Creating the Root CA

Directories and Files

The certificate authority uses a specific directory structure to save keys, signed certificates, signing requests and revocation lists. The directory structure is defined within the OpenSSL configuration file.

root-ca/
    |
    |----certreqs/
    |
    |----certs/
    |
    |----crl/
    |
    |----newcerts/
    |
    |----private/

# paranoid umask because we are creating private keys
$ umask 077
$ cd /media/$USER/safe_storage
$ mkdir -p example.net.ca/root-ca/{certreqs,certs,crl,newcerts,private}
$ cd example.net.ca/root-ca

Some data files are needed to keep track of issued certificates, their serial numbers and revocations.

$ touch root-ca.index
$ echo 00 > root-ca.crlnum

Create the serial file, to store next incremental serial number.

Using random instead of incremental serial numbers is a recommended security practice.

$ openssl rand -hex 16 > root-ca.serial

OpenSSL configuration

The OpenSSL configuration for the root certificate authority is in the file root-ca/root-ca.cnf.

The complete configuration is available for download as root-ca.cnf.

#
# OpenSSL configuration for the Root Certification Authority.
#

#
# This definition doesn't work if HOME isn't defined.
CA_HOME                 = .
RANDFILE                = $ENV::CA_HOME/private/.rnd

#
# Default Certification Authority
[ ca ]
default_ca              = root_ca

#
# Root Certification Authority
[ root_ca ]
dir                     = $ENV::CA_HOME
certs                   = $dir/certs
serial                  = $dir/root-ca.serial
database                = $dir/root-ca.index
new_certs_dir           = $dir/newcerts
certificate             = $dir/root-ca.cert.pem
private_key             = $dir/private/root-ca.key.pem
default_days            = 1826 # 5 years
crl                     = $dir/root-ca.crl
crl_dir                 = $dir/crl
crlnumber               = $dir/root-ca.crlnum
name_opt                = multiline, align
cert_opt                = no_pubkey
copy_extensions         = copy
crl_extensions          = crl_ext
default_crl_days        = 180
default_md              = sha384
preserve                = no
email_in_dn             = no
policy                  = policy
unique_subject          = no

#
# Distinguished Name Policy for CAs
[ policy ]
countryName             = optional
stateOrProvinceName     = optional
localityName            = optional
organizationName        = supplied
organizationalUnitName  = optional
commonName              = supplied

#
# Root CA Request Options
[ req ]
default_bits            = 4096
default_keyfile         = private/root-ca.key.pem
encrypt_key             = yes
default_md              = sha384
string_mask             = utf8only
utf8                    = yes
prompt                  = no
req_extensions          = root-ca_req_ext
distinguished_name      = distinguished_name
subjectAltName          = @subject_alt_name

#
# Root CA Request Extensions
[ root-ca_req_ext ]
subjectKeyIdentifier    = hash
subjectAltName          = @subject_alt_name

#
# Distinguished Name (DN)
[ distinguished_name ]
organizationName        = example.net
commonName              = example.net Root Certification Authority

#
# Root CA Certificate Extensions
[ root-ca_ext ]
basicConstraints        = critical, CA:true
keyUsage                = critical, keyCertSign, cRLSign
nameConstraints         = critical, @name_constraints
subjectKeyIdentifier    = hash
subjectAltName          = @subject_alt_name
authorityKeyIdentifier  = keyid:always
issuerAltName           = issuer:copy

#
# Intermediate CA Certificate Extensions
[ intermed-ca_ext ]
basicConstraints        = critical, CA:true, pathlen:0
keyUsage                = critical, keyCertSign, cRLSign
subjectKeyIdentifier    = hash
subjectAltName          = @subject_alt_name
authorityKeyIdentifier  = keyid:always
issuerAltName           = issuer:copy
authorityInfoAccess     = @auth_info_access
crlDistributionPoints   = crl_dist

#
# CRL Certificate Extensions
[ crl_ext ]
authorityKeyIdentifier  = keyid:always
issuerAltName           = issuer:copy

#
# Certificate Authorities Alternative Names
[ subject_alt_name ]
URI                     = http://ca.example.net/
email                   = certmaster@example.net

