--- /dev/null
+A Layman's Guide to a Subset of ASN.1, BER, and DER
+
+An RSA Laboratories Technical Note
+Burton S. Kaliski Jr.
+Revised November 1, 1993
+
+
+Supersedes June 3, 1991 version, which was also published as
+NIST/OSI Implementors' Workshop document SEC-SIG-91-17.
+PKCS documents are available by electronic mail to
+<pkcs@rsa.com>.
+
+Copyright (C) 1991-1993 RSA Laboratories, a division of RSA
+Data Security, Inc. License to copy this document is granted
+provided that it is identified as "RSA Data Security, Inc.
+Public-Key Cryptography Standards (PKCS)" in all material
+mentioning or referencing this document.
+003-903015-110-000-000
+
+
+Abstract. This note gives a layman's introduction to a
+subset of OSI's Abstract Syntax Notation One (ASN.1), Basic
+Encoding Rules (BER), and Distinguished Encoding Rules
+(DER). The particular purpose of this note is to provide
+background material sufficient for understanding and
+implementing the PKCS family of standards.
+
+
+1. Introduction
+
+It is a generally accepted design principle that abstraction
+is a key to managing software development. With abstraction,
+a designer can specify a part of a system without concern
+for how the part is actually implemented or represented.
+Such a practice leaves the implementation open; it
+simplifies the specification; and it makes it possible to
+state "axioms" about the part that can be proved when the
+part is implemented, and assumed when the part is employed
+in another, higher-level part. Abstraction is the hallmark
+of most modern software specifications.
+
+One of the most complex systems today, and one that also
+involves a great deal of abstraction, is Open Systems
+Interconnection (OSI, described in X.200). OSI is an
+internationally standardized architecture that governs the
+interconnection of computers from the physical layer up to
+the user application layer. Objects at higher layers are
+defined abstractly and intended to be implemented with
+objects at lower layers. For instance, a service at one
+layer may require transfer of certain abstract objects
+between computers; a lower layer may provide transfer
+services for strings of ones and zeroes, using encoding
+rules to transform the abstract objects into such strings.
+OSI is called an open system because it supports many
+different implementations of the services at each layer.
+
+OSI's method of specifying abstract objects is called ASN.1
+(Abstract Syntax Notation One, defined in X.208), and one
+set of rules for representing such objects as strings of
+ones and zeros is called the BER (Basic Encoding Rules,
+defined in X.209). ASN.1 is a flexible notation that allows
+one to define a variety data types, from simple types such
+as integers and bit strings to structured types such as sets
+and sequences, as well as complex types defined in terms of
+others. BER describes how to represent or encode values of
+each ASN.1 type as a string of eight-bit octets. There is
+generally more than one way to BER-encode a given value.
+Another set of rules, called the Distinguished Encoding
+Rules (DER), which is a subset of BER, gives a unique
+encoding to each ASN.1 value.
+
+The purpose of this note is to describe a subset of ASN.1,
+BER and DER sufficient to understand and implement one OSI-
+based application, RSA Data Security, Inc.'s Public-Key
+Cryptography Standards. The features described include an
+overview of ASN.1, BER, and DER and an abridged list of
+ASN.1 types and their BER and DER encodings. Sections 2-4
+give an overview of ASN.1, BER, and DER, in that order.
+Section 5 lists some ASN.1 types, giving their notation,
+specific encoding rules, examples, and comments about their
+application to PKCS. Section 6 concludes with an example,
+X.500 distinguished names.
+
+Advanced features of ASN.1, such as macros, are not
+described in this note, as they are not needed to implement
+PKCS. For information on the other features, and for more
+detail generally, the reader is referred to CCITT
+Recommendations X.208 and X.209, which define ASN.1 and BER.
+
+Terminology and notation. In this note, an octet is an eight-
+bit unsigned integer. Bit 8 of the octet is the most
+significant and bit 1 is the least significant.
+
+The following meta-syntax is used for in describing ASN.1
+notation:
+
+ BIT monospace denotes literal characters in the type
+ and value notation; in examples, it generally
+ denotes an octet value in hexadecimal
+
+ n1 bold italics denotes a variable
+
+ [] bold square brackets indicate that a term is
+ optional
+
+ {} bold braces group related terms
+
+ | bold vertical bar delimits alternatives with a
+ group
+
+ ... bold ellipsis indicates repeated occurrences
+
+ = bold equals sign expresses terms as subterms
+
+
+2. Abstract Syntax Notation One
+
+Abstract Syntax Notation One, abbreviated ASN.1, is a
+notation for describing abstract types and values.
+
+In ASN.1, a type is a set of values. For some types, there
+are a finite number of values, and for other types there are
+an infinite number. A value of a given ASN.1 type is an
+element of the type's set. ASN.1 has four kinds of type:
+simple types, which are "atomic" and have no components;
+structured types, which have components; tagged types, which
+are derived from other types; and other types, which include
+the CHOICE type and the ANY type. Types and values can be
+given names with the ASN.1 assignment operator (::=) , and
+those names can be used in defining other types and values.
