---
name: "pf_key"
section: "5"
platform: "linux"
package: "openswan"
version: "1:2.4.12+dfsg-1.3+lenny4"
release: "Debian 5.0 (Lenny)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/pf_key"
---

# pf\_key(5)

lists PF\_KEY sockets registered with KLIPS

## NAME

ipsec\_pf\_key - lists PF\_KEY sockets registered with KLIPS

## SYNOPSIS

**cat** */proc/net/pf\_key*

## STACK

Note that pf\_key is only supported on the KLIPS and MAST stacks. It is not supported on any other stack.

## DESCRIPTION

*/proc/net/pf\_key* is a read-only file which lists the presently open PF\_KEY sockets on the local system and their parameters.

Each line lists one PF\_KEY socket. A table entry consists of:

- \+

  sock pointer (sock)

- \+

  PID of the socket owner (pid)

- \+

  flag to indicate if the socket is dead (d)

- \+

  socket wait queue (sleep)

- \+

  socket pointer (socket)

- \+

  next socket in chain (next)

- \+

  previous socket in chain (prev)

- \+

  last socket error (e)

- \+

  pointer to destruct routine (destruct)

- \+

  is this a reused socket (r)

- \+

  has this socket been zapped (z)

- \+

  socket family to which this socket belongs (fa)

- \+

  local port number (n)

- \+

  protocol version number (p)

- \+

  Receive queue bytes committed (r)

- \+

  Transmit queue bytes committed (w)

- \+

  option memory allocations (o)

- \+

  size of send buffer in bytes (sndbf)

- \+

  timestamp in seconds (stamp)

- \+

  socket flags (Flags)

- \+

  socket type (Type)

- \+

  connection state (St)

## EXAMPLES

- *c3b8c140 3553 0 c0599818 c05997fc 0 0 0 0 1 0 15 0 2 0 0 0 65535 0.103232 00000000 00000003 01*

  shows that there is one pf\_key socket set up that starts at *c3b8c140*, whose owning process has PID 3553, the socket is not dead, its wait queue is at *c0599818*, whose owning socket is at *c05997fc*, with no other sockets in the chain, no errors, no destructor, it is a reused socket which has not been zapped, from protocol family 15 (PF\_KEY), local port number 0, protocol socket version 2, no memory allocated to transmit, receive or option queues, a send buffer of almost *64kB*, a timestamp of 0.103232, no flags set, type 3, in state 1.

## FILES

/proc/net/pf\_key

## SEE ALSO

[ipsec(8)](/ipsec/8.md), [ipsec\_manual(8)](/ipsec_manual/8.md), [ipsec\_eroute(5)](/ipsec_eroute/5.md), [ipsec\_spi(5)](/ipsec_spi/5.md), [ipsec\_spigrp(5)](/ipsec_spigrp/5.md), [ipsec\_klipsdebug(5)](/ipsec_klipsdebug/5.md), [ipsec\_tncfg(8)](/ipsec_tncfg/8.md), [ipsec\_version(5)](/ipsec_version/5.md)

## HISTORY

Written for the Linux FreeS/WAN project \<http://www.freeswan.org/: *http://www.freeswan.org/*\> by Richard Guy Briggs.