password, generate new public and private key pairs, display
the contents of the key database, or delete key pairs within the key
database.
The key and certificate management process generally begins with creating
keys in the key database, then generating and managing certificates in the
certificate database. This document discusses certificate and key database
management. For information security module database management, see the
modutil manpages.

Options and Arguments

Running certutil always requires one (and only one) option to specify the

type of certificate operation. Each option may take arguments, anywhere

from none to multiple arguments. Run the command option and -H to see the

arguments available for each command option.

Options

Options specify an action and are uppercase.

-A

Add an existing certificate to a certificate database. The
certificate database should already exist; if one is not present,
this option will initialize one by default.

-B

Run a series of commands from the specified batch file. This

requires the -i argument.

-C

Create a new binary certificate file from a binary certificate
request file. Use the -i argument to specify the certificate
request file. If this argument is not used, certutil prompts for a
filename.

-D

Delete a certificate from the certificate database.

-E

Add an email certificate to the certificate database.

-F

Delete a private key from a key database. Specify the key to
delete with the -n argument. Specify the database from which to
delete the key with the -d argument. Use the -k argument to
specify explicitly whether to delete a DSA, RSA, or ECC key. If
you don’t use the -k argument, the option looks for an RSA key
matching the specified nickname.
When you delete keys, be sure to also remove any certificates
associated with those keys from the certificate database, by using
-D. Some smart cards (for example, the Litronic card) do not let
you remove a public key you have generated. In such a case, only
the private key is deleted from the key pair. You can display the
public key with the command certutil -K -h tokenname.

-G

Generate a new public and private key pair within a key database.
The key database should already exist; if one is not present, this
option will initialize one by default. Some smart cards (for
example, the Litronic card) can store only one key pair. If you
create a new key pair for such a card, the previous pair is
overwritten.

-H

Display a list of the options and arguments used by the

Certificate Database Tool.

-K

List the key ID of keys in the key database. A key ID is the
modulus of the RSA key or the publicValue of the DSA key. IDs are
displayed in hexadecimal (“0x” is not shown).

-L

List all the certificates, or display information about a named
certificate, in a certificate database. Use the -h tokenname
argument to specify the certificate database on a particular
hardware or software token.

-M

Modify a certificate’s trust attributes using the values of the -t

argument.

-N

Create new certificate and key databases.

-O

Print the certificate chain.

-R

Create a certificate request file that can be submitted to a
Certificate Authority (CA) for processing into a finished
certificate. Output defaults to standard out unless you use -o
output-file argument. Use the -a argument to specify ASCII output.

-S

Create an individual certificate and add it to a certificate

database.

-T

Reset the key database or token.

-U

List all available modules or print a single named module.

-V

Check the validity of a certificate and its attributes.

-W

Change the password to a key database.

–merge

Merge a source database into the target database. This is used to
merge legacy NSS databases (cert8.db and key3.db) into the newer
SQLite databases (cert9.db and key4.db).

–upgrade-merge

Upgrade an old database and merge it into a new database. This is
used to migrate legacy NSS databases (cert8.db and key3.db) into
the newer SQLite databases (cert9.db and key4.db).

Arguments

Option arguments modify an action and are lowercase.

-a

Use ASCII format or allow the use of ASCII format for input or
output. This formatting follows RFC 1113. For certificate
requests, ASCII output defaults to standard output unless
redirected.

-b validity-time

Specify a time at which a certificate is required to be valid. Use
when checking certificate validity with the -V option. The format
of the validity-time argument is YYMMDDHHMMSS[+HHMM|-HHMM|Z],
which allows offsets to be set relative to the validity end time.
Specifying seconds (SS) is optional. When specifying an explicit
time, use a Z at the end of the term, YYMMDDHHMMSSZ, to close it.
When specifying an offset time, use YYMMDDHHMMSS+HHMM or
YYMMDDHHMMSS-HHMM for adding or subtracting time, respectively.
If this option is not used, the validity check defaults to the
current system time.

-c issuer

Identify the certificate of the CA from which a new certificate
will derive its authenticity. Use the exact nickname or alias of
the CA certificate, or use the CA’s email address. Bracket the
issuer string with quotation marks if it contains spaces.

