User type Requirements Syntax Examples Arguments Related topics

Generate an asymmetric EC key pair with CloudHSM CLI

Use the key asymmetric-pair ec command in CloudHSM CLI to generate an asymmetric Elliptic-curve (EC) key pair in your AWS CloudHSM cluster.

User type

The following types of users can run this command.

Crypto users (CUs)

Requirements

To run this command, you must be logged in as a CU.

Syntax


aws-cloudhsm > help key generate-asymmetric-pair ec
Generate an Elliptic-Curve Cryptography (ECC) key pair

Usage: key generate-asymmetric-pair ec [OPTIONS] --public-label <PUBLIC_LABEL> --private-label <PRIVATE_LABEL> --curve <CURVE>

Options:
      --cluster-id <CLUSTER_ID>
          Unique Id to choose which of the clusters in the config file to run the operation against. If not provided, will fall back to the value provided when interactive mode was started, or error
      --public-label <PUBLIC_LABEL>
          Label for the public key
      --private-label <PRIVATE_LABEL>
          Label for the private key
      --session
          Creates a session key pair that exists only in the current session. The key cannot be recovered after the session ends
      --curve <CURVE>
          Elliptic curve used to generate the key pair [possible values: prime256v1, secp256r1, secp224r1, secp384r1, secp256k1, secp521r1]
      --public-attributes [<PUBLIC_KEY_ATTRIBUTES>...]
          Space separated list of key attributes to set for the generated EC public key in the form of KEY_ATTRIBUTE_NAME=KEY_ATTRIBUTE_VALUE
      --private-attributes [<PRIVATE_KEY_ATTRIBUTES>...]
          Space separated list of key attributes to set for the generated EC private key in the form of KEY_ATTRIBUTE_NAME=KEY_ATTRIBUTE_VALUE
  -h, --help
          Print help

Examples

These examples show how to use the key generate-asymmetric-pair ec command to create an EC key pair.

Example: Create an EC key pair


aws-cloudhsm > key generate-asymmetric-pair ec \
    --curve secp224r1 \
    --public-label ec-public-key-example \
    --private-label ec-private-key-example
{
  "error_code": 0,
  "data": {
    "public_key": {
      "key-reference": "0x000000000012000b",
      "key-info": {
        "key-owners": [
          {
            "username": "cu1",
            "key-coverage": "full"
          }
        ],
        "shared-users": [],
        "cluster-coverage": "session"
      },
      "attributes": {
        "key-type": "ec",
        "label": "ec-public-key-example",
        "id": "",
        "check-value": "0xd7c1a7",
        "class": "public-key",
        "encrypt": false,
        "decrypt": false,
        "token": false,
        "always-sensitive": false,
        "derive": false,
        "destroyable": true,
        "extractable": true,
        "local": true,
        "modifiable": true,
        "never-extractable": false,
        "private": true,
        "sensitive": false,
        "sign": false,
        "trusted": false,
        "unwrap": false,
        "verify": false,
        "wrap": false,
        "wrap-with-trusted": false,
        "key-length-bytes": 57,
        "ec-point": "0x047096513df542250a6b228fd9cb67fd0c903abc93488467681974d6f371083fce1d79da8ad1e9ede745fb9f38ac8622a1b3ebe9270556000c",
        "curve": "secp224r1"
      }
    },
"private_key": {
      "key-reference": "0x000000000012000c",
      "key-info": {
        "key-owners": [
          {
            "username": "cu1",
            "key-coverage": "full"
          }
        ],
        "shared-users": [],
        "cluster-coverage": "session"
      },
      "attributes": {
        "key-type": "ec",
        "label": "ec-private-key-example",
        "id": "",
        "check-value": "0xd7c1a7",
        "class": "private-key",
        "encrypt": false,
        "decrypt": false,
        "token": false,
        "always-sensitive": true,
        "derive": false,
        "destroyable": true,
        "extractable": true,
        "local": true,
        "modifiable": true,
        "never-extractable": false,
        "private": true,
        "sensitive": true,
        "sign": false,
        "trusted": false,
        "unwrap": false,
        "verify": false,
        "wrap": false,
        "wrap-with-trusted": false,
        "key-length-bytes": 122,
        "ec-point": "0x047096513df542250a6b228fd9cb67fd0c903abc93488467681974d6f371083fce1d79da8ad1e9ede745fb9f38ac8622a1b3ebe9270556000c",
        "curve": "secp224r1"
      }
    }
  }
}