+
+Every ASN.1 type other than CHOICE and ANY has a tag, which
+consists of a class and a nonnegative tag number. ASN.1
+types are abstractly the same if and only if their tag
+numbers are the same. In other words, the name of an ASN.1
+type does not affect its abstract meaning, only the tag
+does. There are four classes of tag:
+
+ Universal, for types whose meaning is the same in all
+ applications; these types are only defined in
+ X.208.
+
+ Application, for types whose meaning is specific to an
+ application, such as X.500 directory services;
+ types in two different applications may have the
+ same application-specific tag and different
+ meanings.
+
+ Private, for types whose meaning is specific to a given
+ enterprise.
+
+ Context-specific, for types whose meaning is specific
+ to a given structured type; context-specific tags
+ are used to distinguish between component types
+ with the same underlying tag within the context of
+ a given structured type, and component types in
+ two different structured types may have the same
+ tag and different meanings.
+
+The types with universal tags are defined in X.208, which
+also gives the types' universal tag numbers. Types with
+other tags are defined in many places, and are always
+obtained by implicit or explicit tagging (see Section 2.3).
+Table 1 lists some ASN.1 types and their universal-class
+tags.
+
+ Type Tag number Tag number
+ (decimal) (hexadecimal)
+ INTEGER 2 02
+ BIT STRING 3 03
+ OCTET STRING 4 04
+ NULL 5 05
+ OBJECT IDENTIFIER 6 06
+ SEQUENCE and SEQUENCE OF 16 10
+ SET and SET OF 17 11
+ PrintableString 19 13
+ T61String 20 14
+ IA5String 22 16
+ UTCTime 23 17
+
+ Table 1. Some types and their universal-class tags.
+
+ASN.1 types and values are expressed in a flexible,
+programming-language-like notation, with the following
+special rules:
+
+ o Layout is not significant; multiple spaces and
+ line breaks can be considered as a single space.
+
+ o Comments are delimited by pairs of hyphens (--),
+ or a pair of hyphens and a line break.
+
+ o Identifiers (names of values and fields) and type
+ references (names of types) consist of upper- and
+ lower-case letters, digits, hyphens, and spaces;
+ identifiers begin with lower-case letters; type
+ references begin with upper-case letters.
+
+The following four subsections give an overview of simple
+types, structured types, implicitly and explicitly tagged
+types, and other types. Section 5 describes specific types
+in more detail.
+
+
+2.1 Simple types
+
+Simple types are those not consisting of components; they
+are the "atomic" types. ASN.1 defines several; the types
+that are relevant to the PKCS standards are the following:
+
+ BIT STRING, an arbitrary string of bits (ones and
+ zeroes).
+
+ IA5String, an arbitrary string of IA5 (ASCII)
+ characters.
+
+ INTEGER, an arbitrary integer.
+
+ NULL, a null value.
+
+ OBJECT IDENTIFIER, an object identifier, which is a
+ sequence of integer components that identify an
+ object such as an algorithm or attribute type.
+
+ OCTET STRING, an arbitrary string of octets (eight-bit
+ values).
+
+ PrintableString, an arbitrary string of printable
+ characters.
+
+ T61String, an arbitrary string of T.61 (eight-bit)
+ characters.
+
+ UTCTime, a "coordinated universal time" or Greenwich
+ Mean Time (GMT) value.
+
+Simple types fall into two categories: string types and non-
+string types. BIT STRING, IA5String, OCTET STRING,
+PrintableString, T61String, and UTCTime are string types.
+
+String types can be viewed, for the purposes of encoding, as
+consisting of components, where the components are
+substrings. This view allows one to encode a value whose
+length is not known in advance (e.g., an octet string value
+input from a file stream) with a constructed, indefinite-
+length encoding (see Section 3).
+
+The string types can be given size constraints limiting the
+length of values.
+
+
+2.2 Structured types
+
+Structured types are those consisting of components. ASN.1
+defines four, all of which are relevant to the PKCS
+standards:
+
+ SEQUENCE, an ordered collection of one or more types.
+
+ SEQUENCE OF, an ordered collection of zero or more
+ occurrences of a given type.
+
+ SET, an unordered collection of one or more types.
+
+ SET OF, an unordered collection of zero or more
+ occurrences of a given type.
+
+The structured types can have optional components, possibly
+with default values.
+
+
+2.3 Implicitly and explicitly tagged types
+
+Tagging is useful to distinguish types within an
+application; it is also commonly used to distinguish
+component types within a structured type. For instance,
+optional components of a SET or SEQUENCE type are typically
+given distinct context-specific tags to avoid ambiguity.
+
+There are two ways to tag a type: implicitly and explicitly.
+
+Implicitly tagged types are derived from other types by
+changing the tag of the underlying type. Implicit tagging is
+denoted by the ASN.1 keywords [class number] IMPLICIT (see
+Section 5.1).
+
+Explicitly tagged types are derived from other types by
+adding an outer tag to the underlying type. In effect,
+explicitly tagged types are structured types consisting of
+one component, the underlying type. Explicit tagging is
+denoted by the ASN.1 keywords [class number] EXPLICIT (see
+Section 5.2).
