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Certificate Signing Requests Screens
8 minute read.
Last Modified 2023-11-30 10:15 ESTThe Certificates screen includes the Certificate Signing Requests widget that displays a list of certificate signing requires (CSRs) configured on the system.
Each CSR listed is a link that opens the Edit CA screen for the selected CSR.
The download icon downloads the CSR to your server.
deletes the CSR from your server.
Each CSR listed on the widget is a link that opens the Edit CSR screen.
Add opens the Add CSR wizard that steps you through setting up a CSR that certifies the ownership of a public key by the named subject of the certificate. The Certificate Signing Requests section allows users configure the message(s) the system sends to a registration authority of the public key infrastructure to apply for a digital identity certificate.
The Add CSR wizard screens step users through configuring a new certificate signing request (CSR) on TrueNAS SCALE. The wizard has five different configuration screens, one for each step in the CA configuration process:
The Identifier and Type settings specify the certificate signing request (CSR) name and whether to create a new CSR or import an existing CSR. The selection in Type changes setting options on this screen, the Certificate Options and Extra Constraints screens, and determines if the Certificate Subject screen displays at all.
Users can also select a predefined certificate extension from the Profile dropdown list.
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Setting Description Name Required. Enter a descriptive identifier for this certificate. Type Select the type of CSR from the dropdown list. Options are Certificate Signing Request and Import Certificate Signing Request. Certificate Signing Requests control when an external CA issues (signs) the certificate. Typically used with ACME or other CAs that most popular browsers trust by default. Import Certificate Signing Request lets you import an existing CSR onto the system. Typically used with ACME or internal CAs. Selecting Import Certificate Signing Request removes the Profile field. Profile Displays if Certificate Signing Request is set in Type. Select a predefined certificate extension from the dropdown list. Choose a profile that best matches your certificate usage scenario. Options are HTTPS RSA Certificate and HTTPS ECC Certificate.
The Certificate Options settings specify the type of private key type to use, the number of bits in the key used by the cryptographic algorithm, and the cryptographic algorithm the CSR uses.
There are no Certificate Options settings if Type on the Identifier and Type screen is set to Import Certificate Signing Request.
The Key Type selection changes fields displayed. RSA is the default setting in Key Type.
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Setting Description Key Type Select the key type from the dropdown list. Options are RSA or EC. EC displays the EC Curve field. See Why is elliptic curve cryptography not widely used, compared to RSA? for more information about key types. EC Curve Displays when EC is selected in Key Type. Select the curve type from the dropdown list. Options are BrainpoolP512R1, BrainpoolP384R1, BrainpoolP256R1, SECP256K1, SECP384R1, SECP521R1, and ed25519. Brainpool curves can be more secure while SECP curves can be faster. See Elliptic Curve performance: NIST vs Brainpool for more information. Key Length Required. Displays when RSA is selected in Key Type. Select the number of bits in the key used by the cryptographic algorithm from the dropdown list. Options are 1024, 2048 or 4096. For security reasons, a minimum key length of 2048 is recommended. Digest Algorithm Select the cryptographic algorithm to use from the dropdown list. Options are SHA1, SHA224, SHA256, SHA384 and SHA512. Only change the default SHA256 if the organization requires a different algorithm. Lifetime Enter the number of days for the lifetime of the CA.
The Certificate Subject settings lets users define the location, name, and email for the organization using the certificate. Users can also enter the system fully-qualified hostname (FQDN) and any additional domains for multi-domain support.
The Certificate Subject settings do not display if Type on the Identifier and Type screen is set to Import Certificate Signing Request.
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Setting Description Country Required. Select the country of the organization from the dropdown list. State Required. Enter the state or province of the organization. Locality Required. Enter the location of the organization. For example, the city. Organization Required. Enter the name of the company or organization. Organizational Unit Enter the organizational unit of the entity. Email Required. Enter the email address of the person responsible for the CA. Common Name Enter the fully qualified host name (FQHN) of the system. This name must be unique within a certificate chain. Subject Alternate Names Required. Enter additional domains to secure for multi-domain support. Separate each domain by pressing Enter. For example, if the primary domain is example.com, entering www.example.com secures both addresses.
