Select your cookie preferences

We use essential cookies and similar tools that are necessary to provide our site and services. We use performance cookies to collect anonymous statistics, so we can understand how customers use our site and make improvements. Essential cookies cannot be deactivated, but you can choose “Customize” or “Decline” to decline performance cookies.

If you agree, AWS and approved third parties will also use cookies to provide useful site features, remember your preferences, and display relevant content, including relevant advertising. To accept or decline all non-essential cookies, choose “Accept” or “Decline.” To make more detailed choices, choose “Customize.”

Import a PEM format key with CloudHSM CLI

Focus mode
Import a PEM format key with CloudHSM CLI - AWS CloudHSM

Use the key import pem command in AWS CloudHSM to import a PEM format key into a hardware security module (HSM). You can use it to import public keys that were generated outside of the HSM.

Note

Use the Export an asymmetric key with CloudHSM CLI command to create a standard PEM file from a public key or to create a reference PEM file from a private key.

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 import pem Import key from a PEM file Usage: key import pem [OPTIONS] --path <PATH> --label <LABEL> --key-type-class <KEY_TYPE_CLASS> 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 --path PATH> Path where the key is located in PEM format --label LABEL> Label for the imported key --key-type-class KEY_TYPE_CLASS> Key type and class of the imported key [possible values: ec-public, rsa-public] --attributes [IMPORT_KEY_ATTRIBUTES>...] Space separated list of key attributes in the form of KEY_ATTRIBUTE_NAME=KEY_ATTRIBUTE_VALUE for the imported key -h, --help Print help

Examples

These example shows how to use the key import pem command to import an RSA public key from a file in PEM format.

Example: Import an RSA public key
aws-cloudhsm > key import pem --path /home/example --label example-imported-key --key-type-class rsa-public { "error_code": 0, "data": { "key": { "key-reference": "0x00000000001e08e3", "key-info": { "key-owners": [ { "username": "cu1", "key-coverage": "full" } ], "shared-users": [], "key-quorum-values": { "manage-key-quorum-value": 0, "use-key-quorum-value": 0 }, "cluster-coverage": "full" }, "attributes": { "key-type": "rsa", "label": "example-imported-key", "id": "0x", "check-value": "0x99fe93", "class": "public-key", "encrypt": false, "decrypt": false, "token": true, "always-sensitive": false, "derive": false, "destroyable": true, "extractable": true, "local": false, "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": 512, "public-exponent": "0x010001", "modulus": "0x8e9c172c37aa22ed1ce25f7c3a7c936dadc532201400128b044ebb4b96│··3e4930ab910df5a2896eaeb8853cfea0e341227654a8337a7864cc8a87d136f006cfba9e68d0b329│··746c1ad60941668b18699fc8169ff1ec363d0d18292845b2454d6a0b8c5d111b79c047619d460cdf│··be59debbacb66b7abeaf3f3d35dd2b9cfa6b6b7b1258b6866cb4085ac749e9d8552b3a4509e1b86c│··828cc794e22767b4f6b5bc6ff5c96f4b7e60eab305d669cfa2197e85379cb35c659bb58fcd246d48│··d9f6a7f36063b42da025459275aa8e3abedad775387086bd6c198ded868403f4b87ffda5a2d455ac│··aa6cbd00003c31d8d2f51d10cd272b31cf0c4037791f48ad51fb35", "modulus-size-bits": 2048 } }, "message": "Successfully imported key" } }
Example: Import an RSA public key with optional attributes
aws-cloudhsm > key import pem --path /home/example --label example-imported-key-with-attributes --key-type-class rsa-public --attributes verify=true { "error_code": 0, "data": { "key": { "key-reference": "0x00000000001e08e3", "key-info": { "key-owners": [ { "username": "cu1", "key-coverage": "full" } ], "shared-users": [], "key-quorum-values": { "manage-key-quorum-value": 0, "use-key-quorum-value": 0 }, "cluster-coverage": "full" }, "attributes": { "key-type": "rsa", "label": "example-imported-key-with-attributes", "id": "0x", "check-value": "0x99fe93", "class": "public-key", "encrypt": false, "decrypt": false, "token": true, "always-sensitive": false, "derive": false, "destroyable": true, "extractable": true, "local": false, "modifiable": true, "never-extractable": false, "private": true, "sensitive": false, "sign": false, "trusted": false, "unwrap": false, "verify": true, "wrap": false, "wrap-with-trusted": false, "key-length-bytes": 512, "public-exponent": "0x010001", "modulus": "0x8e9c172c37aa22ed1ce25f7c3a7c936dadc532201400128b044ebb4b96│··3e4930ab910df5a2896eaeb8853cfea0e341227654a8337a7864cc8a87d136f006cfba9e68d0b329│··746c1ad60941668b18699fc8169ff1ec363d0d18292845b2454d6a0b8c5d111b79c047619d460cdf│··be59debbacb66b7abeaf3f3d35dd2b9cfa6b6b7b1258b6866cb4085ac749e9d8552b3a4509e1b86c│··828cc794e22767b4f6b5bc6ff5c96f4b7e60eab305d669cfa2197e85379cb35c659bb58fcd246d48│··d9f6a7f36063b42da025459275aa8e3abedad775387086bd6c198ded868403f4b87ffda5a2d455ac│··aa6cbd00003c31d8d2f51d10cd272b31cf0c4037791f48ad51fb35", "modulus-size-bits": 2048 } }, "message": "Successfully imported key" } }

Arguments

<CLUSTER_ID>

The ID of the cluster to run this operation on.

Required: If multiple clusters have been configured.

<PATH>

Specifies the file path where the key file is located.

Required: Yes

<LABEL>

Specifies a user defined label for the imported key. The maximum size allowable for label is 126 characters.

Required: Yes

<KEY_TYPE_CLASS>

Key type and class of wrapped key.

Possible values:

  • ec-public

  • rsa-public

Required: Yes

<IMPORT_KEY_ATTRIBUTES>

Specifies a space separated list of key attributes to set for the imported key in the form of KEY_ATTRIBUTE_NAME=KEY_ATTRIBUTE_VALUE (for example, sign=true). For a list of supported key attributes, see Key attributes for CloudHSM CLI.

Required: No

Related topics

PrivacySite termsCookie preferences
© 2025, Amazon Web Services, Inc. or its affiliates. All rights reserved.