Microsoft KB Archive/216830

= How to View the Contents of a Certificate =

Article ID: 216830

Article Last Modified on 6/23/2005

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Internet Information Server 4.0

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This article was previously published under Q216830



We strongly recommend that all users upgrade to Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) version 6.0 running on Microsoft Windows Server 2003. IIS 6.0 significantly increases Web infrastructure security. For more information about IIS security-related topics, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/prodtech/IIS.mspx



SUMMARY
The Windows NT Option Pack ships with a tool called CertUtil, which can be used to display information about certificates. Most certificates are in one of two formats, either Base64-encoded or DER-encoded binary. CertUtil cannot handle the former directly, but it does have an option for converting the file from Base64 to binary.



MORE INFORMATION
If the file is Base64 encoded, you will first need to convert it. You can check the file to see if it's Base64 encoded or not. If it is Base64 encoded, it will look similar to the following:

-BEGIN CERTIFICATE- IjCCBMowggQzoAMCAQICEAlLTA9Y1WjWPxvngISRWxQwDQYJKoZIhvcNAQEEBQAw gcwxFzAVBgNVBAoTDlZlcmlTaWduLCBJbmMuMR8wHQYDVQQLExZWZXJpU2lnbiBU cnVzdCBOZXR3b3JrMUYwRAYDVQQLEz13d3cudmVyaXNpZ24uY29tL3JlcG9zaXRv cnkvUlBBIEluY29ycC4gQnkgUmVmLixMSUFCLkxURChjKTk4MUgwRgYDVQQDEz9W C2CGSAGG+EUBBwEBMIAwKAYIKwYBBQUHAgEWHGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnZlcmlzaWdu LmNvbS9DUFMwYgYIKwYBBQUHAgIwVjAVFg5WZXJpU2lnbiwgSW5jLjADAgEBGj1W ZXJpU2lnbidzIENQUyBpbmNvcnAuIGJ5IHJlZmVyZW5jZSBsaWFiLiBsdGQuIChj KTk3IFZlcmlTaWduAAAAAAAAMBEGCWCGSAGG+EIBAQQEAwIHgDCBhgYKYIZIAYb4 RQEGAwR4FnZkNDY1MmJkNjNmMjA0NzAyOTI5ODc2M2M5ZDJmMjc1MDY5YzczNTli ZWQxYjA1OWRhNzViYzRiYzk3MDE3NDdkYTVkM2YyMTQxYmVhZGIyYmQyZTg5MjFm YTU2YmY0ZDQxMTQ5OTdhM2I4NDNmNGU1OTI2NTQxMA0GCSqGSIb3DQEBBAUAA4GB AInZL/R7kMLBcunvA2KRxe+BE2i58wQBrlhtBk5kQ3oYSUsyjfEV3JiH/aBjC8QL NYx0vBUt2bcYTZtmPLlhepbBiNi8X/Ke+Pf8c4RVYDs43a7SDw3fmo1BAkPD1BeG ES9KTr3VCeTcoLZTfB5ZCERqVMoriTB7jzCUMItNvoe3Ig0K -END CERTIFICATE-

To convert to binary, type CertUtil -decode cert.txt cert.cer.

Note:Cert.txt refers to the BASE64 file and Cert.cer is the name of the new binary file in this example.

Now that you have the file converted, you can query its contents by typing CertUtil cert.cer.

You should then see something similar to the following output:

PKCS7 Message Certificates:

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=== Begin Nesting Level 1 ================ X509 Certificate: Version: 3 Serial Number: 25f51e4e0000115a Signature Algorithm: Algorithm ObjectId: 1.2.840.113549.1.1.4 Algorithm Parameters: 05 00                                             .. Issuer: CN=MS CertSrv Test Group CA, OU=Windows NT, O=Microsoft, L=Redmond, S=WA, C=US NotBefore: 10/23/1998 3:33 PM NotAfter: 10/23/1999 3:33 PM Subject: CN=Name (Signing), OU=IASG, O=Microsoft, L=Redmond, S=WA, C=US, E=name@domain.com Public Key Algorithm: Algorithm ObjectId: 1.2.840.113549.1.1.1 Algorithm Parameters: 05 00                                             .. PublicKey: UnusedBits=0 30 48 02 41 00 d4 c1 0e 6f 0b 86 54 b8 9b 08 de   0H.A....o..T....    41 87 b5 e8 62 83 a6 42  a6 63 de 5a 9e cc 17 f6   A...b..B.c.Z....    72 95 52 1f 56 7a 95 ad  33 f0 8e c2 e8 c6 d4 95   r.R.Vz..3.......    0d ce c4 7a 1a f3 10 28  ca 15 46 4e 48 52 8c 89   ...z...(..FNHR..    87 f8 5d 0d 1b 02 03 01  00 01                     ..]....... Certificate Extensions: 6  2.5.29.15: Flags = 0, Length = 4    Key Usage        Digital Signature, Key Encipherment, Data Encipherment, Key Agreement(B8)  2.5.29.37: Flags = 0, Length = c    Enhanced Key Usage        Client Authentication(1.3.6.1.5.5.7.3.2)

2.5.29.35: Flags = 0, Length = a9   Authority Key Identifier KeyID=2A58 2026 5B9F CFB1 E328 F42A EA4D F8CA 19CB F3C4 Certificate Issuer:             Directory Address: CN=MS CertSrv Test Group CA                 OU=Windows NT                  O=Microsoft L=Redmond S=WA C=US Certificate SerialNumber=1113 6100 AA00 2B86 11D2 5EF8 DDA0 99B4

2.5.29.31: Flags = 0, Length = 91 CRL Distribution Points [1]CRL Distribution Point             Distribution Point Name: Full Name: URL=http://CERTSRV/CertSrv/CertEnroll/MS CertSrv Test Group CA.crl [2]CRL Distribution Point             Distribution Point Name: Full Name: URL=file://\\CERTSRV\CertSrv\CertEnroll\MS CertSrv Test Group CA.crl 2.5.29.19: Flags = 0, Length = 2 Basic Constraints Subject Type=End Entity        Path Length Constraint=None 1.3.6.1.5.5.7.1.1: Flags = 0, Length = 56 Authority Information Access [1]Authority Info Access AccessMethod=Certification Authority Issuer(1.3.6.1.5.5.7.48.2) Alternative Name: URL=http://CERTSRV/CertSrv/CertEnroll/CERTSRV_MS CertSrv Test Group CA.crt Non-root Certificate

Note: This certificate was modified to fit in this window.

For information on how to read the contents of a certificate, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

216831 How to Read and Analyze a Client Certificate

Keywords: kbhowto KB216830

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