-d [sql:]directory

Specify the database directory containing the certificate and key
database files.
certutil supports two types of databases: the legacy security
databases (cert8.db, key3.db, and secmod.db) and new SQLite
databases (cert9.db, key4.db, and pkcs11.txt). If the prefix sql:
is not used, then the tool assumes that the given databases are in
the old format.

-e

Check a certificate’s signature during the process of validating a

certificate.

-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.

-g keysize

Set a key size to use when generating new public and private key
pairs. The minimum is 512 bits and the maximum is 8192 bits. The
default is 1024 bits. Any size between the minimum and maximum is
allowed.

-h tokenname

Specify the name of a token to use or act on. Unless specified
otherwise the default token is an internal slot (specifically,
internal slot 2). This slot can also be explicitly named with the
string “internal”. An internal slots is a virtual slot maintained
in software, rather than a hardware device. Internal slot 2 is
used by key and certificate services. Internal slot 1 is used by
cryptographic services.

-i input_file

Pass an input file to the command. Depending on the command
option, an input file can be a specific certificate, a certificate
request file, or a batch file of commands.

-k rsa|dsa|ec|all

Specify the type of a key. The valid options are RSA, DSA, ECC, or
all. The default value is rsa. Specifying the type of key can
avoid mistakes caused by duplicate nicknames.

-k key-type-or-id

Specify the type or specific ID of a key. Giving a key type
generates a new key pair; giving the ID of an existing key reuses
that key pair (which is required to renew certificates).

-l

Display detailed information when validating a certificate with

the -V option.

-m serial-number

Assign a unique serial number to a certificate being created. This
operation should be performed by a CA. The default serial number
is 0 (zero). Serial numbers are limited to integers.

-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 certificates or binary
certificate requests. 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.

-P dbPrefix

Specify the prefix used on the certificate and key database file.
This option is provided as a special case. Changing the names of
the certificate and key databases is not recommended.

-p phone

Specify a contact telephone number to include in new certificates
or certificate requests. Bracket this string with quotation marks
if it contains spaces.

-q pqgfile

Read an alternate PQG value from the specified file when
generating DSA key pairs. If this argument is not used, certutil
generates its own PQG value. PQG files are created with a separate
DSA utility.

-q curve-name

Set the elliptic curve name to use when generating ECC key pairs.

A complete list of ECC curves is given in the help (-H).

-r

Display a certificate’s binary DER encoding when listing

information about that certificate with the -L option.

-s subject

Identify a particular certificate owner for new certificates or
certificate requests. Bracket this string with quotation marks if
it contains spaces. The subject identification format follows RFC
#1485.

-t trustargs

Specify the trust attributes to modify in an existing certificate
or to apply to a certificate when creating it or adding it to a
database. There are three available trust categories for each
certificate, expressed in the order SSL, email, object signing for
each trust setting. In each category position, use none, any, or
all of the attribute codes:
o p - Valid peer
o P - Trusted peer (implies p)
o c - Valid CA
o T - Trusted CA to issue client certificates (implies c)
o C - Trusted CA to issue server certificates (SSL only)
(implies c)
o u - Certificate can be used for authentication or signing
o w - Send warning (use with other attributes to include a
warning when the certificate is used in that context)
The attribute codes for the categories are separated by commas,
and the entire set of attributes enclosed by quotation marks. For
example:
-t “TCu,Cu,Tuw”
Use the -L option to see a list of the current certificates and
trust attributes in a certificate database.

-u certusage

Specify a usage context to apply when validating a certificate

with the -V option.

The contexts are the following:

o C (as an SSL client)
o V (as an SSL server)
o S (as an email signer)
o R (as an email recipient)
o O (as an OCSP status responder)
o J (as an object signer)

-v valid-months

Set the number of months a new certificate will be valid. The
validity period begins at the current system time unless an offset
is added or subtracted with the -w option. If this argument is not
used, the default validity period is three months. When this
argument is used, the default three-month period is automatically
added to any value given in the valid-month argument. For example,
using this option to set a value of 3 would cause 3 to be added to
the three-month default, creating a validity period of six months.
You can use negative values to reduce the default period. For
example, setting a value of -2 would subtract 2 from the default
and create a validity period of one month.

