---
name: "ne_ssl_clicert_owner"
section: "3"
platform: "linux"
package: "libneon27-dev"
version: "0.34.2-1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/ne_ssl_clicert_read"
---

# ne\_ssl\_clicert\_owner(3)

SSL client certificate handling

Part of [ne\_ssl\_clicert\_read(3)](/ne_ssl_clicert_read/3.md).

## NAME

ne\_ssl\_clicert\_read, ne\_ssl\_clicert\_name, ne\_ssl\_clicert\_encrypted, ne\_ssl\_clicert\_decrypt, ne\_ssl\_clicert\_owner, ne\_ssl\_clicert\_free - SSL client certificate handling

## SYNOPSIS

```
#include <ne_ssl.h>
```

**ne\_ssl\_client\_cert \*ne\_ssl\_clicert\_read(const char \****filename***);**

**const char \*ne\_ssl\_clicert\_name(const ne\_ssl\_client\_cert \****ccert***);**

**int ne\_ssl\_clicert\_encrypted(const ne\_ssl\_client\_cert \****ccert***);**

**int ne\_ssl\_clicert\_decrypt(ne\_ssl\_client\_cert \****ccert***, const char \****password***);**

**const ne\_ssl\_certificate \*ne\_ssl\_clicert\_owner(const ne\_ssl\_client\_cert \****ccert***);**

**void ne\_ssl\_clicert\_free(ne\_ssl\_client\_cert \****ccert***);**

## DESCRIPTION

The **ne\_ssl\_clicert\_read** function reads a client certificate from a PKCS#12-formatted file, and returns an **ne\_ssl\_client\_cert** object. If the client certificate is encrypted, it must be decrypted before it is used. An **ne\_ssl\_client\_cert** object holds a client certificate and the associated private key, not just a certificate; the term "client certificate" will used to refer to this pair.

A client certificate can be in one of two states: *encrypted* or *decrypted*. The **ne\_ssl\_clicert\_encrypted** function will return non-zero if the client certificate is in the *encrypted* state. A client certificate object returned by **ne\_ssl\_clicert\_read** may be initially in either state, depending on whether the file was encrypted or not.

**ne\_ssl\_clicert\_decrypt** can be used to decrypt a client certificate using the appropriate password. This function must only be called if the object is in the *encrypted* state; if decryption fails, the certificate state does not change, so decryption can be attempted more than once using different passwords.

A client certificate can be given a "friendly name" when it is created; **ne\_ssl\_clicert\_name** will return this name (or NULL if no friendly name was specified). **ne\_ssl\_clicert\_name** can be used when the client certificate is in either the encrypted or decrypted state, and will return the same string for the lifetime of the object.

The function **ne\_ssl\_clicert\_owner** returns the certificate part of the client certificate; it must only be called if the client certificate is in the *decrypted* state.

When the client certificate is no longer needed, the **ne\_ssl\_clicert\_free** function should be used to destroy the object.

## RETURN VALUE

**ne\_ssl\_clicert\_read** returns a client certificate object, or NULL if the file could not be read. **ne\_ssl\_clicert\_encrypted** returns zero if the object is in the decrypted state, or non-zero if it is in the encrypted state. **ne\_ssl\_clicert\_name** returns a NUL-terminated friendly name string, or NULL. **ne\_ssl\_clicert\_owner** returns a certificate object.

## EXAMPLES

The following code reads a client certificate and decrypts it if necessary, then loads it into an HTTP session.

```
ne_ssl_client_cert *ccert;
ccert = ne_ssl_clicert_read("/path/to/client.p12");
if (ccert == NULL) {
   /* handle error... */
} else if (ne_ssl_clicert_encrypted(ccert)) {
   char *password = prompt_for_password();
   if (ne_ssl_clicert_decrypt(ccert, password)) {
      /* could not decrypt! handle error... */
   }
}
ne_ssl_set_clicert(sess, ccert);
```

## SEE ALSO

ne\_ssl\_cert\_read

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2001-2024 Joe Orton\