Rhonabwy API documentation

Rhonabwy library is made to manage JWK, JWKS, JWS, JWE and JWT according to their respective RFCs:

• JSON Web Keys (JWK) and JSON Web Keys Set (JWKS)
• JSON Web Signatures (JWS)
• JSON Web Encryption (JWE)
• JSON Web Token (JWT)

Rhonabwy is based on the following libraries and actively uses them:

• GnuTLS for the cryptographic functions
• Jansson for the JSON manipulation
• Yder for the logs
• Libcurl when it requires to retrieve keys from an URL

When relevant, a function can accept or return GnuTLS or Jansson data. But if you're not using those in your application and prefer raw data, you can use the more agnostic functions.

Return values

Lots of functions in Rhonabwy library return an int value. The returned value can be one of the following:

#define RHN_OK                 0
#define RHN_ERROR              1
#define RHN_ERROR_MEMORY       2
#define RHN_ERROR_PARAM        3
#define RHN_ERROR_UNSUPPORTED  4
#define RHN_ERROR_INVALID      5

If a function is successful, it will return RHN_OK (0), otherwise an error code is returned.

Global init and close

It's recommended to use r_global_init and r_global_close at the beginning and at the end of your program to initialize and cleanup internal values and settings. This will make outgoing requests faster, especially if you use lots of them, and dispatch your memory allocation functions in curl and Jansson if you changed them. These functions are NOT thread-safe, so you must use them in a single thread context.

int r_global_init(void);
 
void r_global_close(void);

Log messages

Usually, a log message is displayed to explain more specifically what happened on error. The log manager used is Yder. You can enable Yder log messages on the console with the following command at the beginning of your program:

int main(void) {
  y_init_logs("Rhonabwy", Y_LOG_MODE_CONSOLE, Y_LOG_LEVEL_DEBUG, NULL, "Starting Rhonabwy client program");
  
  // Do your code here
  
  y_close_logs();
}

Example of an error log message:

2020-04-05T16:14:31 - Rhonabwy: r_jwk_is_valid - Invalid alg

Go to Yder API Documentation for more details.

Memory management

All typedefs managed by Rhonabwy use dedicated init and free functions. You must always use those functions to allocate or free resources manipulated by the library.

int r_jwk_init(jwk_t ** jwk);
 
void r_jwk_free(jwk_t * jwk);
 
int r_jwks_init(jwks_t ** jwks);
 
void r_jwks_free(jwks_t * jwks);
 
int r_jws_init(jws_t ** jws);
 
void r_jws_free(jws_t * jws);
 
int r_jwe_init(jwe_t ** jwe);
 
void r_jwe_free(jwe_t * jwe);
 
int r_jwt_init(jwt_t ** jwt);
 
void r_jwt_free(jwt_t * jwt);

In addition, when a function return a char * value, this value must be freed using the function r_free(void *).

void r_free(void * data);

And finally, all json_t * returned values must be de allocated using json_decref(json_t *), see Jansson Documentation for more details.

Library information

The functions r_library_info_json_t() and r_library_info_json_str() return a JSON object that represents the signature and encryption algorithms supported, as well as the library version.

Example output:

{
  "version": "0.9.9999",
  "jws": {
    "alg": [
      "none",
      "HS256",
      "HS384",
      "HS512",
      "RS256",
      "RS384",
      "RS512",
      "ES256",
      "ES384",
      "ES512",
      "EdDSA",
      "PS256",
      "PS384",
      "PS512"
    ]
  },
  "jwe": {
    "alg": [
      "RSA1_5",
      "RSA-OAEP",
      "RSA-OAEP-256",
      "A128KW",
      "A192KW",
      "A256KW",
      "dir",
      "A128GCMKW",
      "A192GCMKW",
      "A256GCMKW",
      "PBES2-HS256+A128KW",
      "PBES2-HS384+A192KW",
      "PBES2-HS512+A256KW",
      "ECDH-ES",
      "ECDH-ES+A128KW",
      "ECDH-ES+A192KW",
      "ECDH-ES+A256KW"
    ],
    "enc": [
      "A128CBC-HS256",
      "A192CBC-HS384",
      "A256CBC-HS512",
      "A128GCM",
      "A256GCM",
      "A192GCM"
    ]
  }
}

Header or Claim integer value

When using r_jws_set_header_int_value, r_jwe_set_header_int_value, r_jwt_set_header_int_value or r_jwt_set_claim_int_value, the int value must be of type rhn_int_t, which inner format depend on the architecture. It's recommended not to use an int instead, or undefined behaviour may happen.

Likewise, the functions r_jws_get_header_int_value, r_jwe_get_header_int_value, r_jwt_get_header_int_value or r_jwt_get_claim_int_value, these functions will return a rhn_int_t.

To use a rhn_int_t in a printf-like function, you can use the macro RHONABWY_INTEGER_FORMAT:

rhn_int_t val = 42;
printf("value: %"RHONABWY_INTEGER_FORMAT"\n", val);

JWK

A JWK (JSON Web Key) is a format used to store and represent a cryptographic key in a JSON object.

Example of JWK:

{
  "kty":"EC",
  "crv":"P-256",
  "x":"f83OJ3D2xF1Bg8vub9tLe1gHMzV76e8Tus9uPHvRVEU",
  "y":"x_FEzRu9m36HLN_tue659LNpXW6pCyStikYjKIWI5a0",
  "kid":"Public key used in JWS spec Appendix A.3 example"
}

The standard allows to store public and private keys for RSA and ECC algorithms, it also allows to store symmetric keys. In a JWK, every raw value is encoded in Base64Url format to fit in the JSON object without any issue.

A JWK is represented in Rhonabwy library using the type jwk_t *.

Import and Export JWK

Rhonabwy allows to import and export a JWK in the following formats:

• A JSON structure in a const char *
• A JSON structure in a json_t *
• A key or certificate in PEM or DER format
• A GnuTLS structure of the following: gnutls_privkey_t, gnutls_pubkey_t or gnutls_x509_crt_t (import only)

If the imported JWK contains a x5u property, the key or certificate will be downloaded at the given address. If so, you can give an additional parameter x5u_flag which values can be:

• R_FLAG_IGNORE_SERVER_CERTIFICATE: ignore if web server certificate is invalid
• R_FLAG_FOLLOW_REDIRECT: follow redirection if necessary
• R_FLAG_IGNORE_REMOTE: do not download remote key, but the function may return an error

int r_jwk_import_from_json_str(jwk_t * jwk, const char * input);
 
int r_jwk_import_from_json_t(jwk_t * jwk, json_t * j_input);
 
int r_jwk_import_from_pem_der(jwk_t * jwk, int type, int format, const unsigned char * input, size_t input_len);
 
int r_jwk_import_from_gnutls_privkey(jwk_t * jwk, gnutls_privkey_t key);
 
int r_jwk_import_from_gnutls_pubkey(jwk_t * jwk, gnutls_pubkey_t pub);
 
int r_jwk_import_from_gnutls_x509_crt(jwk_t * jwk, gnutls_x509_crt_t crt);
 
int r_jwk_import_from_x5u(jwk_t * jwk, int x5u_flags, const char * x5u);
 
int r_jwk_import_from_x5c(jwk_t * jwk, const char * x5c);
 
int r_jwk_import_from_symmetric_key(jwk_t * jwk, const unsigned char * key, size_t key_len);
 
int r_jwk_import_from_password(jwk_t * jwk, const char * password);
 
int r_jwk_extract_pubkey(jwk_t * jwk_privkey, jwk_t * jwk_pubkey, int x5u_flags);
 
jwk_t * r_jwk_quick_import(rhn_import type, ...);

The values R_FLAG_IGNORE_SERVER_CERTIFICATE and R_FLAG_FOLLOW_REDIRECT can be merged: R_FLAG_IGNORE_SERVER_CERTIFICATE|R_FLAG_FOLLOW_REDIRECT

Manipulate JWK properties

You can manipulate the JWK properties directly using the dedicated functions:

const char * r_jwk_get_property_str(jwk_t * jwk, const char * key);
 
const char * r_jwk_get_property_array(jwk_t * jwk, const char * key, size_t index);
 
int r_jwk_set_property_str(jwk_t * jwk, const char * key, const char * value);
 
int r_jwk_set_property_array(jwk_t * jwk, const char * key, size_t index, const char * value);
 
int r_jwk_append_property_array(jwk_t * jwk, const char * key, const char * value);
 
int r_jwk_delete_property_str(jwk_t * jwk, const char * key);
 
int r_jwk_delete_property_array_at(jwk_t * jwk, const char * key, size_t index);

Validate the format of a JWK

The function r_jwk_is_valid will check the validity of a JWK, i.e. check if all the required properties are present and in the correct format. Note that this function is called each time an import is made.