-w offset-months

Set an offset from the current system time, in months, for the
beginning of a certificate’s validity period. Use when creating
the certificate or adding it to a database. Express the offset in
integers, using a minus sign (-) to indicate a negative offset. If
this argument is not used, the validity period begins at the
current system time. The length of the validity period is set with
the -v argument.

-X

Force the key and certificate database to open in read-write mode.

This is used with the -U and -L command options.

-x

Use certutil to generate the signature for a certificate being
created or added to a database, rather than obtaining a signature
from a separate CA.

-y exp

Set an alternate exponent value to use in generating a new RSA
public key for the database, instead of the default value of
65537. The available alternate values are 3 and 17.

-z noise-file

Read a seed value from the specified file to generate a new
private and public key pair. This argument makes it possible to
use hardware-generated seed values or manually create a value from
the keyboard. The minimum file size is 20 bytes.

-0 SSO_password

Set a site security officer password on a token.

-1 | –keyUsage keyword,keyword

Set a Netscape Certificate Type Extension in the certificate.

There are several available keywords:

o digital signature
o nonRepudiation
o keyEncipherment
o dataEncipherment
o keyAgreement
o certSigning
o crlSigning
o critical

-2

Add a basic constraint extension to a certificate that is being
created or added to a database. This extension supports the
certificate chain verification process. certutil prompts for the
certificate constraint extension to select.
X.509 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.

-3

Add an authority key ID extension to a certificate that is being
created or added to a database. This extension supports the
identification of a particular certificate, from among multiple
certificates associated with one subject name, as the correct
issuer of a certificate. The Certificate Database Tool will prompt
you to select the authority key ID extension.
X.509 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.

-4

Add a CRL distribution point extension to a certificate that is
being created or added to a database. This extension identifies
the URL of a certificate’s associated certificate revocation list
(CRL). certutil prompts for the URL.
X.509 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.

-5 | –nsCertType keyword,keyword

Add a Netscape certificate type extension to a certificate that is

being created or added to the database. There are several

available keywords:

o sslClient
o sslServer
o smime
o objectSigning
o sslCA
o smimeCA
o objectSigningCA
o critical

X.509 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.

-6 | –extKeyUsage keyword,keyword

Add an extended key usage extension to a certificate that is being

created or added to the database. Several keywords are available:

o serverAuth
o clientAuth
o codeSigning
o emailProtection
o timeStamp
o ocspResponder
o stepUp
o critical

X.509 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.

-7 emailAddrs

Add a comma-separated list of email addresses to the subject
alternative name extension of a certificate or certificate request
that is being created or added to the database. Subject
alternative name extensions are described in Section 4.2.1.7 of
RFC 3280.

-8 dns-names

Add a comma-separated list of DNS names to the subject alternative
name extension of a certificate or certificate request that is
being created or added to the database. Subject alternative name
extensions are described in Section 4.2.1.7 of RFC 3280.

–extAIA

Add the Authority Information Access extension to the certificate.

X.509 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.

–extSIA

Add the Subject Information Access extension to the certificate.

X.509 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.

–extCP

Add the Certificate Policies extension to the certificate. X.509

certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.

–extPM

Add the Policy Mappings extension to the certificate. X.509

certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.

–extPC

Add the Policy Constraints extension to the certificate. X.509

certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.

–extIA

Add the Inhibit Any Policy Access extension to the certificate.

X.509 certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.

–extSKID

Add the Subject Key ID extension to the certificate. X.509

certificate extensions are described in RFC 5280.

–source-dir certdir

Identify the certificate database directory to upgrade.

–source-prefix certdir

Give the prefix of the certificate and key databases to upgrade.

–upgrade-id uniqueID

Give the unique ID of the database to upgrade.

–upgrade-token-name name

Set the name of the token to use while it is being upgraded.

-@ pwfile

Give the name of a password file to use for the database being

upgraded.

