Matt, You are correct, using the standard installed libraries for Ubuntu 12.10 (OpenSSL 1.0.1 14 Mar 2012), my test app successfully creates EC keys and successfully sign and verify some data for all types of curves of all sizes.
The private key however seems to be bigger (more chars in PEM format)? Here is the one created from the "sect233r1" curve: -----BEGIN PRIVATE KEY----- MIIBOQIBADCBywYHKoZIzj0CATCBvwIBATAdBgcqhkjOPQECMBICAgDpBgkqhkjO PQECAwICAUowOQQBAQQdZmR+3mwzLH+MCSO7WCE7Mzsg6c5Cgf4RX32PkK0DFQB0 1Z/wf2tBPQ6hSzRLIKLbBJtQwwQ9BAD6yd/LrIMTuyE58bt1X+9lvDkfizb4+Otz cf1ViwEAagikGQM1BnjlhSi+v4oL7/hnp8o2cW9+AfgQUgIeAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAE+l05y+KaSIDHSYDz+DXAgECBGYwZAIBAQQdkgFHGcub3q4KILP17VudtpDC 4KS7qMLPA/XpkHKhQAM+AAQAVdHQVSgvfEKnoAzxQu3++YjR60UjmimJUTzTB9QB zwNjc/gjDH6ex4ehhC9BsJ4L6nhphsegp57bIDM= -----END PRIVATE KEY----- NEW: I changed my compile to again use my FIPS compiled OpenSSL libraries and I got some new errors from the Binary and Kolbitz curves. Prime curves are still working just fine. First off the private key created with the "sect233r1" curve are: -----BEGIN PRIVATE KEY----- MHYCAQAwCQYHKoZIzj0CAQRmMGQCAQEEHVnVyx1BHVTaKFSi758nc0v1SnWNQ1aR BYRjL4ZboUADPgAEAVZmnrloR8NnuKI7pzD8n8UYXHannulPUv2JVqeiAXI1bnBR K10brlEGKzKztusdvxC6UVz1Ew9eVvcL -----END PRIVATE KEY----- It does contain less information - I am not an expert but this seems wrong? Next, after creating these PEM formatted private and public keys I test them doing a sign and verify operation. I do this in a loop which excercises all the supported digests, but they all fail before the function get to do the actual sign/verify. The initial attempt to sign gives the following error when I try to read the PEM formatted private key using PEM_read_bio_PrivateKey(): (error:0B07707D:x509 certificate routines:X509_PUBKEY_get:public key decode error) The loop then tries to verify the generated signature, which will fail since no signature was created, but again the code does not reach the verify function. I get the following error when I try to read the PEM formatted public key using PEM_read_bio_PUBKEY(): (error:100BF078:elliptic curve routines:i2d_ECPKParameters:group2pkparameters failure) The loop tries the next digest, which again reads the _same_ PEM formatted private key as using PEM_read_bio_PrivateKey() and I get a different error: (error:100C1042:elliptic curve routines:EC_GROUP_get_pentanomial_basis:called a function you should not call) For the verify I also get a different error when parsing the public key with PEM_read_bio_PUBKEY(): (error:100D5010:elliptic curve routines:ECKEY_PRIV_DECODE:EC lib) The loop continues with the next digest, which again fails to read the same PEM formatted private key as using PEM_read_bio_PrivateKey(): (error:100D7010:elliptic curve routines:ECKEY_PUB_DECODE:EC lib) The last errors repeat for all the following attempt to parse the PEM formatted private and public keys in the digest loop. So, to conclude: It seems that this is a FIPS related problem. The keys simply seems incorrect and will therefore cause all the errors I now see. But, I do not get why a will get different errors when reading the exact same PEM formatted key. Or, why it all works for NIST prime curves? Any comment or help is appreciated Leon Brits > -----Original Message----- > From: owner-openssl-...@openssl.org [mailto:owner-openssl-...@openssl.org] > On Behalf Of Matt Caswell > Sent: 20 March 2013 11:11 PM > To: openssl-dev@openssl.org > Subject: Re: EVP and Elliptic curve > > On 20 March 2013 07:14, Leon Brits <le...@parsec.co.za> wrote: > > Hi Matt, > > > > I use: > > $ openssl version > > OpenSSL 1.0.1e-fips 11 Feb 2013 > > > > I was able to successfully parse your attached private key. > > I've attached my smallest prime, binary and kolbitz curve key pairs. As > I said the prime curve parses correct with the openssl command line tool > but not the binary curve keys. > > > > Regards, > > Leon Brits > > > > Well, I am unable to reproduce your problem, my code works fine under > vanilla OpenSSL 1.0.1e. I don't have a fips build environment so it could > be a fips issue. Are you able to test your code under normal non-fips > openssl and see if you still get the same problem? > > Matt > ______________________________________________________________________ > OpenSSL Project http://www.openssl.org > Development Mailing List openssl-dev@openssl.org > Automated List Manager majord...@openssl.org ______________________________________________________________________ OpenSSL Project http://www.openssl.org Development Mailing List openssl-dev@openssl.org Automated List Manager majord...@openssl.org
