Re: [Cryptix-users] getEncoded() fails with RSA Keys

[Edwin W. <ed...@wo...>]

--On 29-12-2005 14:40 -0600 Robert Engels <re...@ix...> wrote:
>
>
> Using getEncoded() on keys returned Cryptix KeyPair factory does not
> work.
>
> The It throws a ClassNotFoundException looking for the MPIOutputStream
> which is not included in the provider jar (the source is included in the
> distribution though).

That's a bug. Thanks, will fix it in the next release.


> I think it is because the above code returns instances of
> RSAPublicKeyCryptix rather than RSAPublicKeyImpl.
>
> Even if the class was encluded, it does not seem to be valid anyway,
> since getEncoded() should probably write the key using the ASN format
> always (at least according to the API).
>
> The "Sun" provider returns keys where getEncoded() returns the X509
> format.

Well... If I remember correctly, the choice of the format was left up to 
the provider, but I see now that Sun is a bit more specific in recent API 
docs. (That said, I fail to see how their specification would work for 
ElGamal, or other public key schemes that are not that well specified in 
standards).

I'm not too inclined to change it: IMHO, using getEncoded() is not a 
reliable way to get an encoded form. I'd suggest using the interfaces in 
java.security.interfaces: both the Cryptix and Sun keys implement the 
RSAPublicKey and RSAPrivate(Crt)Key interfaces. Should you need ASN.1 
representations: these can be generated from the BigIntegers you can get 
from the methods from these interfaces.

-- 
Edwin