#
# Name Constraints
[ name_constraints ]
permitted;DNS.1         = example.net
permitted;DNS.2         = example.org
permitted;DNS.3         = lan
permitted;DNS.4         = onion
permitted;email.1       = example.net
permitted;email.2       = example.org

#
# Certificate download addresses for the root CA
[ auth_info_access ]
caIssuers;URI           = http://ca.example.net/certs/example.net_Root_Certification_Authority.cert.pem

#
# CRL Download address for the root CA
[ crl_dist ]
fullname                = URI:http://ca.example.net/crl/example.net_Root_Certification_Authority.crl

# EOF

Make sure that the OpenSSL configuration file for the root CA is active:

$ export OPENSSL_CONF=./root-ca.cnf

Generate CSR and new Key

The following commands create either a new password protected EC or RSA key and additionally a certificate signing request for the root:

# eliptic curves have smaller key sizes and a similar security level
$ openssl ecparam -genkey -name secp384r1 | openssl ec -aes256 -out private/root-ca.key.pem
read EC key
writing EC key
Enter PEM pass phrase:
Verifying - Enter PEM pass phrase:

$ openssl req -new -key private/root-ca.key.pem -out root-ca.req.pem
Enter pass phrase for root-ca.key.pem:

Or RSA:

$ openssl req -new -out root-ca.req.pem
Generating a 4096 bit RSA private key
.......................................................................++
.......................................................................++
.......................................................................++
.......................................................................++
writing new private key to 'private/root-ca.key.pem'
Enter PEM pass phrase: ********
Verifying - Enter PEM pass phrase: ********
-----

You will find the key in private/root-ca.key and the CSR in root- ca.csr.

Protect the private key:

$ chmod 400 private/root-ca.key.pem

Generate CSR from existing Key

If you need to update existing CA certificates you can use the already existing key to create a new CSR.

The following command creates a certificate signing request for the root using an already existing key:

$ openssl req -new \
    -key private/root-ca.key.pem \
    -out root-ca.req.pem
Enter pass phrase for private/root-ca.key.pem: ********

Show the CSR

You can peek in to the CSR:

$ openssl req -verify -in root-ca.req.pem \
    -noout -text \
    -reqopt no_version,no_pubkey,no_sigdump \
    -nameopt multiline

Self-Signing the Root Certificate

If everything looks ok, self-sign your own request:

$ openssl rand -hex 16 > root-ca.serial
$ openssl ca -selfsign \
    -in root-ca.req.pem \
    -out root-ca.cert.pem \
    -extensions root-ca_ext \
    -startdate `date +%y%m%d000000Z -u -d -1day` \
    -enddate `date +%y%m%d000000Z -u -d +10years+1day`

The signature will be valid for the next ten years.

View it with the following command:

$ openssl x509 -in ./root-ca.cert.pem \
    -noout -text \
    -certopt no_version,no_pubkey,no_sigdump \
    -nameopt multiline

You can verify if it will be recognized as valid:

$ openssl verify -verbose -CAfile root-ca.cert.pem \
    root-ca.cert.pem
root-ca.cert.pem: OK

Revocation List (CRL)

The Root CA publishes Certificate Revocation Lists at regular intervals or when a certificate has been revoked.

The Root CA is expected to only issue revocations of its own self-signed certificate or the Intermediate CA certificate.

There have not been any revocations yet, but still clients and servers verifying any of our certificates will request an up-to-date CRL from the web-address published in the certificates.

We therefore need to create initial, albeit empty CRLs of the Root CA:

$ openssl ca -gencrl -out crl/root-ca.crl

Install As Trusted CA

To be recognized by your systems, devices and software, the Root Certificate needs to be installed as a trusted CA on all Systems.

Install on Ubuntu Linux Systems

Steps to re-include the root certificate in Ubuntu as trusted CA:

$ sudo mkdir -p /usr/local/share/ca-certificates/example.net
$ cd /usr/local/share/ca-certificates/example.net/
$ sudo cp ./root-ca.pem \
    example.net_Root_Certification_Authority.cert.crt
$ sudo dpkg-reconfigure ca-certificates

Install on Android Systems

References

• MDN: A Web PKI x509 certificate primer

• Mozilla Wiki: CA:Recommendations for Roots