Generate a random key pair

You can use Rhonabwy to generate a random key pair for RSA, ECC or OKP algorithms. The jwk_t * parameters must be initialized first.

The type parameter can have one of the following values: R_KEY_TYPE_RSA R_KEY_TYPE_EC, R_KEY_TYPE_EDDSA or R_KEY_TYPE_ECDH. The bits parameter specifies the length of the key. A RSA key must be at least 2048 bits, and the bits value allowed for an ECC key are 256, 384 or 512.

If the parameter kid is used, the generated key kid property will have the kid specified, otherwise a kid will be generated to identify the key pair.

int r_jwk_generate_key_pair(jwk_t * jwk_privkey, jwk_t * jwk_pubkey, int type, unsigned int bits, const char * kid);

JWKS

A JWKS (JSON Web Key Set) is a format used to store and represent a set cryptographic key in a JSON object. A JWKS is always a JSON object containing the property "keys" that will point to an array of JWK.

Example of JWKS:

{
  "keys":
  [
    {
      "kty":"EC",
      "crv":"P-256",
      "x":"MKBCTNIcKUSDii11ySs3526iDZ8AiTo7Tu6KPAqv7D4",
      "y":"4Etl6SRW2YiLUrN5vfvVHuhp7x8PxltmWWlbbM4IFyM",
      "use":"enc",
      "kid":"1"
    },
    {
      "kty":"RSA",
      "n": "0vx7agoebGcQSuuPiLJXZptN9nndrQmbXEps2aiAFbWhM78LhWx4cbbfAAtVT86zwu1RK7aPFFxuhDR1L6tSoc_BJECPebWKRXjBZCiFV4n3oknjhMstn64tZ_2W-5JsGY4Hc5n9yBXArwl93lqt7_RN5w6Cf0h4QyQ5v-65YGjQR0_FDW2QvzqY368QQMicAtaSqzs8KJZgnYb9c7d0zgdAZHzu6qMQvRL5hajrn1n91CbOpbISD08qNLyrdkt-bFTWhAI4vMQFh6WeZu0fM4lFd2NcRwr3XPksINHaQ-G_xBniIqbw0Ls1jF44-csFCur-kEgU8awapJzKnqDKgw",
      "e":"AQAB",
      "alg":"RS256",
      "kid":"2011-04-29"
    }
  ]
}

In Rhonabwy library, you can manipulate the JWKS inside a JWKS by iteration or get a JWK by its kid.

jwk_t * r_jwks_get_at(jwks_t * jwks, size_t index);
 
jwk_t * r_jwks_get_by_kid(jwks_t * jwks, const char * kid);

You can also import a JWKS using a JSON object or an URL.

int r_jwks_import_from_json_str(jwks_t * jwks, const char * input);
 
int r_jwks_import_from_json_t(jwks_t * jwks, json_t * j_input);
 
int r_jwks_import_from_uri(jwks_t * jwks, const char * uri, int flags);
 
jwks_t * r_jwks_quick_import(rhn_import, ...);

JWT

Finally, a JWT (JSON Web Token) is a JSON content signed and/or encrypted and serialized in a compact format that can be easily transferred in HTTP requests. Technically, a JWT is a JWS or a JWE which payload is a stringified JSON and has the property "type":"JWT" in the header.

A JWT can be nested, which means signed and encrypted, in which case the payload is signed as a JWS first, then the serialized signed token is used as the payload in a JWE, or the opposite.

Set values

To set the values of the JWT (header, keys, payload, etc.), you can use the dedicated functions (see the documentation), or use the function r_jwt_set_properties to set multiple properties at once. The option list MUST end with the option RHN_OPT_NONE.

 
int r_jwt_set_properties(jwt_t * jwt, ...);

The available rhn_opt and their following values for a jwt_t are:

RHN_OPT_HEADER_INT_VALUE, const char *, int
RHN_OPT_HEADER_RHN_INT_VALUE, const char *, rhn_int_t
RHN_OPT_HEADER_STR_VALUE, const char * const char *
RHN_OPT_HEADER_JSON_T_VALUE, const char *, json_t *
RHN_OPT_HEADER_FULL_JSON_T, json_t *
RHN_OPT_HEADER_FULL_JSON_STR, const char *
RHN_OPT_CLAIM_INT_VALUE, const char *, int
RHN_OPT_CLAIM_RHN_INT_VALUE, const char *, rhn_int_t
RHN_OPT_CLAIM_STR_VALUE, const char * const char *
RHN_OPT_CLAIM_JSON_T_VALUE, const char *, json_t *
RHN_OPT_CLAIM_FULL_JSON_T, json_t *
RHN_OPT_CLAIM_FULL_JSON_STR, const char *
RHN_OPT_SIG_ALG, jwa_alg
RHN_OPT_ENC_ALG, jwa_alg
RHN_OPT_ENC, jwa_enc
RHN_OPT_CIPHER_KEY, const unsigned char *, size_t
RHN_OPT_IV, const unsigned char *, size_t
RHN_OPT_SIGN_KEY_JWK, jwk_t *
RHN_OPT_SIGN_KEY_JWKS, jwks_t *
RHN_OPT_SIGN_KEY_GNUTLS, gnutls_privkey_t
RHN_OPT_SIGN_KEY_JSON_T, json_t *
RHN_OPT_SIGN_KEY_JSON_STR, const char *
RHN_OPT_SIGN_KEY_PEM_DER, uint, const unsigned char *, size_t
RHN_OPT_VERIFY_KEY_JWK, jwk_t *
RHN_OPT_VERIFY_KEY_JWKS, jwks_t *
RHN_OPT_VERIFY_KEY_GNUTLS, gnutls_pubkey_t
RHN_OPT_VERIFY_KEY_JSON_T, json_t *
RHN_OPT_VERIFY_KEY_JSON_STR, const char *
RHN_OPT_VERIFY_KEY_PEM_DER, uint, const unsigned char *, size_t
RHN_OPT_ENCRYPT_KEY_JWK, jwk_t *
RHN_OPT_ENCRYPT_KEY_JWKS, jwks_t *
RHN_OPT_ENCRYPT_KEY_GNUTLS, gnutls_pubkey_t
RHN_OPT_ENCRYPT_KEY_JSON_T, json_t *
RHN_OPT_ENCRYPT_KEY_JSON_STR, const char *
RHN_OPT_ENCRYPT_KEY_PEM_DER, uint, const unsigned char *, size_t
RHN_OPT_DECRYPT_KEY_JWK, jwk_t *
RHN_OPT_DECRYPT_KEY_JWKS, jwks_t *
RHN_OPT_DECRYPT_KEY_GNUTLS, gnutls_privkey_t
RHN_OPT_DECRYPT_KEY_JSON_T, json_t *
RHN_OPT_DECRYPT_KEY_JSON_STR, const char *
RHN_OPT_DECRYPT_KEY_PEM_DER, uint, const unsigned char *, size_t

Example of usage for r_jwt_set_properties:

jwt_t * jwt;
jwk_t * jwk; // Set a private RSA key in this value
r_jwt_set_properties(jwt, RHN_OPT_HEADER_INT_VALUE, "int", 42,
                          RHN_OPT_HEADER_STR_VALUE, "str", "a value",
                          RHN_OPT_HEADER_JSON_T_VALUE, "json", json_true(),
                          RHN_OPT_CLAIM_FULL_JSON_STR, "{\"str\":\"grut\",\"int\":42,\"obj\":true}",
                          RHN_OPT_SIG_ALG, R_JWA_ALG_RS256,
                          RHN_OPT_SIGN_KEY_JWK, jwk,
                          RHN_OPT_NONE); // Test if return value is RHN_OK
char * token = r_jwt_serialize_signed(jwt, NULL, 0);
}

Verify a list of claims in the JWT

The function int int r_jwt_validate_claims(jwt_t * jwt, ...) will help you verify the validity of some claims in the JWT.