+
+The keyword [class number] alone is the same as explicit
+tagging, except when the "module" in which the ASN.1 type is
+defined has implicit tagging by default. ("Modules" are
+among the advanced features not described in this note.)
+
+For purposes of encoding, an implicitly tagged type is
+considered the same as the underlying type, except that the
+tag is different. An explicitly tagged type is considered
+like a structured type with one component, the underlying
+type. Implicit tags result in shorter encodings, but
+explicit tags may be necessary to avoid ambiguity if the tag
+of the underlying type is indeterminate (e.g., the
+underlying type is CHOICE or ANY).
+
+
+2.4 Other types
+
+Other types in ASN.1 include the CHOICE and ANY types. The
+CHOICE type denotes a union of one or more alternatives; the
+ANY type denotes an arbitrary value of an arbitrary type,
+where the arbitrary type is possibly defined in the
+registration of an object identifier or integer value.
+
+
+3. Basic Encoding Rules
+
+The Basic Encoding Rules for ASN.1, abbreviated BER, give
+one or more ways to represent any ASN.1 value as an octet
+string. (There are certainly other ways to represent ASN.1
+values, but BER is the standard for interchanging such
+values in OSI.)
+
+There are three methods to encode an ASN.1 value under BER,
+the choice of which depends on the type of value and whether
+the length of the value is known. The three methods are
+primitive, definite-length encoding; constructed, definite-
+length encoding; and constructed, indefinite-length
+encoding. Simple non-string types employ the primitive,
+definite-length method; structured types employ either of
+the constructed methods; and simple string types employ any
+of the methods, depending on whether the length of the value
+is known. Types derived by implicit tagging employ the
+method of the underlying type and types derived by explicit
+tagging employ the constructed methods.
+
+In each method, the BER encoding has three or four parts:
+
+ Identifier octets. These identify the class and tag
+ number of the ASN.1 value, and indicate whether
+ the method is primitive or constructed.
+
+ Length octets. For the definite-length methods, these
+ give the number of contents octets. For the
+ constructed, indefinite-length method, these
+ indicate that the length is indefinite.
+
+ Contents octets. For the primitive, definite-length
+ method, these give a concrete representation of
+ the value. For the constructed methods, these
+ give the concatenation of the BER encodings of the
+ components of the value.
+
+ End-of-contents octets. For the constructed, indefinite-
+ length method, these denote the end of the
+ contents. For the other methods, these are absent.
+
+The three methods of encoding are described in the following
+sections.
+
+
+3.1 Primitive, definite-length method
+
+This method applies to simple types and types derived from
+simple types by implicit tagging. It requires that the
+length of the value be known in advance. The parts of the
+BER encoding are as follows:
+
+Identifier octets. There are two forms: low tag number (for
+tag numbers between 0 and 30) and high tag number (for tag
+numbers 31 and greater).
+
+ Low-tag-number form. One octet. Bits 8 and 7 specify
+ the class (see Table 2), bit 6 has value "0,"
+ indicating that the encoding is primitive, and
+ bits 5-1 give the tag number.
+
+ Class Bit Bit
+ 8 7
+ universal 0 0
+ application 0 1
+ context-specific 1 0
+ private 1 1
+
+ Table 2. Class encoding in identifier octets.
+
+ High-tag-number form. Two or more octets. First octet
+ is as in low-tag-number form, except that bits 5-1
+ all have value "1." Second and following octets
+ give the tag number, base 128, most significant
+ digit first, with as few digits as possible, and
+ with the bit 8 of each octet except the last set
+ to "1."
+
+Length octets. There are two forms: short (for lengths
+between 0 and 127), and long definite (for lengths between 0
+and 21008-1).
+
+ Short form. One octet. Bit 8 has value "0" and bits 7-1
+ give the length.
+
+ Long form. Two to 127 octets. Bit 8 of first octet has
+ value "1" and bits 7-1 give the number of
+ additional length octets. Second and following
+ octets give the length, base 256, most significant
+ digit first.
+
+Contents octets. These give a concrete representation of the
+value (or the value of the underlying type, if the type is
+derived by implicit tagging). Details for particular types
+are given in Section 5.
+
+
+3.2 Constructed, definite-length method
+
+This method applies to simple string types, structured
+types, types derived simple string types and structured
+types by implicit tagging, and types derived from anything
+by explicit tagging. It requires that the length of the
+value be known in advance. The parts of the BER encoding are
+as follows:
+
+Identifier octets. As described in Section 3.1, except that
+bit 6 has value "1," indicating that the encoding is
+constructed.
+
+Length octets. As described in Section 3.1.
+
+Contents octets. The concatenation of the BER encodings of
+the components of the value:
+
+ o For simple string types and types derived from
+ them by implicit tagging, the concatenation of the
+ BER encodings of consecutive substrings of the
+ value (underlying value for implicit tagging).
+
+ o For structured types and types derived from them
+ by implicit tagging, the concatenation of the BER
+ encodings of components of the value (underlying
+ value for implicit tagging).
+
+ o For types derived from anything by explicit
+ tagging, the BER encoding of the underlying value.
+
+Details for particular types are given in Section 5.
