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life_cycle-cipher

NAME

life_cycle-cipher - The cipher algorithm life-cycle

DESCRIPTION

All symmetric ciphers (CIPHERs) go through a number of stages in their life-cycle:

  • start

    This state represents the CIPHER before it has been allocated. It is the starting state for any life-cycle transitions.

  • newed

    This state represents the CIPHER after it has been allocated.

  • initialised

    These states represent the CIPHER when it is set up and capable of processing input. There are three possible initialised states:

    • initialised using EVP_CipherInit
    • initialised for decryption using EVP_DecryptInit
    • initialised for encryption using EVP_EncryptInit
  • updated

    These states represent the CIPHER when it is set up and capable of processing additional input or generating output. The three possible states directly correspond to those for initialised above. The three different streams should not be mixed.

  • finaled

    This state represents the CIPHER when it has generated output.

  • freed

    This state is entered when the CIPHER is freed. It is the terminal state for all life-cycle transitions.

State Transition Diagram

The usual life-cycle of a CIPHER is illustrated:

Formal State Transitions

This section defines all of the legal state transitions. This is the canonical list.

Function CallCurrent State
startnewedinitialisedupdatedfinaledinitialised
decryption
updated
decryption
initialised
encryption
updated
encryption
freed
EVP_CIPHER_CTX_newnewed
EVP_CipherInitinitialisedinitialisedinitialisedinitialisedinitialisedinitialisedinitialisedinitialised
EVP_DecryptInitinitialised
decryption
initialised
decryption
initialised
decryption
initialised
decryption
initialised
decryption
initialised
decryption
initialised
decryption
initialised
decryption
EVP_EncryptInitinitialised
encryption
initialised
encryption
initialised
encryption
initialised
encryption
initialised
encryption
initialised
encryption
initialised
encryption
initialised
encryption
EVP_CipherUpdateupdatedupdated
EVP_DecryptUpdateupdated
decryption
updated
decryption
EVP_EncryptUpdateupdated
encryption
updated
encryption
EVP_CipherFinalfinaled
EVP_DecryptFinalfinaled
decryption
EVP_EncryptFinalfinaled
decryption
EVP_CIPHER_CTX_freefreedfreedfreedfreedfreedfreedfreedfreedfreed
EVP_CIPHER_CTX_resetnewednewednewednewednewednewednewed
EVP_CIPHER_CTX_get_paramsnewedinitialisedupdatedinitialised
decryption
updated
decryption
initialised
encryption
updated
encryption
EVP_CIPHER_CTX_set_paramsnewedinitialisedupdatedinitialised
decryption
updated
decryption
initialised
encryption
updated
encryption
EVP_CIPHER_CTX_gettable_paramsnewedinitialisedupdatedinitialised
decryption
updated
decryption
initialised
encryption
updated
encryption
EVP_CIPHER_CTX_settable_paramsnewedinitialisedupdatedinitialised
decryption
updated
decryption
initialised
encryption
updated
encryption

NOTES

At some point the EVP layer will begin enforcing the transitions described herein.

SEE ALSO

provider-cipher(7), EVP_EncryptInit(3)

Copyright 2021 The OpenSSL Project Authors. All Rights Reserved.

Licensed under the Apache License 2.0 (the "License"). You may not use this file except in compliance with the License. You can obtain a copy in the file LICENSE in the source distribution or at https://www.openssl.org/source/license.html.