Generate A Csr From An Existing Private Key

In this article you’ll find how to generate CSR (Certificate Signing Request) using OpenSSL from the Linux command line, without being prompted for values which go in the certificate’s subject field.

Below you’ll find two examples of creating CSR using OpenSSL.

/generate-cd-key-for-microsoft-office-2003.html. In the first example, i’ll show how to create both CSR and the new private key in one command.

Generate A Csr From An Existing Private Key West

And in the second example, you’ll find how to generate CSR from the existing key (if you already have the private key and want to keep it).

Oct 25, 2019  Generate RSA private key with certificate in a single command openssl req -x509 -newkey rsa:4096 -sha256 -keyout example.key -out example.crt -subj '/CN=example.com' -days 3650 -passout pass:foobar Generate Certificate Signing Request (CSR) from private key with passphrase. A CSR is an encoded file that provides you with a standardized way to send DigiCert your public key as well as some information that identifies your company and domain name. When you generate a CSR, most server software asks for the following information: common name (e.g., www.example.com), organization name and location (country, state.

Generate A Csr From An Existing Private Key Code

Both examples show how to create CSR using OpenSSL non-interactively (without being prompted for subject), so you can use them in any shell scripts.

A private key is usually created at the same time that you create the CSR, making a key pair. A CSR is generally encoded using ASN.1 according to the PKCS #10 specification. A certificate authority will use a CSR to create your SSL certificate, but it does not need your private key. You need to keep your private key secret. All SSL Certificates require a private key to work. The private key is a separate file that’s used in the encryption/decryption of data sent between your server and the connecting clients. A private key is created by you—the certificate owner—when you request your certificate with a Certificate Signing Request (CSR).

Create CSR and Key Without Prompt using OpenSSL

Use the following command to create a new private key 2048 bits in size example.key and generate CSR example.csr from it:

OptionDescription
openssl reqcertificate request generating utility
-nodesif a private key is created it will not be encrypted
-newkeycreates a new certificate request and a new private key
rsa:2048generates an RSA key 2048 bits in size
-keyoutthe filename to write the newly created private key to
-outspecifies the output filename
-subjsets certificate subject

Generate CSR From the Existing Key using OpenSSL

Extract Private Key From Csr

Use the following command to generate CSR example.csr from the private key example.key:

OptionDescription
openssl reqcertificate request generating utility
-newgenerates a new certificate request
-keyspecifies the file to read the private key from
-outspecifies the output filename
-subjsets certificate subject

Automated Non-Interactive CSR Generation

Generate A Csr From An Existing Private Key Work

The magic of CSR generation without being prompted for values which go in the certificate’s subject field, is in the -subj option.

Generate A Csr From An Existing Private Key Number

-subj argReplaces subject field of input request with specified data and outputs modified request. The arg must be formatted as /type0=value0/type1=value1/type2=…, characters may be escaped by (backslash), no spaces are skipped.

Generate A Csr From An Existing Private Key Program

The fields, required in CSR are listed below:

FieldMeaningExample
/C=CountryGB
/ST=StateLondon
/L=LocationLondon
/O=OrganizationGlobal Security
/OU=Organizational UnitIT Department
/CN=Common Nameexample.com

You’ve created encoded file with certificate signing request.

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Now you can decode CSR to verify that it contains the correct information.