+
+
+3.3 Constructed, indefinite-length method
+
+This method applies to simple string types, structured
+types, types derived simple string types and structured
+types by implicit tagging, and types derived from anything
+by explicit tagging. It does not require that the length of
+the value be known in advance. The parts of the BER encoding
+are as follows:
+
+Identifier octets. As described in Section 3.2.
+
+Length octets. One octet, 80.
+
+Contents octets. As described in Section 3.2.
+
+End-of-contents octets. Two octets, 00 00.
+
+Since the end-of-contents octets appear where an ordinary
+BER encoding might be expected (e.g., in the contents octets
+of a sequence value), the 00 and 00 appear as identifier and
+length octets, respectively. Thus the end-of-contents octets
+is really the primitive, definite-length encoding of a value
+with universal class, tag number 0, and length 0.
+
+
+4. Distinguished Encoding Rules
+
+The Distinguished Encoding Rules for ASN.1, abbreviated DER,
+are a subset of BER, and give exactly one way to represent
+any ASN.1 value as an octet string. DER is intended for
+applications in which a unique octet string encoding is
+needed, as is the case when a digital signature is computed
+on an ASN.1 value. DER is defined in Section 8.7 of X.509.
+
+DER adds the following restrictions to the rules given in
+Section 3:
+
+ 1. When the length is between 0 and 127, the short
+ form of length must be used
+
+ 2. When the length is 128 or greater, the long form
+ of length must be used, and the length must be
+ encoded in the minimum number of octets.
+
+ 3. For simple string types and implicitly tagged
+ types derived from simple string types, the
+ primitive, definite-length method must be
+ employed.
+
+ 4. For structured types, implicitly tagged types
+ derived from structured types, and explicitly
+ tagged types derived from anything, the
+ constructed, definite-length method must be
+ employed.
+
+Other restrictions are defined for particular types (such as
+BIT STRING, SEQUENCE, SET, and SET OF), and can be found in
+Section 5.
+
+
+5. Notation and encodings for some types
+
+This section gives the notation for some ASN.1 types and
+describes how to encode values of those types under both BER
+and DER.
+
+The types described are those presented in Section 2. They
+are listed alphabetically here.
+
+Each description includes ASN.1 notation, BER encoding, and
+DER encoding. The focus of the encodings is primarily on the
+contents octets; the tag and length octets follow Sections 3
+and 4. The descriptions also explain where each type is used
+in PKCS and related standards. ASN.1 notation is generally
+only for types, although for the type OBJECT IDENTIFIER,
+value notation is given as well.
+
+
+5.1 Implicitly tagged types
+
+An implicitly tagged type is a type derived from another
+type by changing the tag of the underlying type.
+
+Implicit tagging is used for optional SEQUENCE components
+with underlying type other than ANY throughout PKCS, and for
+the extendedCertificate alternative of PKCS #7's
+ExtendedCertificateOrCertificate type.
+
+ASN.1 notation:
+
+[[class] number] IMPLICIT Type
+
+class = UNIVERSAL | APPLICATION | PRIVATE
+
+where Type is a type, class is an optional class name, and
+number is the tag number within the class, a nonnegative
+integer.
+
+In ASN.1 "modules" whose default tagging method is implicit
+tagging, the notation [[class] number] Type is also
+acceptable, and the keyword IMPLICIT is implied. (See
+Section 2.3.) For definitions stated outside a module, the
+explicit inclusion of the keyword IMPLICIT is preferable to
+prevent ambiguity.
+
+If the class name is absent, then the tag is context-
+specific. Context-specific tags can only appear in a
+component of a structured or CHOICE type.
+
+Example: PKCS #8's PrivateKeyInfo type has an optional
+attributes component with an implicit, context-specific tag:
+
+PrivateKeyInfo ::= SEQUENCE {
+ version Version,
+ privateKeyAlgorithm PrivateKeyAlgorithmIdentifier,
+ privateKey PrivateKey,
+ attributes [0] IMPLICIT Attributes OPTIONAL }
+
+Here the underlying type is Attributes, the class is absent
+(i.e., context-specific), and the tag number within the
+class is 0.
+
+BER encoding. Primitive or constructed, depending on the
+underlying type. Contents octets are as for the BER encoding
+of the underlying value.
+
+Example: The BER encoding of the attributes component of a
+PrivateKeyInfo value is as follows:
+
+ o the identifier octets are 80 if the underlying
+ Attributes value has a primitive BER encoding and
+ a0 if the underlying Attributes value has a
+ constructed BER encoding
+
+ o the length and contents octets are the same as the
+ length and contents octets of the BER encoding of
+ the underlying Attributes value
+
+DER encoding. Primitive or constructed, depending on the
+underlying type. Contents octets are as for the DER encoding
+of the underlying value.
+
+
+5.2 Explicitly tagged types
+
+Explicit tagging denotes a type derived from another type by
+adding an outer tag to the underlying type.
+
+Explicit tagging is used for optional SEQUENCE components
+with underlying type ANY throughout PKCS, and for the
+version component of X.509's Certificate type.