Usage and Examples

Most of the command options in the examples listed here have more
arguments available. The arguments included in these examples are the most
common ones or are used to illustrate a specific scenario. Use the -H
option to show the complete list of arguments for each command option.
Creating New Security Databases
Certificates, keys, and security modules related to managing certificates
are stored in three related databases:
o cert8.db or cert9.db
o key3.db or key4.db
o secmod.db or pkcs11.txt
These databases must be created before certificates or keys can be
generated.

certutil -N -d [sql:]directory

Creating a Certificate Request
A certificate request contains most or all of the information that is used
to generate the final certificate. This request is submitted separately to
a certificate authority and is then approved by some mechanism
(automatically or by human review). Once the request is approved, then the
certificate is generated.

$ certutil -R -k key-type-or-id [-q pqgfile|curve-name] -g key-size -s subject [-h tokenname] -d [sql:]directory [-p phone] [-o output-file] [-a]

The -R command options requires four arguments:

o -k to specify either the key type to generate or, when renewing a

certificate, the existing key pair to use

o -g to set the keysize of the key to generate

o -s to set the subject name of the certificate

o -d to give the security database directory

The new certificate request can be output in ASCII format (-a) or can be

written to a specified file (-o).

For example:

$ certutil -R -k ec -q nistb409 -g 512 -s “CN=John Smith,O=Example Corp,L=Mountain View,ST=California,C=US” -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb -p 650-555-0123 -a -o cert.cer

Generating key. This may take a few moments…

Certificate request generated by Netscape

Phone: 650-555-0123

Common Name: John Smith

Email: (not ed)

Organization: Example Corp

State: California

Country: US

—–BEGIN NEW CERTIFICATE REQUEST—–

MIIBIDCBywIBADBmMQswCQYDVQQGEwJVUzETMBEGA1UECBMKQ2FsaWZvcm5pYTEW

MBQGA1UEBxMNTW91bnRhaW4gVmlldzEVMBMGA1UEChMMRXhhbXBsZSBDb3JwMRMw

EQYDVQQDEwpKb2huIFNtaXRoMFwwDQYJKoZIhvcNAQEBBQADSwAwSAJBAMVUpDOZ

KmHnOx7reP8Cc0Lk+fFWEuYIDX9W5K/BioQOKvEjXyQZhit9aThzBVMoSf1Y1S8J

CzdUbCg1+IbnXaECAwEAAaAAMA0GCSqGSIb3DQEBBQUAA0EAryqZvpYrUtQ486Ny

qmtyQNjIi1F8c1Z+TL4uFYlMg8z6LG/J/u1E5t1QqB5e9Q4+BhRbrQjRR1JZx3tB

1hP9Gg==

—–END NEW CERTIFICATE REQUEST—–

Creating a Certificate
A valid certificate must be issued by a trusted CA. This can be done by
specifying a CA certificate (-c) that is stored in the certificate
database. If a CA key pair is not available, you can create a self-signed
certificate using the -x argument with the -S command option.

$ certutil -S -k rsa|dsa|ec -n certname -s subject [-c issuer |-x] -t trustargs -d [sql:]directory [-m serial-number] [-v valid-months] [-w offset-months] [-p phone] [-1] [-2] [-3] [-4] [-5 keyword] [-6 keyword] [-7 emailAddress] [-8 dns-names] [–extAIA] [–extSIA] [–extCP] [–extPM] [–extPC] [–extIA] [–extSKID]

The series of numbers and –ext* options set certificate extensions that
can be added to the certificate when it is generated by the CA.
For example, this creates a self-signed certificate:

$ certutil -S -s “CN=Example CA” -n my-ca-cert -x -t “C,C,C” -1 -2 -5 -m 3650

From there, new certificates can reference the self-signed certificate:

$ certutil -S -s “CN=My Server Cert” -n my-server-cert -c “my-ca-cert” -t “u,u,u” -1 -5 -6 -8 -m 730

Generating a Certificate from a Certificate Request
When a certificate request is created, a certificate can be generated by
using the request and then referencing a certificate authority signing
certificate (the issuer specified in the -c argument). The issuing
certificate must be in the certificate database in the specified
directory.

certutil -C -c issuer -i cert-request-file -o output-file [-m serial-number] [-v valid-months] [-w offset-months] -d [sql:]directory [-1] [-2] [-3] [-4] [-5 keyword] [-6 keyword] [-7 emailAddress] [-8 dns-names]

