smime.pod revision 100936
1=pod
2
3=head1 NAME
4
5smime - S/MIME utility
6
7=head1 SYNOPSIS
8
9B<openssl> B<smime>
10[B<-encrypt>]
11[B<-decrypt>]
12[B<-sign>]
13[B<-verify>]
14[B<-pk7out>]
15[B<-des>]
16[B<-des3>]
17[B<-rc2-40>]
18[B<-rc2-64>]
19[B<-rc2-128>]
20[B<-in file>]
21[B<-certfile file>]
22[B<-signer file>]
23[B<-recip  file>]
24[B<-inform SMIME|PEM|DER>]
25[B<-passin arg>]
26[B<-inkey file>]
27[B<-out file>]
28[B<-outform SMIME|PEM|DER>]
29[B<-content file>]
30[B<-to addr>]
31[B<-from ad>]
32[B<-subject s>]
33[B<-text>]
34[B<-rand file(s)>]
35[cert.pem]...
36
37=head1 DESCRIPTION
38
39The B<smime> command handles S/MIME mail. It can encrypt, decrypt, sign and
40verify S/MIME messages.
41
42=head1 COMMAND OPTIONS
43
44There are five operation options that set the type of operation to be performed.
45The meaning of the other options varies according to the operation type.
46
47=over 4
48
49=item B<-encrypt>
50
51encrypt mail for the given recipient certificates. Input file is the message
52to be encrypted. The output file is the encrypted mail in MIME format.
53
54=item B<-decrypt>
55
56decrypt mail using the supplied certificate and private key. Expects an
57encrypted mail message in MIME format for the input file. The decrypted mail
58is written to the output file.
59
60=item B<-sign>
61
62sign mail using the supplied certificate and private key. Input file is
63the message to be signed. The signed message in MIME format is written
64to the output file.
65
66=item B<-verify>
67
68verify signed mail. Expects a signed mail message on input and outputs
69the signed data. Both clear text and opaque signing is supported.
70
71=item B<-pk7out>
72
73takes an input message and writes out a PEM encoded PKCS#7 structure.
74
75=item B<-in filename>
76
77the input message to be encrypted or signed or the MIME message to
78be decrypted or verified.
79
80=item B<-inform SMIME|PEM|DER>
81
82this specifies the input format for the PKCS#7 structure. The default
83is B<SMIME> which reads an S/MIME format message. B<PEM> and B<DER>
84format change this to expect PEM and DER format PKCS#7 structures
85instead. This currently only affects the input format of the PKCS#7
86structure, if no PKCS#7 structure is being input (for example with
87B<-encrypt> or B<-sign>) this option has no effect.
88
89=item B<-out filename>
90
91the message text that has been decrypted or verified or the output MIME
92format message that has been signed or verified.
93
94=item B<-outform SMIME|PEM|DER>
95
96this specifies the output format for the PKCS#7 structure. The default
97is B<SMIME> which write an S/MIME format message. B<PEM> and B<DER>
98format change this to write PEM and DER format PKCS#7 structures
99instead. This currently only affects the output format of the PKCS#7
100structure, if no PKCS#7 structure is being output (for example with
101B<-verify> or B<-decrypt>) this option has no effect.
102
103=item B<-content filename>
104
105This specifies a file containing the detached content, this is only
106useful with the B<-verify> command. This is only usable if the PKCS#7
107structure is using the detached signature form where the content is
108not included. This option will override any content if the input format
109is S/MIME and it uses the multipart/signed MIME content type.
110
111=item B<-text>
112
113this option adds plain text (text/plain) MIME headers to the supplied
114message if encrypting or signing. If decrypting or verifying it strips
115off text headers: if the decrypted or verified message is not of MIME 
116type text/plain then an error occurs.
117
118=item B<-CAfile file>
119
120a file containing trusted CA certificates, only used with B<-verify>.
121
122=item B<-CApath dir>
123
124a directory containing trusted CA certificates, only used with
125B<-verify>. This directory must be a standard certificate directory: that
126is a hash of each subject name (using B<x509 -hash>) should be linked
127to each certificate.