Claim types available

• R_JWT_CLAIM_ISS: claim "iss", values expected a string or NULL to validate the presence of the claim
• R_JWT_CLAIM_SUB: claim "sub", values expected a string or NULL to validate the presence of the claim
• R_JWT_CLAIM_AUD: claim "aud", values expected a string or NULL to validate the presence of the claim
• R_JWT_CLAIM_EXP: claim "exp", value expected R_JWT_CLAIM_NOW or an positive integer value or R_JWT_CLAIM_PRESENT to validate the presence of the claim
• R_JWT_CLAIM_NBF: claim "nbf", value expected R_JWT_CLAIM_NOW or an positive integer value or R_JWT_CLAIM_PRESENT to validate the presence of the claim
• R_JWT_CLAIM_IAT: claim "iat", value expected R_JWT_CLAIM_NOW or an positive integer value or R_JWT_CLAIM_PRESENT to validate the presence of the claim
• R_JWT_CLAIM_JTI: claim "jti", values expected a string or NULL to validate the presence of the claim
• R_JWT_CLAIM_STR: the claim name specified must have the string value expected or NULL to validate the presence of the claim
• R_JWT_CLAIM_INT: the claim name specified must have the integer value expected
• R_JWT_CLAIM_JSN: the claim name specified must have the json_t * value expected or NULL to validate the presence of the claim
• R_JWT_CLAIM_TYP: header parameter "typ" (type), values expected a string or NULL to validate the presence of the header parameter
• R_JWT_CLAIM_CTY: header parameter "cty" (Content Type), values expected a string or NULL to validate the presence of the header parameter

For example, the following code will check the jwt against the claim iss has the value "https://example.com", the claim sub has the value "client_1", the presence of the claim aud, the claim exp is after now, the claim nbf is before now, the claim scope has the value "scope1", the claim age has the value 42 and the claim verified has the JSON value true:

if (r_jwt_validate_claims(jwt, R_JWT_CLAIM_ISS, "https://example.com", 
                               R_JWT_CLAIM_SUB, "client_1", 
                               R_JWT_CLAIM_AUD, NULL, 
                               R_JWT_CLAIM_EXP, R_JWT_CLAIM_NOW, 
                               R_JWT_CLAIM_NBF, R_JWT_CLAIM_NOW, 
                               R_JWT_CLAIM_STR, "scope", "scope1",
                               R_JWT_CLAIM_INT, "age", 42,
                               R_JWT_CLAIM_JSN, "verified", json_true(),
                               R_JWT_CLAIM_NOP) == RHN_OK)

Serialize a JWT using Rhonabwy

Let's use the following JSON object in a JWT:

{
  "iss":"joe",
  "exp":1300819380,
  "http://example.com/is_root":true
}

The JWT can be signed using the algorithm HS256 and the following key:

{
  "kty":"oct",
  "k":"AyM1SysPpbyDfgZld3umj1qzKObwVMkoqQ-EstJQLr_T-1qS0gZH75aKtMN3Yj0iPS4hcgUuTwjAzZr1Z9CAow"
}

The signed JWT serialized will be:

eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLA0KICJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpc3MiOiJqb2UiLA0KICJleHAiOjEzMDA4MTkzODAsDQogImh0dHA6Ly9leGFtcGxlLmNvbS9pc19yb290Ijp0cnVlfQ.dBjftJeZ4CVP-mB92K27uhbUJU1p1r_wW1gFWFOEjXk

Signed JWT

The signed JWT above can be created with the following sample code:

#include <rhonabwy.h>
 
jwt_t * jwt = NULL;
jwk_t * jwk_key = NULL;
const char payload[] = "{\"iss\":\"joe\",\"exp\":1300819380,\"http://example.com/is_root\":true}",
           jwk_key_str[] = "{\"kty\":\"oct\",\"k\":\"AyM1SysPpbyDfgZld3umj1qzKObwVMkoqQ-EstJQLr_T-1qS0gZH75aKtMN3Yj0iPS4hcgUuTwjAzZr1Z9CAow\"}";
char * token = NULL;
 
if (r_jwk_init(&jwk_key) == RHN_OK && 
    r_jwt_init(&jwt) == RHN_OK &&
    r_jwk_import_from_json_str(jwk_key, jwk_key_str) == RHN_OK && 
    r_jwt_set_sign_alg(jwt, R_JWA_ALG_HS256) == RHN_OK &&
    r_jwt_set_full_claims_json_str(jwt, payload) == RHN_OK) {
  token = r_jwt_serialize_signed(jwt, jwk_key, 0); // token will store the signed token
}
 
r_free(token);
r_jwt_free(jwt);
r_jwk_free(jwk_key);

The same payload can be encrypted and serialized in an encrypted JWT using RSA1_5 as key encryption algorithm and A128CBC-HS256 as content encryption algorithm.

The encrypted JWT of the payload above can be the following:

eyJhbGciOiJSU0ExXzUiLCJlbmMiOiJBMTI4Q0JDLUhTMjU2In0.QR1Owv2ug2WyPBnbQrRARTeEk9kDO2w8qDcjiHnSJflSdv1iNqhWXaKH4MqAkQtMoNfABIPJaZm0HaA415sv3aeuBWnD8J-Ui7Ah6cWafs3ZwwFKDFUUsWHSK-IPKxLGTkND09XyjORj_CHAgOPJ-Sd8ONQRnJvWn_hXV1BNMHzUjPyYwEsRhDhzjAD26imasOTsgruobpYGoQcXUwFDn7moXPRfDE8-NoQX7N7ZYMmpUDkR-Cx9obNGwJQ3nM52YCitxoQVPzjbl7WBuB7AohdBoZOdZ24WlN1lVIeh8v1K4krB8xgKvRU8kgFrEn_a1rZgN5TiysnmzTROF869lQ.AxY8DCtDaGlsbGljb3RoZQ.MKOle7UQrG6nSxTLX6Mqwt0orbHvAKeWnDYvpIAeZ72deHxz3roJDXQyhxx0wKaMHDjUEOKIwrtkHthpqEanSBNYHZgmNOV7sln1Eu9g3J8.fiK51VwhsxJ-siBMR-YFiA

Encrypted JWT

An encrypted JWT can be created with Rhonabwy using the following sample code:

#include <rhonabwy.h>
 
jwt_t * jwt = NULL;
jwk_t * jwk_key = NULL;
const char payload[] = "{\"iss\":\"joe\",\"exp\":1300819380,\"http://example.com/is_root\":true}",
jwk_pubkey_rsa_str[] = "{\"kty\":\"RSA\",\"n\":\"0vx7agoebGcQSuuPiLJXZptN9nndrQmbXEps2aiAFbWhM78LhWx4cbbfAAtVT86zwu1RK7aPFFxuhDR1L6tSoc_BJECPebWKRX"\
                      "jBZCiFV4n3oknjhMstn64tZ_2W-5JsGY4Hc5n9yBXArwl93lqt7_RN5w6Cf0h4QyQ5v-65YGjQR0_FDW2QvzqY368QQMicAtaSqzs8KJZgnYb9c7d0zgdAZHzu6"\
                      "qMQvRL5hajrn1n91CbOpbISD08qNLyrdkt-bFTWhAI4vMQFh6WeZu0fM4lFd2NcRwr3XPksINHaQ-G_xBniIqbw0Ls1jF44-csFCur-kEgU8awapJzKnqDKgw\""\
                      ",\"e\":\"AQAB\",\"alg\":\"RS256\",\"kid\":\"2011-04-29\"}";
char * token = NULL;
 
if (r_jwk_init(&jwk_key) == RHN_OK && 
    r_jwt_init(&jwt) == RHN_OK &&
    r_jwk_import_from_json_str(jwk_key, jwk_pubkey_rsa_str) == RHN_OK && 
    r_jwt_set_enc_alg(jwt, R_JWA_ALG_RSA1_5) == RHN_OK &&
    r_jwt_set_enc(jwt, R_JWA_ENC_A128CBC) == RHN_OK &&
    r_jwt_set_full_claims_json_str(jwt, payload) == RHN_OK) {
  token = r_jwt_serialize_encrypted(jwt, jwk_key, 0); // token will store the encrypted token
}
 
r_free(token);
r_jwt_free(jwt);
r_jwk_free(jwk_key);