For example:

$ certutil -C -c “my-ca-cert” -i /home/certs/cert.req -o cert.cer -m 010 -v 12 -w 1 -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb -1 nonRepudiation,dataEncipherment -5 sslClient -6 clientAuth -7 jsmith@example.com

Generating Key Pairs
Key pairs are generated automatically with a certificate request or
certificate, but they can also be generated independently using the -G
command option.

certutil -G -d [sql:]directory | -h tokenname -k key-type -g key-size [-y exponent-value] -q pqgfile|curve-name

For example:

$ certutil -G -h lunasa -k ec -g 256 -q sect193r2

Listing Certificates
The -L command option lists all of the certificates listed in the
certificate database. The path to the directory (-d) is required.

$ certutil -L -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb

Certificate Nickname Trust Attributes

SSL,S/MIME,JAR/XPI

CA Administrator of Instance pki-ca1’s Example Domain ID u,u,u

TPS Administrator’s Example Domain ID u,u,u

Google Internet Authority ,,

Certificate Authority - Example Domain CT,C,C

Using additional arguments with -L can return and print the information
for a single, specific certificate. For example, the -n argument passes
the certificate name, while the -a argument prints the certificate in
ASCII format:

$ certutil -L -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb -a -n “Certificate Authority - Example Domain”

—–BEGIN CERTIFICATE—–

MIIDmTCCAoGgAwIBAgIBATANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQUFADA5MRcwFQYDVQQKEw5FeGFt

cGxlIERvbWFpbjEeMBwGA1UEAxMVQ2VydGlmaWNhdGUgQXV0aG9yaXR5MB4XDTEw

MDQyOTIxNTY1OFoXDTEyMDQxODIxNTY1OFowOTEXMBUGA1UEChMORXhhbXBsZSBE

b21haW4xHjAcBgNVBAMTFUNlcnRpZmljYXRlIEF1dGhvcml0eTCCASIwDQYJKoZI

hvcNAQEBBQADggEPADCCAQoCggEBAO/bqUli2KwqXFKmMMG93KN1SANzNTXA/Vlf

Tmrih3hQgjvR1ktIY9aG6cB7DSKWmtHp/+p4PUCMqL4ZrSGt901qxkePyZ2dYmM2

RnelK+SEUIPiUtoZaDhNdiYsE/yuDE8vQWj0vHCVL0w72qFUcSQ/WZT7FCrnUIUI

udeWnoPSUn70gLhcj/lvxl7K9BHyD4Sq5CzktwYtFWLiiwV+ZY/Fl6JgbGaQyQB2

bP4iRMfloGqsxGuB1evWVDF1haGpFDSPgMnEPSLg3/3dXn+HDJbZ29EU8/xKzQEb

3V0AHKbu80zGllLEt2Zx/WDIrgJEN9yMfgKFpcmL+BvIRsmh0VsCAwEAAaOBqzCB

qDAfBgNVHSMEGDAWgBQATgxHQyRUfKIZtdp55bZlFr+tFzAPBgNVHRMBAf8EBTAD

AQH/MA4GA1UdDwEB/wQEAwIBxjAdBgNVHQ4EFgQUAE4MR0MkVHyiGbXaeeW2ZRa/

rRcwRQYIKwYBBQUHAQEEOTA3MDUGCCsGAQUFBzABhilodHRwOi8vbG9jYWxob3N0

LmxvY2FsZG9tYWluOjkxODAvY2Evb2NzcDANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQUFAAOCAQEAi8Gk

L3XO43u7/TDOeEsWPmq+jZsDZ3GZ85Ajt3KROLWeKVZZZa2E2Hnsvf2uXbk5amKe

lRxdSeRH9g85pv4KY7Z8xZ71NrI3+K3uwmnqkc6t0hhYb1mw/gx8OAAoluQx3biX

JBDxjI73Cf7XUopplHBjjiwyGIJUO8BEZJ5L+TF4P38MJz1snLtzZpEAX5bl0U76

bfu/tZFWBbE8YAWYtkCtMcalBPj6jn2WD3M01kGozW4mmbvsj1cRB9HnsGsqyHCu

U0ujlL1H/RWcjn607+CTeKH9jLMUqCIqPJNOa+kq/6F7NhNRRiuzASIbZc30BZ5a

nI7q5n1USM3eWQlVXw==

—–END CERTIFICATE—–

Listing Keys
Keys are the original material used to encrypt certificate data. The keys
generated for certificates are stored separately, in the key database.
To list all keys in the database, use the -K command option and the
(required) -d argument to give the path to the directory.