+
+ASN.1 notation:
+
+[[class] number] EXPLICIT Type
+
+class = UNIVERSAL | APPLICATION | PRIVATE
+
+where Type is a type, class is an optional class name, and
+number is the tag number within the class, a nonnegative
+integer.
+
+If the class name is absent, then the tag is context-
+specific. Context-specific tags can only appear in a
+component of a SEQUENCE, SET or CHOICE type.
+
+In ASN.1 "modules" whose default tagging method is explicit
+tagging, the notation [[class] number] Type is also
+acceptable, and the keyword EXPLICIT is implied. (See
+Section 2.3.) For definitions stated outside a module, the
+explicit inclusion of the keyword EXPLICIT is preferable to
+prevent ambiguity.
+
+Example 1: PKCS #7's ContentInfo type has an optional
+content component with an explicit, context-specific tag:
+
+ContentInfo ::= SEQUENCE {
+ contentType ContentType,
+ content
+ [0] EXPLICIT ANY DEFINED BY contentType OPTIONAL }
+
+Here the underlying type is ANY DEFINED BY contentType, the
+class is absent (i.e., context-specific), and the tag number
+within the class is 0.
+
+Example 2: X.509's Certificate type has a version component
+with an explicit, context-specific tag, where the EXPLICIT
+keyword is omitted:
+
+Certificate ::= ...
+ version [0] Version DEFAULT v1988,
+...
+
+The tag is explicit because the default tagging method for
+the ASN.1 "module" in X.509 that defines the Certificate
+type is explicit tagging.
+
+BER encoding. Constructed. Contents octets are the BER
+encoding of the underlying value.
+
+Example: the BER encoding of the content component of a
+ContentInfo value is as follows:
+
+ o identifier octets are a0
+
+ o length octets represent the length of the BER
+ encoding of the underlying ANY DEFINED BY
+ contentType value
+
+ o contents octets are the BER encoding of the
+ underlying ANY DEFINED BY contentType value
+
+DER encoding. Constructed. Contents octets are the DER
+encoding of the underlying value.
+
+
+5.3 ANY
+
+The ANY type denotes an arbitrary value of an arbitrary
+type, where the arbitrary type is possibly defined in the
+registration of an object identifier or associated with an
+integer index.
+
+The ANY type is used for content of a particular content
+type in PKCS #7's ContentInfo type, for parameters of a
+particular algorithm in X.509's AlgorithmIdentifier type,
+and for attribute values in X.501's Attribute and
+AttributeValueAssertion types. The Attribute type is used by
+PKCS #6, #7, #8, #9 and #10, and the AttributeValueAssertion
+type is used in X.501 distinguished names.
+
+ASN.1 notation:
+
+ANY [DEFINED BY identifier]
+
+where identifier is an optional identifier.
+
+In the ANY form, the actual type is indeterminate.
+
+The ANY DEFINED BY identifier form can only appear in a
+component of a SEQUENCE or SET type for which identifier
+identifies some other component, and that other component
+has type INTEGER or OBJECT IDENTIFIER (or a type derived
+from either of those by tagging). In that form, the actual
+type is determined by the value of the other component,
+either in the registration of the object identifier value,
+or in a table of integer values.
+
+Example: X.509's AlgorithmIdentifier type has a component of
+type ANY:
+
+AlgorithmIdentifier ::= SEQUENCE {
+ algorithm OBJECT IDENTIFIER,
+ parameters ANY DEFINED BY algorithm OPTIONAL }
+
+Here the actual type of the parameter component depends on
+the value of the algorithm component. The actual type would
+be defined in the registration of object identifier values
+for the algorithm component.
+
+BER encoding. Same as the BER encoding of the actual value.
+
+Example: The BER encoding of the value of the parameter
+component is the BER encoding of the value of the actual
+type as defined in the registration of object identifier
+values for the algorithm component.
+
+DER encoding. Same as the DER encoding of the actual value.
+
+
+5.4 BIT STRING
+
+The BIT STRING type denotes an arbitrary string of bits
+(ones and zeroes). A BIT STRING value can have any length,
+including zero. This type is a string type.
+
+The BIT STRING type is used for digital signatures on
+extended certificates in PKCS #6's ExtendedCertificate type,
+for digital signatures on certificates in X.509's
+Certificate type, and for public keys in certificates in
+X.509's SubjectPublicKeyInfo type.
+
+ASN.1 notation:
+
+BIT STRING
+
+Example: X.509's SubjectPublicKeyInfo type has a component
+of type BIT STRING:
+
+SubjectPublicKeyInfo ::= SEQUENCE {
+ algorithm AlgorithmIdentifier,
+ publicKey BIT STRING }
+
+BER encoding. Primitive or constructed. In a primitive
+encoding, the first contents octet gives the number of bits
+by which the length of the bit string is less than the next
+multiple of eight (this is called the "number of unused
+bits"). The second and following contents octets give the
+value of the bit string, converted to an octet string. The
+conversion process is as follows:
+
+ 1. The bit string is padded after the last bit with
+ zero to seven bits of any value to make the length
+ of the bit string a multiple of eight. If the
+ length of the bit string is a multiple of eight
+ already, no padding is done.
