---
name: "nethsm-key-decrypt"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "nethsm-cli"
version: "0.10.0-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/nethsm-key-decrypt"
---

# nethsm-key-decrypt(1)

The "nethsm key decrypt" command

## NAME

nethsm-key-decrypt - The "nethsm key decrypt" command

## SYNOPSIS

**nethsm key decrypt** \[**-a**\|**--auth-passphrase-file**\] \[**-f**\|**--force**\] \[**-c**\|**--config**\] \[**-i**\|**--initialization-vector**\] \[**-l**\|**--label**\] \[**-o**\|**--output**\] \[**-u**\|**--user**\] \[**-h**\|**--help**\] \<*KEY\_ID*\> \<*MESSAGE*\> \[*DECRYPT\_MODE*\]

## DESCRIPTION

The "nethsm key decrypt" command

## OPTIONS

- **-a**, **--auth-passphrase-file** *\<AUTH\_PASSPHRASE\_FILE\>*

  The path to a file containing a passphrase for authentication

  The passphrase provided in the file must be the one for the user chosen for the command.

  This option can be provided multiple times, which is needed for commands that require multiple roles at once. With multiple passphrase files ordering matters, as the files are assigned to the respective user provided by the "--user" option.

  May also be specified with the **NETHSM\_AUTH\_PASSPHRASE\_FILE** environment variable.

- **-f**, **--force**

  Write to output file even if it exists already

  May also be specified with the **NETHSM\_FORCE** environment variable.

- **-c**, **--config** *\<CONFIG\>*

  The path to a custom configuration file

  If specified, the custom configuration file is used instead of the default configuration file location.

  May also be specified with the **NETHSM\_CONFIG** environment variable.

- **-i**, **--initialization-vector** *\<INITIALIZATION\_VECTOR\>*

  The path to a file containing the initialization vector (IV) for symmetric decryption

  The IV can only be used when choosing symmetric decryption (i.e. with "AesCbc")

  May also be specified with the **NETHSM\_KEY\_DECRYPT\_IV** environment variable.

- **-l**, **--label** *\<LABEL\>*

  A label uniquely identifying a device in the configuration file

  Must be provided if more than one device is setup in the configuration file.

  May also be specified with the **NETHSM\_LABEL** environment variable.

- **-o**, **--output** *\<OUTPUT\>*

  The path to a specific file to write the decrypted message to

  May also be specified with the **NETHSM\_KEY\_DECRYPT\_OUTPUT** environment variable.

- **-u**, **--user** *\<USER\>*

  A user name which is used for a command

  Can be provided, if no user name is setup in the configuration file for a device. Must be provided, if several user names of the same target role are setup in the configuration file for a device.

  This option can be provided multiple times, which is needed for commands that require multiple roles at once.

  May also be specified with the **NETHSM\_USER** environment variable.

- **-h**, **--help**

  Print help (see a summary with '-h')

- \<*KEY\_ID*\>

  The ID of the key to use for decryption

  May also be specified with the **NETHSM\_KEY\_ID** environment variable.

- \<*MESSAGE*\>

  The path to an encrypted message to decrypt

  May also be specified with the **NETHSM\_KEY\_DECRYPT\_MESSAGE** environment variable.

- \[*DECRYPT\_MODE*\]

  The decryption mode to use

  One of \["AesCbc", "OaepMd5", "OaepSha1", "OaepSha224", "OaepSha256", "OaepSha384", "OaepSha512", "Pkcs1", "Raw"\] (defaults to "Raw").

  May also be specified with the **NETHSM\_KEY\_DECRYPT\_MODE** environment variable.