$ certutil -K -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb

certutil: Checking token “NSS Certificate DB” in slot “NSS User Private Key and Certificate Services “

< 0> rsa 455a6673bde9375c2887ec8bf8016b3f9f35861d Thawte Freemail Member’s Thawte Consulting (Pty) Ltd. ID

< 1> rsa 40defeeb522ade11090eacebaaf1196a172127df Example Domain Administrator Cert

< 2> rsa 1d0b06f44f6c03842f7d4f4a1dc78b3bcd1b85a5 John Smith user cert

There are ways to narrow the keys listed in the search results:
o To return a specific key, use the -n name argument with the name of
the key.
o If there are multiple security devices loaded, then the -h tokenname
argument can search a specific token or all tokens.
o If there are multiple key types available, then the -k key-type
argument can search a specific type of key, like RSA, DSA, or ECC.
Listing Security Modules
The devices that can be used to store certificates – both internal
databases and external devices like smart cards – are recognized and used
by loading security modules. The -U command option lists all of the
security modules listed in the secmod.db database. The path to the
directory (-d) is required.

$ certutil -U -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb

slot: NSS User Private Key and Certificate Services

token: NSS Certificate DB

slot: NSS Internal Cryptographic Services

token: NSS Generic Crypto Services

Adding Certificates to the Database

Existing certificates or certificate requests can be added manually to the

certificate database, even if they were generated elsewhere. This uses the

-A command option.

certutil -A -n certname -t trustargs -d [sql:]directory [-a] [-i input-file]

For example:

$ certutil -A -n “CN=My SSL Certificate” -t “u,u,u” -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb -i /home/example-certs/cert.cer

A related command option, -E, is used specifically to add email
certificates to the certificate database. The -E command has the same
arguments as the -A command. The trust arguments for certificates have the
format SSL,S/MIME,Code-signing, so the middle trust settings relate most
to email certificates (though the others can be set). For example:

$ certutil -E -n “CN=John Smith Email Cert” -t “,Pu,” -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb -i /home/example-certs/email.cer

Deleting Certificates to the Database
Certificates can be deleted from a database using the -D option. The only
required options are to give the security database directory and to
identify the certificate nickname.

certutil -D -d [sql:]directory -n “nickname”

For example:

$ certutil -D -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb -n “my-ssl-cert”

Validating Certificates
A certificate contains an expiration date in itself, and expired
certificates are easily rejected. However, certificates can also be
revoked before they hit their expiration date. Checking whether a
certificate has been revoked requires validating the certificate.
Validation can also be used to ensure that the certificate is only used
for the purposes it was initially issued for. Validation is carried out by
the -V command option.

certutil -V -n certificate-name [-b time] [-e] [-u cert-usage] -d [sql:]directory

For example, to validate an email certificate:

$ certutil -V -n “John Smith’s Email Cert” -e -u S,R -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb

Modifying Certificate Trust Settings
The trust settings (which relate to the operations that a certificate is
allowed to be used for) can be changed after a certificate is created or
added to the database. This is especially useful for CA certificates, but
it can be performed for any type of certificate.

certutil -M -n certificate-name -t trust-args -d [sql:]directory

For example:

$ certutil -M -n “My CA Certificate” -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb -t “CTu,CTu,CTu”

Printing the Certificate Chain
Certificates can be issued in chains because every certificate authority
itself has a certificate; when a CA issues a certificate, it essentially
stamps that certificate with its own fingerprint. The -O prints the full
chain of a certificate, going from the initial CA (the root CA) through
ever intermediary CA to the actual certificate. For example, for an email
certificate with two CAs in the chain:

$ certutil -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb -O -n “jsmith@example.com”