+
+ 2. The padded bit string is divided into octets. The
+ first eight bits of the padded bit string become
+ the first octet, bit 8 to bit 1, and so on through
+ the last eight bits of the padded bit string.
+
+In a constructed encoding, the contents octets give the
+concatenation of the BER encodings of consecutive substrings
+of the bit string, where each substring except the last has
+a length that is a multiple of eight bits.
+
+Example: The BER encoding of the BIT STRING value
+"011011100101110111" can be any of the following, among
+others, depending on the choice of padding bits, the form of
+length octets, and whether the encoding is primitive or
+constructed:
+
+03 04 06 6e 5d c0 DER encoding
+
+03 04 06 6e 5d e0 padded with "100000"
+
+03 81 04 06 6e 5d c0 long form of length octets
+
+23 09 constructed encoding: "0110111001011101" + "11"
+ 03 03 00 6e 5d
+ 03 02 06 c0
+
+DER encoding. Primitive. The contents octects are as for a
+primitive BER encoding, except that the bit string is padded
+with zero-valued bits.
+
+Example: The DER encoding of the BIT STRING value
+"011011100101110111" is
+
+03 04 06 6e 5d c0
+
+
+5.5 CHOICE
+
+The CHOICE type denotes a union of one or more alternatives.
+
+The CHOICE type is used to represent the union of an
+extended certificate and an X.509 certificate in PKCS #7's
+ExtendedCertificateOrCertificate type.
+
+ASN.1 notation:
+
+CHOICE {
+ [identifier1] Type1,
+ ...,
+ [identifiern] Typen }
+
+where identifier1 , ..., identifiern are optional, distinct
+identifiers for the alternatives, and Type1, ..., Typen are
+the types of the alternatives. The identifiers are primarily
+for documentation; they do not affect values of the type or
+their encodings in any way.
+
+The types must have distinct tags. This requirement is
+typically satisfied with explicit or implicit tagging on
+some of the alternatives.
+
+Example: PKCS #7's ExtendedCertificateOrCertificate type is
+a CHOICE type:
+
+ExtendedCertificateOrCertificate ::= CHOICE {
+ certificate Certificate, -- X.509
+ extendedCertificate [0] IMPLICIT ExtendedCertificate
+}
+
+Here the identifiers for the alternatives are certificate
+and extendedCertificate, and the types of the alternatives
+are Certificate and [0] IMPLICIT ExtendedCertificate.
+
+BER encoding. Same as the BER encoding of the chosen
+alternative. The fact that the alternatives have distinct
+tags makes it possible to distinguish between their BER
+encodings.
+
+Example: The identifier octets for the BER encoding are 30
+if the chosen alternative is certificate, and a0 if the
+chosen alternative is extendedCertificate.
+
+DER encoding. Same as the DER encoding of the chosen
+alternative.
+
+
+5.6 IA5String
+
+The IA5String type denotes an arbtrary string of IA5
+characters. IA5 stands for International Alphabet 5, which
+is the same as ASCII. The character set includes non-
+printing control characters. An IA5String value can have any
+length, including zero. This type is a string type.
+
+The IA5String type is used in PKCS #9's electronic-mail
+address, unstructured-name, and unstructured-address
+attributes.
+
+ASN.1 notation:
+
+IA5String
+
+BER encoding. Primitive or constructed. In a primitive
+encoding, the contents octets give the characters in the IA5
+string, encoded in ASCII. In a constructed encoding, the
+contents octets give the concatenation of the BER encodings
+of consecutive substrings of the IA5 string.
+
+Example: The BER encoding of the IA5String value
+"test1@rsa.com" can be any of the following, among others,
+depending on the form of length octets and whether the
+encoding is primitive or constructed:
+
+16 0d 74 65 73 74 31 40 72 73 61 2e 63 6f 6d DER encoding
+
+16 81 0d long form of length octets
+ 74 65 73 74 31 40 72 73 61 2e 63 6f 6d
+
+36 13 constructed encoding: "test1" + "@" + "rsa.com"
+ 16 05 74 65 73 74 31
+ 16 01 40
+ 16 07 72 73 61 2e 63 6f 6d
+
+DER encoding. Primitive. Contents octets are as for a
+primitive BER encoding.
+
+Example: The DER encoding of the IA5String value
+"test1@rsa.com" is
+
+16 0d 74 65 73 74 31 40 72 73 61 2e 63 6f 6d
+
+
+5.7 INTEGER
+
+The INTEGER type denotes an arbitrary integer. INTEGER
+values can be positive, negative, or zero, and can have any
+magnitude.
+
+The INTEGER type is used for version numbers throughout
+PKCS, cryptographic values such as modulus, exponent, and
+primes in PKCS #1's RSAPublicKey and RSAPrivateKey types and
+PKCS #3's DHParameter type, a message-digest iteration count
+in PKCS #5's PBEParameter type, and version numbers and
+serial numbers in X.509's Certificate type.
+
+ASN.1 notation:
+
+INTEGER [{ identifier1(value1) ... identifiern(valuen) }]
+
+where identifier1, ..., identifiern are optional distinct
+identifiers and value1, ..., valuen are optional integer
+values. The identifiers, when present, are associated with
+values of the type.
