> From: openssl-users On Behalf Of Jaya Nageswar > Sent: Monday, December 22, 2014 05:51 > In our application, we have been using openssl 0.9.8 and trying to move to > openssl 1.0.1x as 0.9.8 is going to be EOS by December 2015. We have a > sample application where we try to read a sample pem key file, create an > EVP_PKEY indirectly using PEM_read_bio_PrivateKey [and] try to create > pem key files encrypted using different ciphers like (RC2, RC4 etc.). <snip lots of mechanism> The mechanism was refactored some, but the visible change is deliberate. There have long been routines for the algorithm-specific "traditional" formats PEM_read/write_RSAPrivateKey/DSAPrivateKey/ECPrivateKey AND for the newer standard and algorithm-generic PKCS8 format PEM_read/write_PKCS8PrivateKey. Through 0.9.8 PEM_write_PrivateKey used (the appropriate one of) traditional formats; in 1.0.0 and later it changed to use PKCS8. If you want to continue writing traditional formats in 1.0.0+ call specifically _write_RSAPrivateKey, _write_DSAPrivateKey, etc. using the algorithm-specific struct from (instead of) EVP_PKEY. At least for now; there is another thread started just a few days ago about all PEM formats used by OpenSSL suggesting the traditional privatekey forms are obsolete and maybe should be deleted! Note all PEM_read_xyzPrivateKey routines can read *either* format, legacy or PKCS8, distinguished by the BEGIN line, although if e.g. you _read_RSAPrivateKey and the file is PKCS8 for *another* algorithm that's an error; if you _read_PKCS8PrivateKey it accepts any algorithm into an EVP_PKEY. If you are writing differently-encrypted privatekey files because you are concerned with key security, note one reason PKCS8 encrypted is preferred over traditional encrypted formats is that PKCS8 allows and OpenSSL uses a much stronger PBE key derivation compared to the older and weaker but now set in stone and unchangeable one for traditional. On checking I see the PEM_most manpage has not been updated for this change.
