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openssl

README.md

OpenSSL Cookbook

Build Status Cookbook Version

This cookbook provides tools for working with the Ruby OpenSSL library. It includes:

  • A library method to generate secure random passwords in recipes, using the Ruby SecureRandom library.
  • A resource for generating RSA private keys.
  • A resource for generating x509 certificates.
  • A resource for generating dhparam.pem files.
  • An attribute-driven recipe for upgrading OpenSSL packages.

Platforms

The random_password mixin works on any platform with the Ruby SecureRandom module. This module is already included with Chef.

The openssl_x509, openssl_rsa_key and openssl_dhparam resources work on any platform with the OpenSSL Ruby bindings installed. These bindings are already included with Chef.

The upgrade recipe has been tested on the following platforms:

  • Debian / Ubuntu derivatives
  • RHEL and derivatives
  • Fedora
  • openSUSE / SUSE Linux Enterprises

Chef

  • Chef 12.7+

Cookbooks

  • none

Attributes

  • node['openssl']['restart_services'] - An array of service resources that depend on the openssl packages. This array is empty by default, as Chef has no reasonable way to detect which applications or services are compiled against these packages. Note Each service listed in this array should represent a "service" resource specified in the recipes of the node's run list.

Recipes

default

An empty placeholder recipe. Takes no action.

upgrade

The upgrade recipe iterates over the list of packages in the node['openssl']['packages'] attribute, and manages them with the :upgrade action. Each package will send a :restart notification to service resources named in the node['openssl']['restart_services'] attribute.

Example Usage

In this example, assume the node is running the stats_collector daemon, which depends on the openssl library. Imagine that a new openssl vulnerability has been disclosed, and the operating system vendor has released an update to openssl to address this vulnerability. In order to protect the node, an administrator crafts this recipe:

node.default['openssl']['restart_services'] = ['stats_collector']

# other recipe code here...
service 'stats_collector' do
  action [:enable, :start]
end

include_recipe 'openssl::upgrade'

When executed, this recipe will ensure that openssl is upgraded to the latest version, and that the stats_collector service is restarted to pick up the latest security fixes released in the openssl package.

Libraries & Resources

There are two mixins packaged with this cookbook.

random_password (OpenSSLCookbook::RandomPassword)

The RandomPassword mixin can be used to generate secure random passwords in Chef cookbooks, usually for assignment to a variable or an attribute. random_password uses Ruby's SecureRandom library and is customizable.

Example Usage

Chef::Recipe.send(:include, OpenSSLCookbook::RandomPassword)
node.normal['my_secure_attribute'] = random_password
node.normal_unless['my_secure_attribute'] = random_password
node.normal['my_secure_attribute'] = random_password(length: 50)
node.normal['my_secure_attribute'] = random_password(length: 50, mode: :base64)
node.normal['my_secure_attribute'] = random_password(length: 50, mode: :base64, encoding: 'ASCII')

Note that node attributes are widely accessible. Storing unencrypted passwords in node attributes, as in this example, carries risk.

secure_password (Opscode::OpenSSL::Password)

This library should be considered deprecated and will be removed in a future version. Please use OpenSSLCookbook::RandomPassword instead. The documentation is kept here for historical reasons.

Example Usage

::Chef::Recipe.send(:include, Opscode::OpenSSL::Password)
node.normal_unless['my_password'] = secure_password

Note that node attributes are widely accessible. Storing unencrypted passwords in node attributes, as in this example, carries risk.

openssl_x509

This resource generates self-signed, PEM-formatted x509 certificates. If no existing key is specified, the resource will automatically generate a passwordless key with the certificate.

Attributes

Name Type Description
common_name String (Required) Value for the CN certificate field.
org String (Required) Value for the O certificate field.
org_unit String (Required) Value for the OU certificate field.
country String (Required) Value for the C ssl field.
expire Fixnum (Optional) Value representing the number of days from now through which the issued certificate cert will remain valid. The certificate will expire after this period.
subject_alt_name Array (Optional) Array of Subject Alternative Name entries, in format DNS:example.com or IP:1.2.3.4 Default: empty
key_file String (Optional) The path to a certificate key file on the filesystem. If the key_file attribute is specified, the resource will attempt to source a key from this location. If no key file is found, the resource will generate a new key file at this location. If the key_file attribute is not specified, the resource will generate a key file in the same directory as the generated certificate, with the same name as the generated certificate.
key_pass String (Optional) The passphrase for an existing key's passphrase
key_length Fixnum (Optional) The desired Bit Length of the generated key. Default: 2048
owner String (optional) The owner of all files created by the resource. Default: "root"
group String (optional) The group of all files created by the resource. Default: "root"
mode String or Fixnum (Optional) The permission mode of all files created by the resource. Default: "0400"

Example Usage

In this example, an administrator wishes to create a self-signed x509 certificate for use with a web server. In order to create the certificate, the administrator crafts this recipe:

openssl_x509 '/etc/httpd/ssl/mycert.pem' do
  common_name 'www.f00bar.com'
  org 'Foo Bar'
  org_unit 'Lab'
  country 'US'
end

When executed, this recipe will generate a key certificate at /etc/httpd/ssl/mycert.key. It will then use that key to generate a new certificate file at /etc/httpd/ssl/mycert.pem.

openssl_dhparam

This resource generates dhparam.pem files. If a valid dhparam.pem file is found at the specified location, no new file will be created. If a file is found at the specified location but it is not a valid dhparam file, it will be overwritten.

Attributes

Name Type Description
key_length Fixnum (Optional) The desired Bit Length of the generated key. Default: 2048
generator Fixnum (Optional) The desired Diffie-Hellmann generator. Can be 2 or 5.
owner String (optional) The owner of all files created by the resource. Default: "root"
group String (optional) The group of all files created by the resource. Default: "root"
mode String or Fixnum (Optional) The permission mode of all files created by the resource. Default: "0644"

Example Usage

In this example, an administrator wishes to create a dhparam.pem file for use with a web server. In order to create the .pem file, the administrator crafts this recipe:

openssl_dhparam '/etc/httpd/ssl/dhparam.pem' do
  key_length 2048
  generator 2
end

When executed, this recipe will generate a dhparam file at /etc/httpd/ssl/dhparam.pem.

openssl_rsa_key

This resource generates rsa key files. If a valid rsa key file can be opened at the specified location, no new file will be created. If the RSA key file cannot be opened, either because it does not exist or because the password to the RSA key file does not match the password in the recipe, it will be overwritten.

Attributes

Name Type Description
key_length Fixnum (Optional) The desired Bit Length of the generated key. Default: 2048
key_pass String (Optional) The desired passphrase for the key.
owner String (optional) The owner of all files created by the resource. Default: "root"
group String (optional) The group of all files created by the resource. Default: "root"
mode String or Fixnum (Optional) The permission mode of all files created by the resource. Default: "0644"

Example Usage

In this example, an administrator wishes to create a new RSA private key file in order to generate other certificates and public keys. In order to create the key file, the administrator crafts this recipe:

openssl_rsa_key '/etc/httpd/ssl/server.key' do
  key_length 2048
end

When executed, this recipe will generate a passwordless RSA key file at /etc/httpd/ssl/server.key.

License and Author

Author:: Jesse Nelson ([email protected])
Author:: Seth Vargo ([email protected])
Author:: Charles Johnson ([email protected])
Author:: Joshua Timberman ([email protected])

Copyright:: 2009-2016, Chef Software, Inc <[email protected]>

Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
You may obtain a copy of the License at

    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0

Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
limitations under the License.