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Scripts for signing using KSP library on Azure pipeline

Prerequisites

  • Azure DevOps setup

  • Windows Custom Agent for Azure DevOps

  • DigiCert​​®​​ Software Trust Manager credentials

  • DigiCert​​®​​ Software Trust Manager client tools

Client tools

DigiCert​​®​​ Software Trust Manager clients can be downloaded in a package.

Download Client tools

  1. Sign in to DigiCert ONE.

  2. Navigate to DigiCert​​®​​ Software Trust Manager > Resources > Client tool repository.

  3. Select your operating system.

  4. Click the download icon next to DigiCert​​®​​ Software Trust Manager clients.

Register the KSP

To register the KSP, open a command prompt and run:

smksp_registrar.exe register

Verify the KSP

To verify that your KSP is configured properly, and that your client can properly authenticate to the DigiCert​​®​​ Software Trust Manager service, run:

certutil.exe -csp "DigiCert Software Trust Manager KSP" -key -user

Synchronize certificates

For the client tools to access the private keys in the service through the Key Storage Provider (KSP), your certificates must be synchronized to the local certificate store. Only if the certificate is synchronized, the private key remains stored securely in DigiCert​​®​​ Software Trust Manager.

To synchronize your certificates to the local certificate store, open a command prompt and run:

smksp_cert_sync.exe

To view the certificates, open Certificate Manager for the user account used to run the certificate sync utility:

certmgr.msc

If you do not see your certificates in the Certificate Manager, verify that you have opened the correct certificate store. There is a different certificate store for each Windows user account.

Nota

All certificates are synched to the user store only. The certificates are not synchronized to the machine store (yet).

Set PATH environment variables

Operating systems use the environment variable called PATH to determine where executable files are stored on your system. Use the PATH environment variable to store the file path to your signing tools to ensure that the CLI can reference these signing tools.

User authentication

Software Trust Manager enforces multifactor authentication for security. To access keypairs, certificates, and sign code, you need to set up two types of credentials: an API token and an authentication certificate.

Create an API token

The API token is an authentication method used to verify you as a user and your permissions assigned in DigiCert ONE. The API token provides the first factor authentication.

Follow these steps to generate an API token:

  1. Sign in to DigiCert ONE.

  2. Select the profile icon (top-right).

  3. Select Admin Profile.

  4. Scroll down to API Tokens.

  5. Select  Create API token.

    Nota

    The API token is only shown once, securely store the API key to use it later.

Create an authentication certificate

The client authentication certificate is an authentication method used to verify you as a user and your permissions assigned in DigiCert ONE. The client authentication certificate provides the second factor authentication.

Follow these steps to create a client authentication certificate:

  1. Sign in to DigiCert ONE.

  2. Select the profile icon (top-right).

  3. Select Admin Profile.

  4. Scroll down to Authentication certificates.

  5. Select Create authentication certificate.

    Nota

    The client authentication certificate password shown after creating an client authentication certificate cannot be accessed again, download the certificate and securely store the password to use it later.

Download required signing tools

Follow the instructions in the articles below to integrate with signing tools.

Nota

For more information regarding which file types can be signed with these signing tools, refer to: Integrate third-party signing tools.

Integration with Azure DevOps pipeline

Environment variables setup for pipeline

The client tools need these environment variables to connect with DigiCert​​®​​ Software Trust Manager to provide its service. They can be integrated as variables in the pipeline which Azure will automatically inject as environment variables in the agent or they can be configured at an OS environment level.

variables:
  - name: SM_CLIENT_CERT_PASSWORD
    value: *********
  - name: SM_CLIENT_CERT_FILE
    value: <Path to Client Auth Cert File>
  - name: SM_HOST
    value: https://clientauth.one.digicert.com
  - name: SM_API_KEY
    value: <API Token>

The values for these environment variables are explained below:

Variable

Description

SM_API_KEY

Provide your API token.

SM_CLIENT_CERT_FILE

Provide your client authentication certificate.

SM_CLIENT_CERT_PASSWORD

Provide your client certificate password.

SM_HOST

Provide your host environment.

Create keypair and certificate

Create test keypair and certificate

An example for an Azure pipeline step to generate an RSA test keypair with certificate:

- task: CmdLine@2
  displayName: 'Generate Test Keypair'
  inputs:
    script: 'smctl keypair generate rsa <Keypair Name> --cert-alias=<Certificate Name> --cert-profile-id=<Certificate Profile ID> --generate-cert=true --key-type=TEST'

The keypair name and certificate name must be unique inputs, meaning that they cannot exist on the portal already.

