Certificate Extended Properties

A version of this page is also available for

Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R3

4/8/2010

The data in a certificate including any extensions, is read-only and cannot be changed. However, on Microsoft run-time images, CryptoAPI certificates also have dynamic extended properties that can be added and changed.

Note

Extended properties are associated with a certificate and are not part of a certificate as issued by a certificate authority (CA). Extended properties are not available on a certificate when it is used on a non-Microsoft run-time image.

These properties include data that:

  • Pertains to the private key to be used with the certificate.
  • Indicates the type of hashes to be performed on the certificate.
  • Provides user-defined information associated with the certificate.

On Microsoft run-time images, values for these properties are attached to and move with the certificate. Currently predefined properties identified with property IDs include:

  • CERT_KEY_PROV_HANDLE_PROP_ID,
    CERT_KEY_PROV_INFO_PROP_ID, and
    CERT_KEY_CONTEXT_PROP_ID
    These properties tie a certificate to a particular CSP and, within that CSP, to a particular private key.
  • CERT_SHA1_HASH_PROP_ID and
    CERT_MD5_HASH_PROP_ID

These properties indicate the hashing algorithm to be used when a hashing operation is performed.

See Also

Other Resources

Cryptography
Certificates