+
+Example: X.509's Version type is an INTEGER type with
+identified values:
+
+Version ::= INTEGER { v1988(0) }
+
+The identifier v1988 is associated with the value 0. X.509's
+Certificate type uses the identifier v1988 to give a default
+value of 0 for the version component:
+
+Certificate ::= ...
+ version Version DEFAULT v1988,
+...
+
+BER encoding. Primitive. Contents octets give the value of
+the integer, base 256, in two's complement form, most
+significant digit first, with the minimum number of octets.
+The value 0 is encoded as a single 00 octet.
+
+Some example BER encodings (which also happen to be DER
+encodings) are given in Table 3.
+
+ Integer BER encoding
+ value
+ 0 02 01 00
+ 127 02 01 7F
+ 128 02 02 00 80
+ 256 02 02 01 00
+ -128 02 01 80
+ -129 02 02 FF 7F
+
+ Table 3. Example BER encodings of INTEGER values.
+
+DER encoding. Primitive. Contents octets are as for a
+primitive BER encoding.
+
+
+5.8 NULL
+
+The NULL type denotes a null value.
+
+The NULL type is used for algorithm parameters in several
+places in PKCS.
+
+ASN.1 notation:
+
+NULL
+
+BER encoding. Primitive. Contents octets are empty.
+
+Example: The BER encoding of a NULL value can be either of
+the following, as well as others, depending on the form of
+the length octets:
+
+05 00
+
+05 81 00
+
+DER encoding. Primitive. Contents octets are empty; the DER
+encoding of a NULL value is always 05 00.
+
+
+5.9 OBJECT IDENTIFIER
+
+The OBJECT IDENTIFIER type denotes an object identifier, a
+sequence of integer components that identifies an object
+such as an algorithm, an attribute type, or perhaps a
+registration authority that defines other object
+identifiers. An OBJECT IDENTIFIER value can have any number
+of components, and components can generally have any
+nonnegative value. This type is a non-string type.
+
+OBJECT IDENTIFIER values are given meanings by registration
+authorities. Each registration authority is responsible for
+all sequences of components beginning with a given sequence.
+A registration authority typically delegates responsibility
+for subsets of the sequences in its domain to other
+registration authorities, or for particular types of object.
+There are always at least two components.
+
+The OBJECT IDENTIFIER type is used to identify content in
+PKCS #7's ContentInfo type, to identify algorithms in
+X.509's AlgorithmIdentifier type, and to identify attributes
+in X.501's Attribute and AttributeValueAssertion types. The
+Attribute type is used by PKCS #6, #7, #8, #9, and #10, and
+the AttributeValueAssertion type is used in X.501
+distinguished names. OBJECT IDENTIFIER values are defined
+throughout PKCS.
+
+ASN.1 notation:
+
+OBJECT IDENTIFIER
+
+The ASN.1 notation for values of the OBJECT IDENTIFIER type
+is
+
+{ [identifier] component1 ... componentn }
+
+componenti = identifieri | identifieri (valuei) | valuei
+
+where identifier, identifier1, ..., identifiern are
+identifiers, and value1, ..., valuen are optional integer
+values.
+
+The form without identifier is the "complete" value with all
+its components; the form with identifier abbreviates the
+beginning components with another object identifier value.
+The identifiers identifier1, ..., identifiern are intended
+primarily for documentation, but they must correspond to the
+integer value when both are present. These identifiers can
+appear without integer values only if they are among a small
+set of identifiers defined in X.208.
+
+Example: The following values both refer to the object
+identifier assigned to RSA Data Security, Inc.:
+
+{ iso(1) member-body(2) 840 113549 }
+{ 1 2 840 113549 }
+
+(In this example, which gives ASN.1 value notation, the
+object identifier values are decimal, not hexadecimal.)
+Table 4 gives some other object identifier values and their
+meanings.
+
+ Object identifier value Meaning
+ { 1 2 } ISO member bodies
+ { 1 2 840 } US (ANSI)
+ { 1 2 840 113549 } RSA Data Security, Inc.
+ { 1 2 840 113549 1 } RSA Data Security, Inc. PKCS
+ { 2 5 } directory services (X.500)
+ { 2 5 8 } directory services-algorithms
+
+ Table 4. Some object identifier values and their meanings.
+
+BER encoding. Primitive. Contents octets are as follows,
+where value1, ..., valuen denote the integer values of the
+components in the complete object identifier:
+
+ 1. The first octet has value 40 * value1 + value2.
+ (This is unambiguous, since value1 is limited to
+ values 0, 1, and 2; value2 is limited to the range
+ 0 to 39 when value1 is 0 or 1; and, according to
+ X.208, n is always at least 2.)
+
+ 2. The following octets, if any, encode value3, ...,
+ valuen. Each value is encoded base 128, most
+ significant digit first, with as few digits as
+ possible, and the most significant bit of each
+ octet except the last in the value's encoding set
+ to "1."