To retrieve the certificate profile ID:

  1. Sign in to DigiCert ONE.

  2. Navigate to  DigiCert​​®​​ Software Trust Manager > Certificates > Certificate profiles

  3. Click on the certificate profile alias that you want to generate the certificate with.

    Nota

    Ensure that the profile category shows Test.

  4. Identify the Certificate profile ID field.

Create production keypair with certificate

An example of an Azure pipeline step to generate an RSA production keypair with certificate:

- task: CmdLine@2
  displayName: 'Generate Production Keypair'
  inputs:
    script: 'smctl keypair generate rsa <Keypair Name> --cert-alias=<Certificate Name> --cert-profile-id=<Certificate Profile ID> --generate-cert=true --key-type=PRODUCTION'

For this step, the inputs required are a keypair ID, certificate name (which must be unique), and certificate profile ID.

You can retrieve the keypair ID in two ways:

  • Run a smctl keypair ls command on the command line with all environment variables set up.

  • Navigate to: DigiCert ONE > DigiCert​​®​​ Software Trust Manager > Keypairs and select a keypair.

As in the previous use cases, the certificate profile ID used must belong to the correct profile category.

Sign

You can sign using SignTool, Mage, or Nuget.

Nota

To use the thumbprint method of signing a file you will need to run the smksp_cert_sync.exe tool (provided with KSP) to sync the local certificate store with DigiCert​​®​​ Software Trust Manager and import any new certificates that you may want to use.

Sign with SignTool

Certificate fingerprint method

An example for an Azure DevOps pipeline step for signing an .exe or .dll with a certificate thumbprint is shown below:

- script: signtool sign /sha1 <Certificate Thumbprint> /tr http://timestamp.digicert.com <Path to the exe/DLL to be signed>
  displayName: "Sign Artifact"

Downloaded certificate method

An example for an Azure DevOps pipeline step for signing an .exe or .dll with a downloaded code signing certificate is shown below:

- script: signtool sign /csp "Digicert Signing Manager KSP" /kc <Keypair Alias> /f <Path to certificate file> /tr http://timestamp.digicert.com <Path to the exe/DLL to be signed>
  displayName: "Sign Artifact"

The input parameters for this are the alias for the Keypair on DigiCert​​®​​ Software Trust Manager, the path to the certificate file, and the path to the exe/DLL to be signed.

Sign with Mage

Certificate fingerprint method

An example step of an Azure DevOps pipeline that signs a package using certificate thumbprint:

- script: mage -Sign <Path to .application file> -CertHash <Certificate thumbprint>
  displayName: 'Sign App'

Downloaded certificate method

An example step of an Azure DevOps pipeline that signs a package using a downloaded code signing certificate:

- script: mage -Sign <Path to .application file> -CertFile <Path to Certificate file> -KeyContainer <Alias/Name of the Keypair on STM> -CryptoProvider "DigiCert Signing Manager KSP"
  displayName: 'Sign App'

Sign with NuGet

Certificate fingerprint method

An example step of an Azure DevOps pipeline that signs a package using NuGet using the certificate thumbprint:

- task: NuGetCommand@2
  displayName: 'NuGet Sign Custom Package'
  inputs:
    command: 'custom'
    arguments: 'sign <Path to Package> -Timestamper http://timestamp.digicert.com -CertificateFingerprint <certificate thumbprint> -Verbosity detailed -Overwrite'

Verify signature

You can verify a signature using SignTool, Mage, or Nuget.

Verify signature with SignTool

An example of an Azure DevOps step that verifies a signed artifact:

- script: signtool verify /v /pa <Path to the signed exe or dll>
  displayName: "Verify Artifact"

The only input for this step is the path to the signed exe/DLL that needs to be verified.

Verify signature with Mage

An example step of an Azure DevOps pipeline that verifies a signed app:

- script: mage -Verify <Path to signed .application file>
  displayName: 'Verify Click Once App'

The only input required here is the path to the signed .application file.

Verify signature with NuGet

An example step of an Azure DevOps pipeline that verifies a package using NuGet:

- task: NuGetCommand@2
  displayName: 'NuGet Verify'
  inputs:
    command: 'custom'
    arguments: 'verify -All <Path to Signed Package>'

The only input it takes is the path to the directory of the signed package.

Sample pipelines