Example: Create an EC key pair with optional attributes


aws-cloudhsm > key generate-asymmetric-pair ec \
    --curve secp224r1 \
    --public-label ec-public-key-example \
    --private-label ec-private-key-example \
    --public-attributes token=true encrypt=true \
    --private-attributes token=true decrypt=true
{
  "error_code": 0,
  "data": {
    "public_key": {
      "key-reference": "0x00000000002806eb",
      "key-info": {
        "key-owners": [
          {
            "username": "cu1",
            "key-coverage": "full"
          }
        ],
        "shared-users": [],
        "cluster-coverage": "full"
      },
      "attributes": {
        "key-type": "ec",
        "label": "ec-public-key-example",
        "id": "",
        "check-value": "0xedef86",
        "class": "public-key",
        "encrypt": true,
        "decrypt": false,
        "token": true,
        "always-sensitive": false,
        "derive": false,
        "destroyable": true,
        "extractable": true,
        "local": true,
        "modifiable": true,
        "never-extractable": false,
        "private": true,
        "sensitive": false,
        "sign": false,
        "trusted": false,
        "unwrap": false,
        "verify": false,
        "wrap": false,
        "wrap-with-trusted": false,
        "key-length-bytes": 57,
        "ec-point": "0x0487af31882189ec29eddf17a48e8b9cebb075b7b5afc5522fe9c83a029a450cc68592889a1ebf45f32240da5140d58729ffd7b2d44262ddb8",
        "curve": "secp224r1"
      }
    },
    "private_key": {
      "key-reference": "0x0000000000280c82",
      "key-info": {
        "key-owners": [
          {
            "username": "cu1",
            "key-coverage": "full"
          }
        ],
        "shared-users": [],
        "cluster-coverage": "full"
      },
      "attributes": {
        "key-type": "ec",
        "label": "ec-private-key-example",
        "id": "",
        "check-value": "0xedef86",
        "class": "private-key",
        "encrypt": false,
        "decrypt": true,
        "token": true,
        "always-sensitive": true,
        "derive": false,
        "destroyable": true,
        "extractable": true,
        "local": true,
        "modifiable": true,
        "never-extractable": false,
        "private": true,
        "sensitive": true,
        "sign": false,
        "trusted": false,
        "unwrap": false,
        "verify": false,
        "wrap": false,
        "wrap-with-trusted": false,
        "key-length-bytes": 122,
        "ec-point": "0x0487af31882189ec29eddf17a48e8b9cebb075b7b5afc5522fe9c83a029a450cc68592889a1ebf45f32240da5140d58729ffd7b2d44262ddb8",
        "curve": "secp224r1"
      }
    }
  }
}

Arguments

<CLUSTER_ID>

The ID of the cluster to run this operation on.

Required: If multiple clusters have been configured.

<CURVE>

Specifies the identifier for the elliptic curve.

prime256v1
secp256r1
secp224r1
secp384r1
secp256k1
secp521r1

Required: Yes

<PUBLIC_KEY_ATTRIBUTES>

Specifies a space separated list of key attributes to set for the generated EC public key in the form of KEY_ATTRIBUTE_NAME=KEY_ATTRIBUTE_VALUE (for example, token=true)

For a list of supported key attributes, see Key attributes for CloudHSM CLI.

Required: No

<PUBLIC_LABEL>

Specifies a user defined label for the public-key. The maximum size allowable for label is 127 characters for Client SDK 5.11 and after. Client SDK 5.10 and before has a limit of 126 characters.

Required: Yes

<PRIVATE_KEY_ATTRIBUTES>

Specifies a space separated list of key attributes to set for the generated EC private key in the form of KEY_ATTRIBUTE_NAME=KEY_ATTRIBUTE_VALUE (for example, token=true)

For a list of supported key attributes, see Key attributes for CloudHSM CLI.

Required: No

<PRIVATE_LABEL>

Specifies a user defined label for the private-key. The maximum size allowable for label is 127 characters for Client SDK 5.11 and after. Client SDK 5.10 and before has a limit of 126 characters.

Required: Yes

<SESSION>

Creates a key that exists only in the current session. The key cannot be recovered after the session ends.

Use this parameter when you need a key only briefly, such as a wrapping key that encrypts, and then quickly decrypts, another key. Do not use a session key to encrypt data that you might need to decrypt after the session ends.

By default, keys that are generated are persistent (token) keys. Passing in <SESSION> changes this, ensuring a key generated with this argument is a session (ephemeral) key.

Required: No