- NAME
- SYNOPSIS
- DESCRIPTION
- NOTES
- EXAMPLES
- BUGS
- RETURN VALUES
- SEE ALSO

# NAME

SSL_CIPHER_get_name, SSL_CIPHER_get_bits, SSL_CIPHER_get_version, SSL_CIPHER_description - get SSL_CIPHER properties

# SYNOPSIS

     #include <openssl/ssl.h>

     const char *SSL_CIPHER_get_name(const SSL_CIPHER *cipher);
     int SSL_CIPHER_get_bits(const SSL_CIPHER *cipher, int *alg_bits);
     char *SSL_CIPHER_get_version(const SSL_CIPHER *cipher);
     char *SSL_CIPHER_description(const SSL_CIPHER *cipher, char *buf, int size);

# DESCRIPTION

`SSL_CIPHER_get_name()` returns a pointer to the name of cipher. If the argument is the NULL pointer, a pointer to the constant value ``NONE'' is returned.

`SSL_CIPHER_get_bits()` returns the number of secret bits used for cipher. If alg_bits is not NULL, it contains the number of bits processed by the chosen algorithm. If cipher is NULL, 0 is returned.

`SSL_CIPHER_get_version()` returns string which indicates the SSL/TLS protocol version that first defined the cipher. This is currently SSLv2 or TLSv1/SSLv3. In some cases it should possibly return ``TLSv1.2'' but does not; use `SSL_CIPHER_description()` instead. If cipher is NULL, ``(NONE)'' is returned.

`SSL_CIPHER_description()` returns a textual description of the cipher used into the buffer buf of length len provided. len must be at least 128 bytes, otherwise a pointer to the string ``Buffer too small'' is returned. If buf is NULL, a buffer of 128 bytes is allocated using OPENSSL_malloc(). If the allocation fails, a pointer to the string ``OPENSSL_malloc Error'' is returned.

# NOTES

The number of bits processed can be different from the secret bits. An export cipher like e.g. EXP-RC4-MD5 has only 40 secret bits. The algorithm does use the full 128 bits (which would be returned for alg_bits), of which however 88bits are fixed. The search space is hence only 40 bits.

The string returned by `SSL_CIPHER_description()` in case of success consists of cleartext information separated by one or more blanks in the following sequence:

<ciphername>

  Textual representation of the cipher name.

<protocol version>

  Protocol version: SSLv2, SSLv3, TLSv1.2. The TLSv1.0 ciphers are flagged with SSLv3. No new ciphers were added by TLSv1.1.

Kx=<key exchange>

  Key exchange method: RSA (for export ciphers as RSA(512) or RSA(1024)), DH (for export ciphers as DH(512) or DH(1024)), DH/RSA, DH/DSS, Fortezza.

Au=<authentication>

  Authentication method: RSA, DSS, DH, None. None is the representation of anonymous ciphers.

Enc=<symmetric encryption method>

  Encryption method with number of secret bits: DES(40), DES(56), 3DES(168), RC4(40), RC4(56), RC4(64), RC4(128), RC2(40), RC2(56), RC2(128), IDEA(128), Fortezza, None.

Mac=<message authentication code>

  Message digest: MD5, SHA1.

<export flag>

  If the cipher is flagged exportable with respect to old US crypto regulations, the word ``export'' is printed.

# EXAMPLES

Some examples for the output of SSL_CIPHER_description():

     EDH-RSA-DES-CBC3-SHA    SSLv3 Kx=DH       Au=RSA  Enc=3DES(168) Mac=SHA1
     EDH-DSS-DES-CBC3-SHA    SSLv3 Kx=DH       Au=DSS  Enc=3DES(168) Mac=SHA1
     RC4-MD5                 SSLv3 Kx=RSA      Au=RSA  Enc=RC4(128)  Mac=MD5
     EXP-RC4-MD5             SSLv3 Kx=RSA(512) Au=RSA  Enc=RC4(40)   Mac=MD5  export

A comp[lete list can be retrieved by invoking the following command:

     openssl ciphers -v ALL

# BUGS

If `SSL_CIPHER_description()` is called with cipher being NULL, the library crashes.

If `SSL_CIPHER_description()` cannot handle a built-in cipher, the according description of the cipher property is unknown. This case should not occur.

# RETURN VALUES

See DESCRIPTION

# SEE ALSO

ssl, SSL_get_current_cipher, SSL_get_ciphers, ciphers