NAME

DH_generate_parameters_ex, DH_check, DH_generate_parameters — generate and check Diffie-Hellman parameters

SYNOPSIS

#include <openssl/dh.h> int
DH_generate_parameters_ex(DH *dh, int prime_len, int generator, BN_GENCB *cb); int
DH_check(DH *dh, int *codes); Deprecated:
DH *
DH_generate_parameters(int prime_len, int generator, void (*callback)(int, int, void *), void *cb_arg);

DESCRIPTION

DH_generate_parameters_ex() generates Diffie-Hellman parameters that can be shared among a group of users, and stores them in the provided DH structure. prime_len is the length in bits of the safe prime to be generated. generator is a small number > 1, typically 2 or 5. A callback function may be used to provide feedback about the progress of the key generation. If cb is not NULL, it will be called as described in BN_generate_prime(3) while a random prime number is generated, and when a prime has been found, BN_GENCB_call(cb, 3, 0) is called; see BN_GENCB_call(3). DH_check() validates Diffie-Hellman parameters. If no problems are found, *codes is set to zero. Otherwise, one or more of the following bits are set:

DH_CHECK_P_NOT_PRIME

The parameter dh->p is not prime.

DH_CHECK_P_NOT_SAFE_PRIME

The parameter dh->p is not a safe prime.

DH_UNABLE_TO_CHECK_GENERATOR

The generator dh->g cannot be checked for suitability: it is neither 2 nor 5.

DH_NOT_SUITABLE_GENERATOR

The generator dh->g is not suitable.

RETURN VALUES

DH_generate_parameters_ex() and DH_check() return 1 if the check could be performed, or 0 otherwise. DH_generate_parameters() (deprecated) returns a pointer to the DH structure, or NULL if the parameter generation fails. The error codes can be obtained by ERR_get_error(3).

SEE ALSO

DH_get0_pqg(3), DH_new(3)

HISTORY

DH_check() and DH_generate_parameters() first appeared in SSLeay 0.5.1 and have been available since OpenBSD 2.4. The cb_arg argument to DH_generate_parameters() was added in SSLeay 0.9.0. In versions before OpenSSL 0.9.5, DH_CHECK_P_NOT_STRONG_PRIME is used instead of DH_CHECK_P_NOT_SAFE_PRIME. DH_generate_parameters_ex() first appeared in OpenSSL 0.9.8 and has been available since OpenBSD 4.5.

CAVEATS

DH_generate_parameters_ex() and DH_generate_parameters() may run for several hours before finding a suitable prime. The parameters generated by DH_generate_parameters_ex() and DH_generate_parameters() are not to be used in signature schemes.

BUGS

If generator is not 2 or 5, dh->g=generator is not a usable generator.