Nested JWT

A nested JWT can be created with Rhonabwy using the following sample code:

#include <rhonabwy.h>
 
jwt_t * jwt = NULL;
jwk_t * jwk_key = NULL, * jwk_key_sign = NULL;
const char payload[] = "{\"iss\":\"joe\",\"exp\":1300819380,\"http://example.com/is_root\":true}",
jwk_pubkey_rsa_str[] = "{\"kty\":\"RSA\",\"n\":\"0vx7agoebGcQSuuPiLJXZptN9nndrQmbXEps2aiAFbWhM78LhWx4cbbfAAtVT86zwu1RK7aPFFxuhDR1L6tSoc_BJECPebWKRX"\
                      "jBZCiFV4n3oknjhMstn64tZ_2W-5JsGY4Hc5n9yBXArwl93lqt7_RN5w6Cf0h4QyQ5v-65YGjQR0_FDW2QvzqY368QQMicAtaSqzs8KJZgnYb9c7d0zgdAZHzu6"\
                      "qMQvRL5hajrn1n91CbOpbISD08qNLyrdkt-bFTWhAI4vMQFh6WeZu0fM4lFd2NcRwr3XPksINHaQ-G_xBniIqbw0Ls1jF44-csFCur-kEgU8awapJzKnqDKgw\""\
                      ",\"e\":\"AQAB\",\"alg\":\"RS256\",\"kid\":\"2011-04-29\"}",
jwk_key_str[] = "{\"kty\":\"oct\",\"k\":\"AyM1SysPpbyDfgZld3umj1qzKObwVMkoqQ-EstJQLr_T-1qS0gZH75aKtMN3Yj0iPS4hcgUuTwjAzZr1Z9CAow\"}";
char * token = NULL;
 
if (r_jwk_init(&jwk_key) == RHN_OK && 
    r_jwk_init(&jwk_key_sign) == RHN_OK &&
    r_jwt_init(&jwt) == RHN_OK &&
    r_jwk_import_from_json_str(jwk_key, jwk_pubkey_rsa_str) == RHN_OK && 
    r_jwk_import_from_json_str(jwk_key_sign, jwk_key_str) == RHN_OK && 
    r_jwt_set_enc_alg(jwt, R_JWA_ALG_RSA1_5) == RHN_OK &&
    r_jwt_set_enc(jwt, R_JWA_ENC_A128CBC) == RHN_OK &&
    r_jwt_set_sign_alg(jwt, R_JWA_ALG_HS256) == RHN_OK &&
    r_jwt_set_sign_alg(jwt, R_JWA_ALG_HS256) == RHN_OK &&
    r_jwt_set_full_claims_json_str(jwt, payload) == RHN_OK) {
  token = r_jwt_serialize_nested(jwt, R_JWT_TYPE_NESTED_SIGN_THEN_ENCRYPT, jwk_key_sign, 0, jwk_key, 0); // token will store the nested token
}
 
r_free(token);
r_jwt_free(jwt);
r_jwk_free(jwk_key);

Parse a JWT

The functions r_jwt_parse and r_jwt_parsen will parse a serialized JWT. If public keys are present in the header, they will be added to the public keys list and can be used to verify the token signature.

 
int r_jwt_parse(jwt_t * jwt, const char * jwt_str, int x5u_flags);
 
int r_jwt_parsen(jwt_t * jwt, const char * jwt_str, size_t jwt_str_len, int x5u_flags);

Advanced parsing

JWT standard allows to add in the JWT header a public key in several forms:

• jwk: a public key in JWK format
• jku: an url to a JWK Set
• x5c: an array of X509 certificates
• x5u: an url to a X509 certificate

When using the functions r_jwt_parse, r_jwt_parsen, r_jwt_compact_parse, r_jwt_compact_parsen, r_jwt_parse_unsecure, r_jwt_parsen_unsecure, r_jwt_compact_parsen_unsecure and r_jwt_compact_parse_unsecure, by default, if a public key is mentionned in the header, it will be added to the jwt->jwks_pubkey, so the signature verification will not need to specify a key. This can be dangerous if the token comes from a untrustworthy source and if the token isn't checked properly.

To simplify secure token parsing, you should use the functions r_jwt_advanced_parse[n]:

 
int r_jwt_advanced_parse(jwt_t * jwt, const char * token, uint32_t parse_flags, int x5u_flags);
 
int r_jwt_advanced_parsen(jwt_t * jwt, const char * token, size_t token_len, uint32_t parse_flags, int x5u_flags);

Quick parsing

The quick parsing functions can be used to parse a JWT in one line:

 
jwt_t * r_jwt_quick_parse(const char * token, uint32_t parse_flags, int x5u_flags);
 
jwt_t * r_jwt_quick_parsen(const char * token, size_t token_len, uint32_t parse_flags, int x5u_flags);

Unsecured JWT

It's possible to use Rhonabwy for unsecured JWT, with the header alg:"none" and an empty signature, using a dedicated set of functions: r_jwt_parse_unsecure, r_jwt_parsen_unsecure and r_jwt_serialize_signed_unsecure, or using r_jwt_advanced_parse with the parse_flags value R_PARSE_UNSIGNED set.

Parse a unsecured JWT

By default, the functions r_jwt_parse and r_jwt_parsen will return RHN_ERROR_INVALID if the parsed JWT is unsigned. To parse any JWT, signed or unsigned, you must use the functions r_jwt_parse_unsecure and r_jwt_parsen_unsecure, or using r_jwt_advanced_parse with the parse_flags value R_PARSE_UNSIGNED set.

Serialize an unsecured JWT

Use the function r_jwt_serialize_signed_unsecure to serialize an unsecured JWT.

Signature verification

The function r_jwt_verify_signature will return RHN_ERROR_INVALID if the JWT is unsecured.

Nested JWT with an unsecured signature

It's not possible to serialize or parse a nested JWT with an unsecured signature.

JWS

A JWS (JSON Web Signature) is a content digitally signed and serialized in a compact or JSON format that can be easily transferred in HTTP requests.

A compact JWS has 3 elements serialized in base64url format and separated by a dot (.). The 3 elements are:

• A header in JSON format
• A Payload
• A digital signature

Its representation uses the following format:

BASE64URL(UTF8(JWS Protected Header)) || '.' || BASE64URL(JWS Payload) || '.' || BASE64URL(JWS Signature)

The signature is based on the following data:

BASE64URL(UTF8(JWS Protected Header)) || '.' || BASE64URL(JWS Payload)

The algorithms supported by Rhonabwy are:

• HMAC with SHA-2 Functions: HS256, HS384, HS512
• Digital Signature with RSASSA-PKCS1-v1_5: RS256, RS384, RS512
• Digital Signature with ECDSA: ES256, ES384, ES512, ES256K
• Digital Signature with RSASSA-PSS: PS256, PS384, PS512
• Digital Signature with Ed25519 or Ed448 Elliptic Curve: EDdSA
• Unsecured: none

Set values

To set the values of the JWS (header, keys, payload, etc.), you can use the dedicated functions (see the documentation), or use the function r_jws_set_properties to set multiple properties at once. The option list MUST end with the option RHN_OPT_NONE.

 
int r_jws_set_properties(jws_t * jws, ...);

The available rhn_opt and their following values for a jws_t are:

RHN_OPT_HEADER_INT_VALUE, const char *, int
RHN_OPT_HEADER_RHN_INT_VALUE, const char *, rhn_int_t
RHN_OPT_HEADER_STR_VALUE, const char * const char *
RHN_OPT_HEADER_JSON_T_VALUE, const char *, json_t *
RHN_OPT_HEADER_FULL_JSON_T, json_t *
RHN_OPT_HEADER_FULL_JSON_STR, const char *
RHN_OPT_PAYLOAD, const unsigned char *, size_t
RHN_OPT_SIG_ALG, jwa_alg
RHN_OPT_SIGN_KEY_JWK, jwk_t *
RHN_OPT_SIGN_KEY_JWKS, jwks_t *
RHN_OPT_SIGN_KEY_GNUTLS, gnutls_privkey_t
RHN_OPT_SIGN_KEY_JSON_T, json_t *
RHN_OPT_SIGN_KEY_JSON_STR, const char *
RHN_OPT_SIGN_KEY_PEM_DER, uint, const unsigned char *, size_t
RHN_OPT_VERIFY_KEY_JWK, jwk_t *
RHN_OPT_VERIFY_KEY_JWKS, jwks_t *
RHN_OPT_VERIFY_KEY_GNUTLS, gnutls_pubkey_t
RHN_OPT_VERIFY_KEY_JSON_T, json_t *
RHN_OPT_VERIFY_KEY_JSON_STR, const char *
RHN_OPT_VERIFY_KEY_PEM_DER, uint, const unsigned char *, size_t

Example of usage for r_jws_set_properties:

jws_t * jws;
const unsigned char payload[] = {4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42};
jwk_t * jwk; // Set a private RSA key in this value
r_jws_set_properties(jws, RHN_OPT_HEADER_INT_VALUE, "int", 42,
                          RHN_OPT_HEADER_STR_VALUE, "str", "a value",
                          RHN_OPT_HEADER_JSON_T_VALUE, "json", json_true(),
                          RHN_OPT_PAYLOAD, payload, sizeof(payload),
                          RHN_OPT_SIG_ALG, R_JWA_ALG_RS256,
                          RHN_OPT_SIGN_KEY_JWK, jwk,
                          RHN_OPT_NONE); // Test if return value is RHN_OK
char * token = r_jws_serialize(jws, NULL, 0);
}

JWS example

In this example, the payload used is the following message:

The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.

The JWS will be signed using HMAC with SHA256 algorithm, in this example, the signing process will use a key identified by the kid "1", therefore the header is the following:

{"alg":"HS256","kid":"1"}

The key used to sign the data is:

{
  "kty":"oct",
  "alg":"HS256",
  "k":"c2VjcmV0",
  "kid":"1"
}

Finally, the complete representation of the JWS is the following:

eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsImtpZCI6IjEifQ.VGhlIHRydWUgc2lnbiBvZiBpbnRlbGxpZ2VuY2UgaXMgbm90IGtub3dsZWRnZSBidXQgaW1hZ2luYXRpb24u.GKxWqRBFr-6X4HfflzGeGvKVsJ8v1-J39Ho2RslC-5o

Serialize a JWS using Rhonabwy in compact mode

The JWS above can be created with the following sample code:

#include <rhonabwy.h>
 
jws_t * jws = NULL;
jwk_t * jwk_key_symmetric = NULL;
char * token = NULL;
const unsigned char payload[] = "The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.";
const char jwk_key_symmetric_str[] = "{\"kty\":\"oct\",\"alg\":\"HS256\",\"k\":\"c2VjcmV0\",\"kid\":\"1\"}";
 
if (r_jwk_init(&jwk_key_symmetric) == RHN_OK && 
    r_jws_init(&jws) == RHN_OK &&
    r_jwk_import_from_json_str(jwk_key_symmetric, jwk_key_symmetric_str) == RHN_OK && 
    r_jws_set_alg(jws, R_JWA_ALG_HS256) == RHN_OK &&
    r_jws_set_payload(jws, payload, sizeof(payload)) == RHN_OK) {
  token = r_jws_serialize(jws, jwk_key_symmetric, 0); // token will store the signed token
}
 
r_free(token);
r_jws_free(jws);
r_jwk_free(jwk_key_symmetric);

Parse and validate signature of a JWS using Rhonabwy

The JWS above can be parsed and verified using the following sample code:

#include <rhonabwy.h>
 
jws_t * jws = NULL;
jwk_t * jwk_key_symmetric = NULL;
const char token[] = "eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsImtpZCI6IjEifQ."
"VGhlIHRydWUgc2lnbiBvZiBpbnRlbGxpZ2VuY2UgaXMgbm90IGtub3dsZWRnZSBidXQgaW1hZ2luYXRpb24u."
"GKxWqRBFr-6X4HfflzGeGvKVsJ8v1-J39Ho2RslC-5o";
const char jwk_key_symmetric_str[] = "{\"kty\":\"oct\",\"alg\":\"HS256\",\"k\":\"c2VjcmV0\",\"kid\":\"1\"}";
const char * payload = NULL;
size_t payload_len = 0;
 
if (r_jwk_init(&jwk_key_symmetric) == RHN_OK && 
    r_jws_init(&jws) == RHN_OK &&
    r_jwk_import_from_json_str(jwk_key_symmetric, jwk_key_symmetric_str) == RHN_OK && 
    r_jws_parse(jws, token, 0) == RHN_OK &&
    r_jws_verify_signature(jws, jwk_key_symmetric, 0) == RHN_OK && 
    (payload = r_jws_get_payload(jws, &payload_len)) != NULL && payload_len > 0) {
    // payload and payload_len will contain the payload data
}
 
r_jws_free(jws);
r_jwk_free(jwk_key_symmetric);

The functions r_jws_parse, r_jws_parsen, r_jws_compact_parse and r_jws_compact_parsen will parse a serialized JWS. If public keys are present in the header, they will be added to the public keys list and can be used to verify the token signature.

 
int r_jws_parse(jws_t * jws, const char * jws_str, int x5u_flags);
 
int r_jws_parsen(jws_t * jws, const char * jws_str, size_t jws_str_len, int x5u_flags);

Compressed payload

The header value "zip":"DEF" is used to specify if the JWS payload is compressed using ZIP/Deflate algorithm. Rhonabwy will automatically compress or decompress the decrypted payload during serialization or parse process.

Unsecured JWS

It's possible to use Rhonabwy for unsecured JWS, with the header alg:"none" and an empty signature, using a dedicated set of functions: r_jws_parse_unsecure, r_jws_parsen_unsecure, r_jws_compact_parsen_unsecure, r_jws_compact_parse_unsecure and r_jws_serialize_unsecure, or using r_jws_advanced_parse with the parse_flags value R_PARSE_UNSIGNED set.

Parse a unsecured JWS

By default, the functions r_jws_parse, r_jws_parsen, r_jws_compact_parse and r_jws_compact_parsen will return RHN_ERROR_INVALID if the parsed JWS is unsigned. To parse any JWS, signed or unsigned, you must use the functions r_jws_parse_unsecure, r_jws_parsen_unsecure, r_jws_compact_parsen_unsecure and r_jws_compact_parse_unsecure, or using r_jws_advanced_parse with the parse_flags value R_PARSE_UNSIGNED set.

Serialize an unsecured JWS

Use the function r_jws_serialize_unsecure to serialize an unsecured JWS. By design, the functions r_jws_serialize_json_t and r_jws_serialize_json_str will return NULL with mode R_JSON_MODE_FLATTENED on unsecured JWS.

Advanced parsing

JWS standard allows to add in the JWS header a public key in several forms:

• jwk: a public key in JWK format
• jku: an url to a JWK Set
• x5c: an array of X509 certificates
• x5u: an url to a X509 certificate

When using the functions r_jws_parse, r_jws_parsen, r_jws_compact_parse, r_jws_compact_parsen, r_jws_parse_unsecure, r_jws_parsen_unsecure, r_jws_compact_parsen_unsecure and r_jws_compact_parse_unsecure, by default, if a public key is mentionned in the header, it will be added to the jws->jwks_pubkey, so the signature verification will not need to specify a key. This can be dangerous if the token comes from a untrustworthy source and if the token isn't checked properly.