The Extra Constraints settings contains certificate extension options:
- Basic Constraints that when enabled limits the path length for a certificate chain.
- Authority Key Identifier that when enabled provides a means of identifying the public key corresponding to the private key used to sign a certificate.
- Key Usage that when enabled defines the purpose of the public key contained in a certificate.
- Extended Key Usage that when enabled further refines key usage extensions.
The Extra Constraints settings change based on the selection in Type on the Identifier and Type screen.
After selecting Basic Constraints, Authority Key Identifier, Extended Key Usage, or Key Usage, each displays more settings that option needs.
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Setting Description Basic Constraints Select to activate this extension. Basic Constraints extension identifies whether this certificate subject is a CA and the maximum depth of valid certification paths that include this certificate. Path Length Displays after selecting Basic Constraints. Enter how many non-self-issued intermediate certificates that can follow this certificate in a valid certification path. Entering 0 allows a single additional certificate to follow in the certificate path. Value cannot be less than 0. Basic Constraints Config Select the option to specify the extension type from the dropdown list. Options are CA and Critical Extension. Specify whether to use the certificate for a Certificate Authority and whether this extension is critical. Clients must recognize critical extensions to prevent rejection. Web certificates typically require you to disable CA and enable Critical Extension. Extended Key Usage Select to activate this certificate extension. The Extended Key Usage extension identifies and limits valid uses for this certificate, such as client authentication or server authentication. See RFC 3280, section 4.2.1.13 for more details. Displays the Usages field. Usages Displays after selecting Extended Key Usage. Select the option to identify the purpose of this public key from the dropdown list. Typically used for the end entity certificates. You can select multiple usages that display separated by a comma (,). Options are ANY_EXTENDED_KEY_USAGE, CERTIFICATE_TRANSPARENCY, CLIENT_AUTH, CODE_SIGNING, EMAIL_PROTECTION, IPSEC_IKE, KERBEROS_PKINIT_KDC, OCSP_SIGNING, SERVER_AUTH, SMARTCARD_LOGON, or TIME_STAMPING. Do not mark this extension critical when set to ANY_EXTENDED_KEY_USAGE. Using both Extended Key Usage and Key Usage extensions requires that the purpose of the certificate is consistent with both extensions. See RFC 3280, section 4.2.13 for more details. Critical Extension Displays after selecting Extended Key Usage. Select to identify this extension as critical for the certificate. Critical extensions must be recognized by the certificate-using system or this certificate is rejected. Extensions identified as not critical can be ignored by the certificate-using system and the certificate still approved. Key Usage Select to activate this certificate extension. Displays the Key Usage Config field. The key usage extension defines the purpose (e.g., encipherment, signature, certificate signing) of the key contained in the certificate. The usage restriction might be employed when a key that could be used for more than one operation is to be restricted. For example, when an RSA key should be used only to verify signatures on objects other than public key certificates and CRLs, the Digital Signature bits are asserted. Likewise, when an RSA key should be used only for key management, the Key Encipherment bit is asserted. See RFC 3280, section 4.2.13 for more information. Key Usage Config Displays after selecting Extended Key Usage or Key Usage. Select the key usage extension from the dropdown list. Options are Digital Signature, Content Commitment, Key Encipherment, Data Encipherment, Key Agreement, Key Cert Sign, CRL Sign, Encipher Only, Decipher Only or Critical Extension. Web certificates typically need at least Digital Signature and possibly Key Encipherment or Key Agreement, while other applications may need other usages.
When Type on Identifier and Type is set to Import Certificate Signing Request the Import Certificate screen displays.
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Setting Description Signing Request Required. Paste the certificate for the certificate signing request into this field. Private Key Required. Paste the private key associated with the certificate when available. Provide a key at least 1024 bits long. Passphrase Enter the passphrase for the private key. Confirm Passphrase Re-enter the passphrase for the private key.
The final step screen is the Confirm Options that displays the CA Type, Key Type, Key Length, Digest Algorithm, Lifetime, Country, and Basich Constraints Config. For Import Certificate Signing Request type, the screen displays Type, Signing Request and Private Key.
Save adds the certificate to SCALE. Back returns to previous screens to make changes before you save. Next advances to the next screen in the sequence to return to Confirm Options.