June 9, 2008...4:16 pm

CryptoAPI: How to import a certificate

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Following is the C code to import a certificate into the Windows trusted root certificate store using CryptoAPI:

PCCERT_CONTEXT pCertCtx = NULL;

if (CryptQueryObject (
        CERT_QUERY_OBJECT_FILE,
        L"D:\\selva\\b64.cer",
        CERT_QUERY_CONTENT_FLAG_ALL,
        CERT_QUERY_FORMAT_FLAG_ALL,
        0,
        NULL,
        NULL,
        NULL,
        NULL,
        NULL,
        (const void **)&pCertCtx) != 0)
{
    HCERTSTORE hCertStore = CertOpenStore (
        CERT_STORE_PROV_SYSTEM,
        0,
        0,
        CERT_STORE_OPEN_EXISTING_FLAG |
        CERT_SYSTEM_STORE_LOCAL_MACHINE,
        L"ROOT");
    if (hCertStore != NULL)
    {
        if (CertAddCertificateContextToStore (
            hCertStore,
            pCertCtx,
            CERT_STORE_ADD_ALWAYS,
            NULL))
        {
            cout << "Added certificate to store." << endl;
        }

        if (CertCloseStore (hCertStore, 0))
        {
            cout << "Cert. store handle closed." << endl;
        }
    }

    if (pCertCtx)
    {
        CertFreeCertificateContext (pCertCtx);
    }
}

NOTE: I have tested the above code to import DER encoded and Base-64 encoded certificates.

4 Comments

Filed under C/C++, Coding is fun, Windows, Windows API

Tags: , ,

4 Comments

  • ted shear
    November 17, 2008 at 5:46 pm

    I get many undefine variables when i compile the code. This is just one of then, PCCERT_CONTEXT. How do i resolve it?

    Reply
  • Elise
    December 1, 2008 at 5:46 pm

    Thanks! This post was really helpful. I think I finally have the Crypto API wrapped around my little finger.

    Reply
  • ne0
    December 26, 2008 at 11:57 am

    @Ted Shear: You would have to include the appropriate header files – wincrypt.h in this case – for the names to be resolved correctly. Also, make sure that the directory in which the headers reside is in your INCLUDE path. If you want to find out the header required to resolve a CryptoAPI function, you may refer to MSDN.

    Reply

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