To simplify secure token parsing, you should use the functions r_jws_advanced_parse[n]:

 
int r_jws_advanced_parse(jws_t * jws, const char * jws_str, uint32_t parse_flags, int x5u_flags);
 
int r_jws_advanced_parsen(jws_t * jws, const char * jws_str, size_t jws_str_len, uint32_t parse_flags, int x5u_flags);

Quick parsing

The quick parsing functions can be used to parse a JWS in one line:

 
jws_t * r_jws_quick_parse(const char * jws_str, uint32_t parse_flags, int x5u_flags);
 
jws_t * r_jws_quick_parsen(const char * jws_str, size_t jws_str_len, uint32_t parse_flags, int x5u_flags);

Signature verification

Signature verification is provided by the function r_jws_verify_signature which has the following definition:

 
int r_jws_verify_signature(jws_t * jws, jwk_t * jwk_pubkey, int x5u_flags);

The function r_jws_verify_signature will return RHN_ERROR_INVALID if the JWS is unsecured.

JWE

A JWE (JSON Web Encryption) is an encrypted content serialized in a compact format that can be easily transferred in HTTP requests.

Basically the payload is encrypted using AES-CBC or AES-GCM and an Initialization Vector (IV), a authentication tag is generated to validate the decryption, and the AES key used to encrypt the payload is encrypted itself using a symmetric or asymmetric encryption algorithm.

The serialized token has the following format:

BASE64URL(UTF8(JWE Protected Header)) || '.' || BASE64URL(JWE Encrypted Key) || '.' || BASE64URL(JWE Initialization Vector) || '.' || BASE64URL(JWE Ciphertext) || '.' || BASE64URL(JWE Authentication Tag)

In Rhonabwy library, the supported algorithms are:

• Supported Encryption Algorithm (enc) for JWE payload encryption: A128CBC-HS256, A192CBC-HS384, A256CBC-HS512, A128GCM, A2192GCM, A256GCM
• Supported Cryptographic Algorithms for Key Management: RSA1_5 (RSAES-PKCS1-v1_5), RSA-OAEP, RSA-OAEP-256, A128KW, A192KW, A256KW, dir (Direct use of a shared symmetric key), A128GCMKW, A192GCMKW, A256GCMKW, ECDH-ES, ECDH-ES+A128KW, ECDH-ES+A192KW, ECDH-ES+A256KW, PBES2-HS384+A192KW and PBES2-HS512+A256KW, PBES2-HS256+A128KW

If you don't specify a Content Encryption Key or an Initialization Vector before the serialization, Rhonabwy will automatically generate one or the other or both depending on the algorithm specified.

Set values

To set the values of the JWE (header, keys, payload, etc.), you can use the dedicated functions (see the documentation), or use the function r_jwe_set_properties to set multiple properties at once. The option list MUST end with the option RHN_OPT_NONE.

 
int r_jwe_set_properties(jwe_t * jwe, ...);

The available rhn_opt and their following values for a jwe_t are:

RHN_OPT_HEADER_INT_VALUE, const char *, int
RHN_OPT_HEADER_RHN_INT_VALUE, const char *, rhn_int_t
RHN_OPT_HEADER_STR_VALUE, const char * const char *
RHN_OPT_HEADER_JSON_T_VALUE, const char *, json_t *
RHN_OPT_HEADER_FULL_JSON_T, json_t *
RHN_OPT_HEADER_FULL_JSON_STR, const char *
RHN_OPT_PAYLOAD, const unsigned char *, size_t
RHN_OPT_ENC_ALG, jwa_alg
RHN_OPT_ENC, jwa_enc
RHN_OPT_CIPHER_KEY, const unsigned char *, size_t
RHN_OPT_IV, const unsigned char *, size_t
RHN_OPT_AAD, const unsigned char *, size_t
RHN_OPT_ENCRYPT_KEY_JWK, jwk_t *
RHN_OPT_ENCRYPT_KEY_JWKS, jwks_t *
RHN_OPT_ENCRYPT_KEY_GNUTLS, gnutls_pubkey_t
RHN_OPT_ENCRYPT_KEY_JSON_T, json_t *
RHN_OPT_ENCRYPT_KEY_JSON_STR, const char *
RHN_OPT_ENCRYPT_KEY_PEM_DER, uint, const unsigned char *, size_t
RHN_OPT_DECRYPT_KEY_JWK, jwk_t *
RHN_OPT_DECRYPT_KEY_JWKS, jwks_t *
RHN_OPT_DECRYPT_KEY_GNUTLS, gnutls_privkey_t
RHN_OPT_DECRYPT_KEY_JSON_T, json_t *
RHN_OPT_DECRYPT_KEY_JSON_STR, const char *
RHN_OPT_DECRYPT_KEY_PEM_DER, uint, const unsigned char *, size_t

Example of usage for r_jwe_set_properties:

jwe_t * jwe;
const unsigned char payload[] = {4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42};
jwk_t * jwk; // Set a public RSA key in this value
r_jwe_set_properties(jwe, RHN_OPT_HEADER_INT_VALUE, "int", 42,
                          RHN_OPT_HEADER_STR_VALUE, "str", "a value",
                          RHN_OPT_HEADER_JSON_T_VALUE, "json", json_true(),
                          RHN_OPT_PAYLOAD, payload, sizeof(payload),
                          RHN_OPT_ENC_ALG, R_JWA_ALG_RSA_OAEP_256,
                          RHN_OPT_ENC, R_JWA_ENC_A128GCM,
                          RHN_OPT_ENCRYPT_KEY_JWK, jwk,
                          RHN_OPT_NONE); // Test if return value is RHN_OK
char * token = r_jwe_serialize(jwe, NULL, 0);
}

JWE example

In this example, the payload used is the following message:

The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.

The RSA private key associated to this token is:

{
  "kty":"RSA",
  "n":"0vx7agoebGcQSuuPiLJXZptN9nndrQmbXEps2aiAFbWhM78LhWx4cbbfAAtVT86zwu1RK7aPFFxuhDR1L6tSoc_BJECPebWKRXjBZCiFV4n3oknjhMstn64tZ_2W-5JsGY4Hc5n9yBXArwl93lqt7_RN5w6Cf0h4QyQ5v-65YGjQR0_FDW2QvzqY368QQMicAtaSqzs8KJZgnYb9c7d0zgdAZHzu6qMQvRL5hajrn1n91CbOpbISD08qNLyrdkt-bFTWhAI4vMQFh6WeZu0fM4lFd2NcRwr3XPksINHaQ-G_xBniIqbw0Ls1jF44-csFCur-kEgU8awapJzKnqDKgw",
  "e":"AQAB",
  "d":"X4cTteJY_gn4FYPsXB8rdXix5vwsg1FLN5E3EaG6RJoVH-HLLKD9M7dx5oo7GURknchnrRweUkC7hT5fJLM0WbFAKNLWY2vv7B6NqXSzUvxT0_YSfqijwp3RTzlBaCxWp4doFk5N2o8Gy_nHNKroADIkJ46pRUohsXywbReAdYaMwFs9tv8d_cPVY3i07a3t8MN6TNwm0dSawm9v47UiCl3Sk5ZiG7xojPLu4sbg1U2jx4IBTNBznbJSzFHK66jT8bgkuqsk0GjskDJk19Z4qwjwbsnn4j2WBii3RL-Us2lGVkY8fkFzme1z0HbIkfz0Y6mqnOYtqc0X4jfcKoAC8Q",
  "p":"83i-7IvMGXoMXCskv73TKr8637FiO7Z27zv8oj6pbWUQyLPQBQxtPVnwD20R-60eTDmD2ujnMt5PoqMrm8RfmNhVWDtjjMmCMjOpSXicFHj7XOuVIYQyqVWlWEh6dN36GVZYk93N8Bc9vY41xy8B9RzzOGVQzXvNEvn7O0nVbfs","q":"3dfOR9cuYq-0S-mkFLzgItgMEfFzB2q3hWehMuG0oCuqnb3vobLyumqjVZQO1dIrdwgTnCdpYzBcOfW5r370AFXjiWft_NGEiovonizhKpo9VVS78TzFgxkIdrecRezsZ-1kYd_s1qDbxtkDEgfAITAG9LUnADun4vIcb6yelxk",
  "dp":"G4sPXkc6Ya9y8oJW9_ILj4xuppu0lzi_H7VTkS8xj5SdX3coE0oimYwxIi2emTAue0UOa5dpgFGyBJ4c8tQ2VF402XRugKDTP8akYhFo5tAA77Qe_NmtuYZc3C3m3I24G2GvR5sSDxUyAN2zq8Lfn9EUms6rY3Ob8YeiKkTiBj0","dq":"s9lAH9fggBsoFR8Oac2R_E2gw282rT2kGOAhvIllETE1efrA6huUUvMfBcMpn8lqeW6vzznYY5SSQF7pMdC_agI3nG8Ibp1BUb0JUiraRNqUfLhcQb_d9GF4Dh7e74WbRsobRonujTYN1xCaP6TO61jvWrX-L18txXw494Q_cgk",
  "qi":"GyM_p6JrXySiz1toFgKbWV-JdI3jQ4ypu9rbMWx3rQJBfmt0FoYzgUIZEVFEcOqwemRN81zoDAaa-Bk0KWNGDjJHZDdDmFhW3AN7lI-puxk_mHZGJ11rxyR8O55XLSe3SPmRfKwZI6yU24ZxvQKFYItdldUKGzO6Ia6zTKhAVRU",
  "kid":"2011-04-29"
}