“Builtin Object Token:Thawte Personal Freemail CA” [E=personal-freemail@thawte.com,CN=Thawte Personal Freemail CA,OU=Certification Services Division,O=Thawte Consulting,L=Cape Town,ST=Western Cape,C=ZA]

“Thawte Personal Freemail Issuing CA - Thawte Consulting” [CN=Thawte Personal Freemail
Issuing CA,O=Thawte Consulting (Pty) Ltd.,C=ZA]
“(null)” [E=jsmith@example.com,CN=Thawte Freemail Member]
Resetting a Token
The device which stores certificates – both external hardware devices and
internal software databases – can be blanked and reused. This operation
is performed on the device which stores the data, not directly on the
security databases, so the location must be referenced through the token
name (-h) as well as any directory path. If there is no external token
used, the default value is internal.

certutil -T -d [sql:]directory -h token-name -0 security-officer-password

Many networks have dedicated personnel who handle changes to security
tokens (the security officer). This person must supply the password to
access the specified token. For example:

$ certutil -T -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb -h nethsm -0 secret

Upgrading or Merging the Security Databases
Many networks or applications may be using older BerkeleyDB versions of
the certificate database (cert8.db). Databases can be upgraded to the new
SQLite version of the database (cert9.db) using the –upgrade-merge
command option or existing databases can be merged with the new cert9.db
databases using the —merge command.
The –upgrade-merge command must give information about the original
database and then use the standard arguments (like -d) to give the
information about the new databases. The command also requires information
that the tool uses for the process to upgrade and write over the original
database.

certutil –upgrade-merge -d [sql:]directory [-P dbprefix] –source-dir directory –source-prefix dbprefix –upgrade-id id –upgrade-token-name name [-@ password-file]

For example:

$ certutil –upgrade-merge -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb –source-dir /opt/my-app/alias/ –source-prefix serverapp- –upgrade-id 1 –upgrade-token-name internal

The –merge command only requires information about the location of the
original database; since it doesn’t change the format of the database, it
can write over information without performing interim step.

certutil –merge -d [sql:]directory [-P dbprefix] –source-dir directory –source-prefix dbprefix [-@ password-file]

For example:

$ certutil –merge -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb –source-dir /opt/my-app/alias/ –source-prefix serverapp-

Running certutil Commands from a Batch File
A series of commands can be run sequentially from a text file with the -B
command option. The only argument for this specifies the input file.

$ certutil -B -i /path/to/batch-file

NSS Database Types

NSS originally used BerkeleyDB databases to store security information.
The last versions of these legacy databases are:
o cert8.db for certificates
o key3.db for keys
o secmod.db for PKCS #11 module information
BerkeleyDB has performance limitations, though, which prevent it from
being easily used by multiple applications simultaneously. NSS has some
flexibility that allows applications to use their own, independent
database engine while keeping a shared database and working around the
access issues. Still, NSS requires more flexibility to provide a truly
shared security database.
In 2009, NSS introduced a new set of databases that are SQLite databases
rather than BerkleyDB. These new databases provide more accessibility and
performance:
o cert9.db for certificates
o key4.db for keys
o pkcs11.txt, which is listing of all of the PKCS #11 modules contained
in a new subdirectory in the security databases directory
Because the SQLite databases are designed to be shared, these are the
shared database type. The shared database type is preferred; the legacy
format is included for backward compatibility.
By default, the tools (certutil, pk12util, modutil) assume that the given
security databases follow the more common legacy type. Using the SQLite
databases must be manually specified by using the sql: prefix with the
given security directory. For example:

$ certutil -L -d sql:/home/my/sharednssdb

To set the shared database type as the default type for the tools, set the

NSS_DEFAULT_DB_TYPE environment variable to sql:

export NSS_DEFAULT_DB_TYPE=”sql”

This line can be set added to the ~/.bashrc file to make the change

permanent.

Most applications do not use the shared database by default, but they can

be configured to use them. For example, this how-to article covers how to

configure Firefox and Thunderbird to use the new shared NSS databases:

o https://wiki.mozilla.org/NSS_Shared_DB_Howto

For an engineering draft on the changes in the shared NSS databases, see

the NSS project wiki:

o https://wiki.mozilla.org/NSS_Shared_DB