Example C Program: Setting and Getting Session Key Parameters

The following example creates a random session key, gets and prints some default parameters of that key, sets a new parameters on the original key, then gets and prints the value of that new parameter. It cleans up by destroying the session key and releasing the cryptographic context.

This example illustrates the use of the following tasks and functions:

• Accessing a CSP using CryptAcquireContext.
• Filing a buffer with random bytes using CryptGenRandom.
• Creating a session key using CryptGenKey.
• Getting the value of key parameters using CryptGetKeyParam.
• Using CryptSetKeyParam to alter the key generation process.
• Destroying the keys using CryptDestroyKey.
• Releasing the CSP with CryptReleaseContext.

This example uses the function MyHandleError. The code for this function is included with the sample. Code for this and other auxiliary functions is also listed under General Purpose Functions.

//-------------------------------------------------------------------
// Copyright (C) Microsoft.  All rights reserved.

#include <windows.h>
#include <wincrypt.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <tchar.h>

// Link with the Crypt32.lib file.
#pragma comment (lib, "Crypt32")

void MyHandleError(PCTSTR psz);

void main()
{
    HCRYPTPROV hProv;
    HCRYPTKEY hKey;
    DWORD dwMode;
    BYTE pbData[16];
    BYTE pbRandomData[8];
    DWORD dwCount;
    DWORD i;

    // Acquire a cryptographic provider context handle.
    if(!CryptAcquireContext(
        &hProv, 
        NULL, 
        NULL, 
        PROV_RSA_FULL, 
        0)) 
    {
        MyHandleError(TEXT("Error during CryptAcquireContext."));
    }

    //  Generate eight bytes of random data into pbRandomData.
    if( CryptGenRandom(
            hProv,
            8,
            pbRandomData))
    {
        _tprintf(TEXT("Eight bytes of random data have been generated.\n"));
    }
    else
    {
        MyHandleError(TEXT("Random bytes were not correctly generated."));
    }

    // Create a random block cipher session key.
    if(!CryptGenKey(
            hProv, 
            CALG_RC4, 
            CRYPT_EXPORTABLE, 
            &hKey)) 
    {
        MyHandleError(TEXT("Error during CryptGenKey."));
    }

    // Read the cipher mode.
    dwCount = sizeof(DWORD);
    if(CryptGetKeyParam(
        hKey, 
        KP_MODE, 
        (PBYTE)&dwMode, 
        &dwCount, 
        0))
    {
        // Print the cipher mode.
        _tprintf(TEXT("Default cipher mode: %d\n"), dwMode);
    }
    else
    {
        MyHandleError(TEXT("Error during CryptGetKeyParam."));
    }

    // Read the initialization vector.

    //  Get the length of the initialization vector.
    if(!CryptGetKeyParam(
        hKey, 
        KP_IV, 
        NULL,     
        &dwCount, 
        0)) 
    {
        MyHandleError(TEXT("Error getting the IV length"));
    }

    // Get the initialization vector, itself.
    if(CryptGetKeyParam(
        hKey, 
        KP_IV, 
        pbData, 
        &dwCount, 
        0))
    {
        // Print the initialization vector.
        _tprintf(TEXT("Default IV:"));
        for(i = 0; i < dwCount; i++) 
        {
            _tprintf(TEXT("%2.2x "),pbData[i]);
        }

        _tprintf(TEXT("\n"));
    }
    else
    {
        MyHandleError(TEXT("Error getting the IV."));
    }

    //  Reset the initialization vector.
    if(CryptSetKeyParam(
        hKey,
        KP_IV,
        pbRandomData,
        0))
    {
        _tprintf(TEXT("New initialization vector is set.\n"));
    }
    else
    {
        MyHandleError(TEXT("The new IV was not set."));
    }

    // Read the new initialization vector.

    //  Get the length of the new initialization vector.
    if(!CryptGetKeyParam(
        hKey, 
        KP_IV, 
        NULL,     
        &dwCount, 
        0)) 
    {
        MyHandleError(TEXT("Error getting the IV length"));
    }

    // Get the initialization vector, itself.
    if(CryptGetKeyParam(
        hKey, 
        KP_IV, 
        pbData, 
        &dwCount, 
        0))
    {
        // Print the initialization vector.
        _tprintf(TEXT("RE-set IV:"));
        for(i = 0; i < dwCount; i++) 
        {
            _tprintf(TEXT("%2.2x "),pbData[i]);
        }
        
        _tprintf(TEXT("\n"));
    }
    else
    {
        MyHandleError(TEXT("Error getting the IV."));
    }

    //  Clean up.

    //  Destroy the session key.
    if(hKey)
    { 
        CryptDestroyKey(hKey);
    }

    // Release the provider handle.
    if(hProv)
    { 
        CryptReleaseContext(hProv, 0);
    }
} // End of main.

//-------------------------------------------------------------------
//    This example uses the function MyHandleError, a simple error
//    handling function, to print an error message to the standard  
//    error (stderr) file and exit the program. 
//    For most applications, replace this function with one 
//    that does more extensive error reporting.

void MyHandleError(PTSTR psz)
{
    _ftprintf(stderr, TEXT("An error occurred in the program. \n"));
    _ftprintf(stderr, TEXT("%s\n"), psz);
    _ftprintf(stderr, TEXT("Error number %x.\n"), GetLastError());
    _ftprintf(stderr, TEXT("Program terminating. \n"));
    exit(1);
} // End of MyHandleError.