128
129=item B<-des -des3 -rc2-40 -rc2-64 -rc2-128>
130
131the encryption algorithm to use. DES (56 bits), triple DES (168 bits)
132or 40, 64 or 128 bit RC2 respectively if not specified 40 bit RC2 is
133used. Only used with B<-encrypt>.
134
135=item B<-nointern>
136
137when verifying a message normally certificates (if any) included in
138the message are searched for the signing certificate. With this option
139only the certificates specified in the B<-certfile> option are used.
140The supplied certificates can still be used as untrusted CAs however.
141
142=item B<-noverify>
143
144do not verify the signers certificate of a signed message.
145
146=item B<-nochain>
147
148do not do chain verification of signers certificates: that is don't
149use the certificates in the signed message as untrusted CAs.
150
151=item B<-nosigs>
152
153don't try to verify the signatures on the message.
154
155=item B<-nocerts>
156
157when signing a message the signer's certificate is normally included
158with this option it is excluded. This will reduce the size of the
159signed message but the verifier must have a copy of the signers certificate
160available locally (passed using the B<-certfile> option for example).
161
162=item B<-noattr>
163
164normally when a message is signed a set of attributes are included which
165include the signing time and supported symmetric algorithms. With this
166option they are not included.
167
168=item B<-binary>
169
170normally the input message is converted to "canonical" format which is
171effectively using CR and LF as end of line: as required by the S/MIME
172specification. When this option is present no translation occurs. This
173is useful when handling binary data which may not be in MIME format.
174
175=item B<-nodetach>
176
177when signing a message use opaque signing: this form is more resistant
178to translation by mail relays but it cannot be read by mail agents that
179do not support S/MIME.  Without this option cleartext signing with
180the MIME type multipart/signed is used.
181
182=item B<-certfile file>
183
184allows additional certificates to be specified. When signing these will
185be included with the message. When verifying these will be searched for
186the signers certificates. The certificates should be in PEM format.
187
188=item B<-signer file>
189
190the signers certificate when signing a message. If a message is
191being verified then the signers certificates will be written to this
192file if the verification was successful.
193
194=item B<-recip file>
195
196the recipients certificate when decrypting a message. This certificate
197must match one of the recipients of the message or an error occurs.
198
199=item B<-inkey file>
200
201the private key to use when signing or decrypting. This must match the
202corresponding certificate. If this option is not specified then the
203private key must be included in the certificate file specified with
204the B<-recip> or B<-signer> file.
205
206=item B<-passin arg>
207
208the private key password source. For more information about the format of B<arg>
209see the B<PASS PHRASE ARGUMENTS> section in L<openssl(1)|openssl(1)>.
210
211=item B<-rand file(s)>
212
213a file or files containing random data used to seed the random number
214generator, or an EGD socket (see L<RAND_egd(3)|RAND_egd(3)>).
215Multiple files can be specified separated by a OS-dependent character.
216The separator is B<;> for MS-Windows, B<,> for OpenVMS, and B<:> for
217all others.
218
219=item B<cert.pem...>
220
221one or more certificates of message recipients: used when encrypting
222a message. 
223
224=item B<-to, -from, -subject>
225
226the relevant mail headers. These are included outside the signed
227portion of a message so they may be included manually. If signing
228then many S/MIME mail clients check the signers certificate's email
229address matches that specified in the From: address.
230
231=back
232
233=head1 NOTES
234
235The MIME message must be sent without any blank lines between the
236headers and the output. Some mail programs will automatically add
237a blank line. Piping the mail directly to sendmail is one way to
238achieve the correct format.
239
240The supplied message to be signed or encrypted must include the
241necessary MIME headers or many S/MIME clients wont display it
242properly (if at all). You can use the B<-text> option to automatically
243add plain text headers.
244
245A "signed and encrypted" message is one where a signed message is
246then encrypted. This can be produced by encrypting an already signed
247message: see the examples section.
