Project news

Invitation to comment on PKCS #11 Specification v3.1 and PKCS #11 Profiles v3.1

First public reviews for Version 3.1 end April 16th

OASIS and the OASIS PKCS 11 TC are pleased to announce that PKCS #11 Specification v3.1 and PKCS #11 Profiles v3.1 are now available for public review and comment. These 30-day reviews are the first public reviews for Version 3.1 of these specifications.

About the specification drafts

The Public Key Cryptography Standards (PKCS) are a group of public-key cryptography standards devised and published by RSA Security LLC, starting in the early 1990s. The OASIS PKCS 11 Technical Committee addresses the on-going enhancement and maintenance of the PKCS #11 standard.

These PKCS #11 specifications define a platform-independent API to cryptographic tokens, such as hardware security modules and smart cards. The API itself is named “Cryptoki” (from “cryptographic token interface” and pronounced as “crypto-key”).
– “PKCS #11 Specification” defines data types, functions and other basic components of the PKCS #11 Cryptoki interface for devices that may hold cryptographic information and may perform cryptographic functions. It also defines mechanisms that are anticipated for use with the current version of PKCS #11.
– “PKCS #11 Profiles” is intended for developers and architects who wish to design systems and applications that conform to the PKCS #11 Cryptoki specification as providers or consumers.

The documents and related files are available here:

PKCS #11 Specification Version 3.1
Committee Specification Draft 01
16 February 2022

PDF (Authoritative):
https://docs.oasis-open.org/pkcs11/pkcs11-spec/v3.1/csd01/pkcs11-spec-v3.1-csd01.pdf
Editable source:
https://docs.oasis-open.org/pkcs11/pkcs11-spec/v3.1/csd01/pkcs11-spec-v3.1-csd01.docx
HTML:
https://docs.oasis-open.org/pkcs11/pkcs11-spec/v3.1/csd01/pkcs11-spec-v3.1-csd01.html
PKCS #11 header files:
https://docs.oasis-open.org/pkcs11/pkcs11-spec/v3.1/csd01/include/pkcs11-v3.1/

For your convenience, OASIS provides a complete package of the specification document and any related files in ZIP distribution files. You can download the ZIP file at:
https://docs.oasis-open.org/pkcs11/pkcs11-spec/v3.1/csd01/pkcs11-spec-v3.1-csd01.zip

PKCS #11 Profiles Version 3.1
Committee Specification Draft 02
16 February 2022

PDF (Authoritative):
https://docs.oasis-open.org/pkcs11/pkcs11-profiles/v3.1/csd02/pkcs11-profiles-v3.1-csd02.pdf
Editable source:
https://docs.oasis-open.org/pkcs11/pkcs11-profiles/v3.1/csd02/pkcs11-profiles-v3.1-csd02.docx
HTML:
https://docs.oasis-open.org/pkcs11/pkcs11-profiles/v3.1/csd02/pkcs11-profiles-v3.1-csd02.html
PKCS #11 test cases:
https://docs.oasis-open.org/pkcs11/pkcs11-profiles/v3.1/csd02/test-cases/
ZIP file:
https://docs.oasis-open.org/pkcs11/pkcs11-profiles/v3.1/csd02/pkcs11-profiles-v3.1-csd02.zip

How to Provide Feedback

OASIS and the PKCS11 TC value your feedback. We solicit input from developers, users and others, whether OASIS members or not, for the sake of improving the interoperability and quality of our technical work.

The public reviews start 18 March 2022 at 00:00 UTC and end 16 April 2022 at 23:59 UTC.

Comments may be submitted to the TC by any person through the use of the OASIS TC Comment Facility, which can be used by following the instructions on the TC’s “Send A Comment” page (https://www.oasis-open.org/committees/comments/index.php?wg_abbrev=pkcs11).

Comments submitted by TC non-members for these works and for other work of this TC are publicly archived and can be viewed at:
https://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/pkcs11-comment/

All comments submitted to OASIS are subject to the OASIS Feedback License, which ensures that the feedback you provide carries the same obligations at least as the obligations of the TC members. In connection with these public reviews, we call your attention to the OASIS IPR Policy [1] applicable especially [2] to the work of this technical committee. All members of the TC should be familiar with this document, which may create obligations regarding the disclosure and availability of a member’s patent, copyright, trademark and license rights that read on an approved OASIS specification.

OASIS invites any persons who know of any such claims to disclose these if they may be essential to the implementation of the above specifications, so that notice of them may be posted to the notice page for this TC’s work.

Additional information about the specifications and the PKCS11 TC can be found at the TC’s public home page:
https://www.oasis-open.org/committees/pkcs11/

Additional information related to these public reviews, including a complete publication and review history, can be found in the public review metadata documents [3].

Additional references

[1] https://www.oasis-open.org/policies-guidelines/ipr/

[2] https://www.oasis-open.org/committees/pkcs11/ipr.php
https://www.oasis-open.org/policies-guidelines/ipr/#RF-on-RAND-Mode
RF on RAND Terms Mode

[3] Public review metadata documents:
https://docs.oasis-open.org/pkcs11/pkcs11-spec/v3.1/csd01/pkcs11-spec-v3.1-csd01-public-review-metadata.html
https://docs.oasis-open.org/pkcs11/pkcs11-profiles/v3.1/csd02/pkcs11-profiles-v3.1-csd02-public-review-metadata.html