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ec.1s

Elliptic Curve key operations

TLDR

Generate EC key
$ openssl ec -in [key.pem] -text -noout
Generate EC private key
$ openssl ecparam -genkey -name [prime256v1] -out [key.pem]
Convert EC key format
$ openssl ec -in [key.pem] -outform DER -out [key.der]

SYNOPSIS

openssl ec [options]

DESCRIPTION

openssl ec handles Elliptic Curve (EC) key operations including reading, writing, and converting EC private keys. EC cryptography provides strong security with smaller key sizes compared to RSA.The command reads EC keys in various formats and can output them in PEM or DER encoding. It's used for key management in TLS configurations and digital signatures.EC keys are generated using ecparam with a named curve, then processed with the ec command for format conversion or examination.

PARAMETERS

-in FILE

Input key file.
-out FILE
Output key file.
-text
Print key in text form.
-noout
Don't output encoded key.
-outform FORMAT
Output format: PEM, DER.
-param_enc TYPE
Parameter encoding type.
--help
Display help information.

CAVEATS

Curve selection affects security and compatibility. Some curves have known weaknesses. Not all systems support all curves.

HISTORY

OpenSSL EC support was added as elliptic curve cryptography became standard for TLS. EC offers equivalent security to RSA with significantly smaller keys.

SEE ALSO

openssl(1)