248
249This version of the program only allows one signer per message but it
250will verify multiple signers on received messages. Some S/MIME clients
251choke if a message contains multiple signers. It is possible to sign
252messages "in parallel" by signing an already signed message.
253
254The options B<-encrypt> and B<-decrypt> reflect common usage in S/MIME
255clients. Strictly speaking these process PKCS#7 enveloped data: PKCS#7
256encrypted data is used for other purposes.
257
258=head1 EXIT CODES
259
260=over 4
261
262=item 0
263
264the operation was completely successfully.
265
266=item 1 
267
268an error occurred parsing the command options.
269
270=item 2
271
272one of the input files could not be read.
273
274=item 3
275
276an error occurred creating the PKCS#7 file or when reading the MIME
277message.
278
279=item 4
280
281an error occurred decrypting or verifying the message.
282
283=item 5
284
285the message was verified correctly but an error occurred writing out
286the signers certificates.
287
288=back
289
290=head1 EXAMPLES
291
292Create a cleartext signed message:
293
294 openssl smime -sign -in message.txt -text -out mail.msg \
295	-signer mycert.pem
296
297Create and opaque signed message
298
299 openssl smime -sign -in message.txt -text -out mail.msg -nodetach \
300	-signer mycert.pem
301
302Create a signed message, include some additional certificates and
303read the private key from another file:
304
305 openssl smime -sign -in in.txt -text -out mail.msg \
306	-signer mycert.pem -inkey mykey.pem -certfile mycerts.pem
307
308Send a signed message under Unix directly to sendmail, including headers:
309
310 openssl smime -sign -in in.txt -text -signer mycert.pem \
311	-from steve@openssl.org -to someone@somewhere \
312	-subject "Signed message" | sendmail someone@somewhere
313
314Verify a message and extract the signer's certificate if successful:
315
316 openssl smime -verify -in mail.msg -signer user.pem -out signedtext.txt
317
318Send encrypted mail using triple DES:
319
320 openssl smime -encrypt -in in.txt -from steve@openssl.org \
321	-to someone@somewhere -subject "Encrypted message" \
322	-des3 user.pem -out mail.msg
323
324Sign and encrypt mail:
325
326 openssl smime -sign -in ml.txt -signer my.pem -text \
327	| openssl smime -encrypt -out mail.msg \
328	-from steve@openssl.org -to someone@somewhere \
329	-subject "Signed and Encrypted message" -des3 user.pem
330
331Note: the encryption command does not include the B<-text> option because the message
332being encrypted already has MIME headers.
333
334Decrypt mail:
335
336 openssl smime -decrypt -in mail.msg -recip mycert.pem -inkey key.pem
337
338The output from Netscape form signing is a PKCS#7 structure with the
339detached signature format. You can use this program to verify the
340signature by line wrapping the base64 encoded structure and surrounding
341it with:
342
343 -----BEGIN PKCS7----
344 -----END PKCS7----
345
346and using the command, 
347
348 openssl smime -verify -inform PEM -in signature.pem -content content.txt
349
350alternatively you can base64 decode the signature and use
351
352 openssl smime -verify -inform DER -in signature.der -content content.txt
353
354=head1 BUGS
355
356The MIME parser isn't very clever: it seems to handle most messages that I've thrown
357at it but it may choke on others.
358
359The code currently will only write out the signer's certificate to a file: if the
360signer has a separate encryption certificate this must be manually extracted. There
361should be some heuristic that determines the correct encryption certificate.
362
363Ideally a database should be maintained of a certificates for each email address.
364
365The code doesn't currently take note of the permitted symmetric encryption
366algorithms as supplied in the SMIMECapabilities signed attribute. this means the
367user has to manually include the correct encryption algorithm. It should store
368the list of permitted ciphers in a database and only use those.
369
370No revocation checking is done on the signer's certificate.
371
372The current code can only handle S/MIME v2 messages, the more complex S/MIME v3
373structures may cause parsing errors.
374
375=cut
376