The encryption algorithm used is A128CBC-HS256 and the cryptographic algorithm to encrypt the key is RSA1_5

Finally, the complete representation of the JWE is:

eyJhbGciOiJSU0ExXzUiLCJlbmMiOiJBMTI4Q0JDLUhTMjU2In0.0ouvmluqT8kvBCgjMw8mhBFFEI5Rua58WnnATU21RqEQ2f9M6FqGEkgYpJ81ePtTkOyW1l8V-4nxIDxy-xeTHd0v5bDEbxhWKRdOmUHACC018Gt1ZB9EHHJt7k4UYj3up2xVa8qykKbZ3WGF0Gffi6ctfLCfRCWNnXMbAylV02mf4Tfhpad_WC4EeZENNryilXbAKD_9NNje-CoXD0IQK4-z2fkzfyUislwzK7dyz--uNNAC3N6XO3Blr_z61wXWGEHBa62fyHCsQqagAzN_MqTZv6cxOpRpeWM4_SwjjvcyC77rRyVpN0lC9ukyX_pNrGLXW8zH4mH78OcKPoDLPw.o5e-xb5ZzvZA2JYD2qgFbA.YNTPRS7Hv0fqE7ReEUAS_KNM31wMPPldhBGmYuQTzUWVcX8pGqooTbwaV4o_7BBiF4apD_VCGWwQ-fDD0eDofg.uyAjCu7WSo8BeBDFmYfkLA

Serialize a JWE using Rhonabwy

The JWE above can be created with the following sample code:

#include <rhonabwy.h>
 
jwe_t * jwe = NULL;
jwk_t * jwk_key_rsa = NULL;
char * token = NULL;
const unsigned char payload[] = "The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.";
const char jwk_pubkey_rsa_str[] = "{\"kty\":\"RSA\",\"n\":\"0vx7agoebGcQSuuPiLJXZptN9nndrQmbXEps2aiAFbWhM78LhWx4cbbfAAtVT86zwu1RK7aPFFxuhDR1L6tSoc_BJECPebWKRX"\
                                   "jBZCiFV4n3oknjhMstn64tZ_2W-5JsGY4Hc5n9yBXArwl93lqt7_RN5w6Cf0h4QyQ5v-65YGjQR0_FDW2QvzqY368QQMicAtaSqzs8KJZgnYb9c7d0zgdAZHzu6"\
                                   "qMQvRL5hajrn1n91CbOpbISD08qNLyrdkt-bFTWhAI4vMQFh6WeZu0fM4lFd2NcRwr3XPksINHaQ-G_xBniIqbw0Ls1jF44-csFCur-kEgU8awapJzKnqDKgw\""\
                                   ",\"e\":\"AQAB\",\"alg\":\"RS256\",\"kid\":\"2011-04-29\"}",
 
if (r_jwk_init(&jwk_key_rsa) == RHN_OK && 
    r_jwe_init(&jwe) == RHN_OK &&
    r_jwk_import_from_json_str(jwk_key_rsa, jwk_pubkey_rsa_str) == RHN_OK && 
    r_jwe_set_alg(jwe, R_JWA_ALG_RSA1_5) == RHN_OK &&
    r_jwe_set_enc(jwe, R_JWA_ENC_A128CBC) == RHN_OK &&
    r_jwe_set_payload(jwe, payload, sizeof(payload)) == RHN_OK) {
  token = r_jwe_serialize(jwe, jwk_key_rsa, 0); // token will store the encrypted token
}
 
r_free(token);
r_jwe_free(jwe);
r_jwk_free(jwk_key_rsa);

Compressed payload

The header value "zip":"DEF" is used to specify if the JWE payload is compressed using ZIP/Deflate algorithm. Rhonabwy will automatically compress or decompress the decrypted payload during encryption or decryption process.

Parse and decrypt a JWE using Rhonabwy

The JWE above can be parsed and verified using the following sample code:

