[openssl-users] More on cert serialnumbers

[Karl Denninger]

On 8/17/2017 09:40, Robert Moskowitz wrote:
> I have been researching serial number in cert based on Jakob's comment:
>
> "- Serial numbers are *exactly* 20 bytes (153 to 159 bits) both as
> standalone
>  numbers and as DER-encoded numbers.  Note that this is not the
> default in
>  the openssl ca program.
>
> - Serial numbers contain cryptographically strong random bits,
> currently at
>  least 64 random bits, though it is best if the entire serial number
> looks
>  random from the outside.  This is not implemented by the openssl ca
> program."
>
> And this is supposedly from the CA/B BF?
>
> Though Erwann responded:
>
> "There’s no such requirement. It MUST be at most 20 octets long"
>
> I see how for all certs other than the root (get to that later), I can
> control this with:
>
> openssl rand -hex 20 > serial
>
> then use 'openssl ca ...'
>
> But from Kyle's comment, the first bit must be ZERO.
So since the 20 octets is a maximum and not a requirement use -hex 19
instead, and if this results in DER placing a leading 0x00 byte you're
still ok.  This also complies with the ballot that Rich mentioned since
you have more entropy than required.

At least I think that meets the requirements....

-- 
Karl Denninger
karl at denninger.net <mailto:karl at denninger.net>
/The Market Ticker/
/[S/MIME encrypted email preferred]/
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