#include <rhonabwy.h>
 
jwe_t * jwe = NULL;
jwk_t * jwk_key_rsa = NULL;
const char jwk_pirvkey_rsa_str[] = "{\"kty\":\"RSA\",\"n\":\"0vx7agoebGcQSuuPiLJXZptN9nndrQmbXEps2aiAFbWhM78LhWx4cbbfAAtVT86zwu1RK7aPFFxuhDR1L6tSoc_BJECPebWKR"\
                                   "XjBZCiFV4n3oknjhMstn64tZ_2W-5JsGY4Hc5n9yBXArwl93lqt7_RN5w6Cf0h4QyQ5v-65YGjQR0_FDW2QvzqY368QQMicAtaSqzs8KJZgnYb9c7d0zgdAZHz"\
                                   "u6qMQvRL5hajrn1n91CbOpbISD08qNLyrdkt-bFTWhAI4vMQFh6WeZu0fM4lFd2NcRwr3XPksINHaQ-G_xBniIqbw0Ls1jF44-csFCur-kEgU8awapJzKnqDKg"\
                                   "w\",\"e\":\"AQAB\",\"d\":\"X4cTteJY_gn4FYPsXB8rdXix5vwsg1FLN5E3EaG6RJoVH-HLLKD9M7dx5oo7GURknchnrRweUkC7hT5fJLM0WbFAKNLWY2v"\
                                   "v7B6NqXSzUvxT0_YSfqijwp3RTzlBaCxWp4doFk5N2o8Gy_nHNKroADIkJ46pRUohsXywbReAdYaMwFs9tv8d_cPVY3i07a3t8MN6TNwm0dSawm9v47UiCl3Sk"\
                                   "5ZiG7xojPLu4sbg1U2jx4IBTNBznbJSzFHK66jT8bgkuqsk0GjskDJk19Z4qwjwbsnn4j2WBii3RL-Us2lGVkY8fkFzme1z0HbIkfz0Y6mqnOYtqc0X4jfcKoA"\
                                   "C8Q\",\"p\":\"83i-7IvMGXoMXCskv73TKr8637FiO7Z27zv8oj6pbWUQyLPQBQxtPVnwD20R-60eTDmD2ujnMt5PoqMrm8RfmNhVWDtjjMmCMjOpSXicFHj7"\
                                   "XOuVIYQyqVWlWEh6dN36GVZYk93N8Bc9vY41xy8B9RzzOGVQzXvNEvn7O0nVbfs\",\"q\":\"3dfOR9cuYq-0S-mkFLzgItgMEfFzB2q3hWehMuG0oCuqnb3v"\
                                   "obLyumqjVZQO1dIrdwgTnCdpYzBcOfW5r370AFXjiWft_NGEiovonizhKpo9VVS78TzFgxkIdrecRezsZ-1kYd_s1qDbxtkDEgfAITAG9LUnADun4vIcb6yelx"\
                                   "k\",\"dp\":\"G4sPXkc6Ya9y8oJW9_ILj4xuppu0lzi_H7VTkS8xj5SdX3coE0oimYwxIi2emTAue0UOa5dpgFGyBJ4c8tQ2VF402XRugKDTP8akYhFo5tAA7"\
                                   "7Qe_NmtuYZc3C3m3I24G2GvR5sSDxUyAN2zq8Lfn9EUms6rY3Ob8YeiKkTiBj0\",\"dq\":\"s9lAH9fggBsoFR8Oac2R_E2gw282rT2kGOAhvIllETE1efrA"\
                                   "6huUUvMfBcMpn8lqeW6vzznYY5SSQF7pMdC_agI3nG8Ibp1BUb0JUiraRNqUfLhcQb_d9GF4Dh7e74WbRsobRonujTYN1xCaP6TO61jvWrX-L18txXw494Q_cg"\
                                   "k\",\"qi\":\"GyM_p6JrXySiz1toFgKbWV-JdI3jQ4ypu9rbMWx3rQJBfmt0FoYzgUIZEVFEcOqwemRN81zoDAaa-Bk0KWNGDjJHZDdDmFhW3AN7lI-puxk_m"\
                                   "HZGJ11rxyR8O55XLSe3SPmRfKwZI6yU24ZxvQKFYItdldUKGzO6Ia6zTKhAVRU\",\"alg\":\"RS256\",\"kid\":\"2011-04-29\"}",
token[] = "eyJhbGciOiJSU0ExXzUiLCJlbmMiOiJBMTI4Q0JDLUhTMjU2In0.0ouvmluqT8kvBCgjMw8mhBFFEI5Rua58WnnATU21RqEQ2f9M6FqGEkgYpJ81ePtTkOyW1l8V-4nxIDxy-xeTHd0v5bDEbxhWKRdOmUHACC018Gt1ZB9EHHJt7k4UYj3up2xVa8qykKbZ3WGF0Gffi6ctfLCfRCWNnXMbAylV02mf4Tfhpad_WC4EeZENNryilXbAKD_9NNje-CoXD0IQK4-z2fkzfyUislwzK7dyz--uNNAC3N6XO3Blr_z61wXWGEHBa62fyHCsQqagAzN_MqTZv6cxOpRpeWM4_SwjjvcyC77rRyVpN0lC9ukyX_pNrGLXW8zH4mH78OcKPoDLPw.o5e-xb5ZzvZA2JYD2qgFbA.YNTPRS7Hv0fqE7ReEUAS_KNM31wMPPldhBGmYuQTzUWVcX8pGqooTbwaV4o_7BBiF4apD_VCGWwQ-fDD0eDofg.uyAjCu7WSo8BeBDFmYfkLA";
const char * payload = NULL;
size_t payload_len = 0;
 
if (r_jwk_init(&jwk_key_rsa) == RHN_OK && 
    r_jwe_init(&jwe) == RHN_OK &&
    r_jwk_import_from_json_str(jwk_key_rsa, jwk_pirvkey_rsa_str) == RHN_OK && 
    r_jwe_parse(jwe, token, 0) == RHN_OK &&
    r_jwe_decrypt(jwe, jwk_key_rsa, 0) == RHN_OK && 
    (payload = r_jwe_get_payload(jwe, &payload_len)) != NULL && payload_len > 0) {
  // payload and payload_len will contain the payload data
}
 
r_jwe_free(jwe);
r_jwk_free(jwk_key_rsa);

ECDH-ES implementation

The ECDH-ES algorithm requires an ECC or ECDH public key for the encryption. The RFC specifies `"A new ephemeral public key value MUST be generated for each key agreement operation.", so an ephemeral key is genererated on each encryption.

You can specify the ephemeral key to use though, by setting an encryption key to the JWE before generating the token. The responsibilty not to reuse the same ephemeral key is yours then.

Example with a specified ephemeral key:

const unsigned char payload[] = "The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination...";
// This is the ephemeral key
const char eph[] = " {\"kty\":\"EC\",\"crv\":\"P-256\",\"x\":\"gI0GAILBdu7T53akrFmMyGcsF3n5dO7MmwNBHKW5SV0\","
"\"y\":\"SLW_xSffzlPWrHEVI30DHM_4egVwt3NQqeUD7nMFpps\",\"d\":\"0_NxaRPUMQoAJt50Gz8YiTr8gRTwyEaCumd-MToTmIo\"}",
bob[] = "{\"kty\":\"EC\",\"crv\":\"P-256\",\"x\":\"weNJy2HscCSM6AEDTDg04biOvhFhyyWvOHQfeF_PxMQ\","
"\"y\":\"e8lnCO-AlStT-NJVX-crhB7QRYhiix03illJOVAOyck\"}"; // This is the public key
jwk_t * jwk_eph = NULL, * jwk_bob = NULL;
jwe_t * jwe = NULL;
char * token;
 
jwk_eph = r_jwk_quick_import(R_IMPORT_JSON_STR, eph);
jwk_bob = r_jwk_quick_import(R_IMPORT_JSON_STR, bob);
 
r_jwe_init(&jwe);
r_jwe_set_payload(jwe, payload, sizeof(payload));
 
r_jwe_add_keys(jwe, jwk_eph, jwk_bob); // Add both public and ephemeral keys here
 
r_jwe_set_alg(jwe, R_JWA_ALG_ECDH_ES_A128KW);
r_jwe_set_enc(jwe, R_JWA_ENC_A128GCM);
r_jwe_set_header_str_value(jwe, "apu", "QWxpY2U");
r_jwe_set_header_str_value(jwe, "apv", "Qm9i");
 
token = r_jwe_serialize(jwe, NULL, 0); // token will contain the compact representation of the serialized token, e.g. eyJhcHUiOiJRV3hwWTJVIiwiYXB2IjoiUW0[...]
 
r_free(token);
r_jwk_free(jwk_eph);
r_jwk_free(jwk_bob);
r_jwe_free(jwe);

Tokens in JSON format

Rhonabwy supports serializing and parsing tokens in JSON format, see JWE JSON Serialization and JWS JSON Serialization.

JWS JSON serialization and parsing

To serialize a JWS in JSON format, you must use the functions r_jws_serialize_json_t or r_jws_serialize_json_str, the parameter mode must have the value R_JSON_MODE_GENERAL to serialize in general format (allows multiple signatures), or R_JSON_MODE_FLATTENED to serialize in flattened format.

To parse a JWS in JSON format, you can either use r_jws_parse_json_str, r_jws_parsen_json_str or r_jws_parse_json_t when you know the token is in JSON format, or you can use r_jws_parse or r_jws_parsen.

If the token is in general JSON format and has multiple signatures, the function r_jws_verify_signature will return RHN_OK if one of the signatures is verified by the public key specified or one of the public keys added to its public JWKS.

JWE JSON serialization and parsing

To serialize a JWE in JSON format, you must use the functions r_jwe_serialize_json_t or r_jwe_serialize_json_str, the parameter mode must have the value R_JSON_MODE_GENERAL to serialize in general format (allows multiple key encryption), or R_JSON_MODE_FLATTENED to serialize in flattened format.

To parse a JWE in JSON format, you can either use r_jwe_parse_json_str, r_jwe_parsen_json_str or r_jwe_parse_json_t when you know the token is in JSON format, or you can use r_jwe_parse or r_jwe_parsen.

If the token is in general JSON format and has multiple key encryption, the function r_jwe_decrypt will decrypt the payload and return RHN_OK if one of the recipients content is correctly decrypted using a specified private key or one of the private key added to its private JWKS.

Quick parsing

The quick parsing functions can be used to parse a JWE in one line:

 
jwe_t * r_jwe_quick_parse(const char * jwe_str, uint32_t parse_flags, int x5u_flags);
 
jwe_t * r_jwe_quick_parsen(const char * jwe_str, size_t jwe_str_len, uint32_t parse_flags, int x5u_flags);