+
+Example: The first octet of the BER encoding of RSA Data
+Security, Inc.'s object identifier is 40 * 1 + 2 = 42 =
+2a16. The encoding of 840 = 6 * 128 + 4816 is 86 48 and the
+encoding of 113549 = 6 * 1282 + 7716 * 128 + d16 is 86 f7
+0d. This leads to the following BER encoding:
+
+06 06 2a 86 48 86 f7 0d
+
+DER encoding. Primitive. Contents octets are as for a
+primitive BER encoding.
+
+
+5.10 OCTET STRING
+
+The OCTET STRING type denotes an arbitrary string of octets
+(eight-bit values). An OCTET STRING value can have any
+length, including zero. This type is a string type.
+
+The OCTET STRING type is used for salt values in PKCS #5's
+PBEParameter type, for message digests, encrypted message
+digests, and encrypted content in PKCS #7, and for private
+keys and encrypted private keys in PKCS #8.
+
+ASN.1 notation:
+
+OCTET STRING [SIZE ({size | size1..size2})]
+
+where size, size1, and size2 are optional size constraints.
+In the OCTET STRING SIZE (size) form, the octet string must
+have size octets. In the OCTET STRING SIZE (size1..size2)
+form, the octet string must have between size1 and size2
+octets. In the OCTET STRING form, the octet string can have
+any size.
+
+Example: PKCS #5's PBEParameter type has a component of type
+OCTET STRING:
+
+PBEParameter ::= SEQUENCE {
+ salt OCTET STRING SIZE(8),
+ iterationCount INTEGER }
+
+Here the size of the salt component is always eight octets.
+
+BER encoding. Primitive or constructed. In a primitive
+encoding, the contents octets give the value of the octet
+string, first octet to last octet. In a constructed
+encoding, the contents octets give the concatenation of the
+BER encodings of substrings of the OCTET STRING value.
+
+Example: The BER encoding of the OCTET STRING value 01 23 45
+67 89 ab cd ef can be any of the following, among others,
+depending on the form of length octets and whether the
+encoding is primitive or constructed:
+
+04 08 01 23 45 67 89 ab cd ef DER encoding
+
+04 81 08 01 23 45 67 89 ab cd ef long form of length octets
+
+24 0c constructed encoding: 01 ... 67 + 89 ... ef
+ 04 04 01 23 45 67
+ 04 04 89 ab cd ef
+
+DER encoding. Primitive. Contents octets are as for a
+primitive BER encoding.
+
+Example: The BER encoding of the OCTET STRING value 01 23 45
+67 89 ab cd ef is
+
+04 08 01 23 45 67 89 ab cd ef
+
+
+5.11 PrintableString
+
+The PrintableString type denotes an arbitrary string of
+printable characters from the following character set:
+
+ A, B, ..., Z
+ a, b, ..., z
+ 0, 1, ..., 9
+ (space) ' ( ) + , - . / : = ?
+
+This type is a string type.
+
+The PrintableString type is used in PKCS #9's challenge-
+password and unstructuerd-address attributes, and in several
+X.521 distinguished names attributes.
+
+ASN.1 notation:
+
+PrintableString
+
+BER encoding. Primitive or constructed. In a primitive
+encoding, the contents octets give the characters in the
+printable string, encoded in ASCII. In a constructed
+encoding, the contents octets give the concatenation of the
+BER encodings of consecutive substrings of the string.
+
+Example: The BER encoding of the PrintableString value "Test
+User 1" can be any of the following, among others, depending
+on the form of length octets and whether the encoding is
+primitive or constructed:
+
+13 0b 54 65 73 74 20 55 73 65 72 20 31 DER encoding
+
+13 81 0b long form of length octets
+ 54 65 73 74 20 55 73 65 72 20 31
+
+33 0f constructed encoding: "Test " + "User 1"
+ 13 05 54 65 73 74 20
+ 13 06 55 73 65 72 20 31
+
+DER encoding. Primitive. Contents octets are as for a
+primitive BER encoding.
+
+Example: The DER encoding of the PrintableString value "Test
+User 1" is
+
+13 0b 54 65 73 74 20 55 73 65 72 20 31
+
+
+5.12 SEQUENCE
+
+The SEQUENCE type denotes an ordered collection of one or
+more types.
+
+The SEQUENCE type is used throughout PKCS and related
+standards.
+
+ASN.1 notation:
+
+SEQUENCE {
+ [identifier1] Type1 [{OPTIONAL | DEFAULT value1}],
+ ...,
+ [identifiern] Typen [{OPTIONAL | DEFAULT valuen}]}
+
+where identifier1 , ..., identifiern are optional, distinct
+identifiers for the components, Type1, ..., Typen are the
+types of the components, and value1, ..., valuen are optional
+default values for the components. The identifiers are
+primarily for documentation; they do not affect values of
+the type or their encodings in any way.
+
+The OPTIONAL qualifier indicates that the value of a
+component is optional and need not be present in the
+sequence. The DEFAULT qualifier also indicates that the
+value of a component is optional, and assigns a default
+value to the component when the component is absent.
+
+The types of any consecutive series of components with the
+OPTIONAL or DEFAULT qualifier, as well as of any component
+immediately following that series, must have distinct tags.
+This requirement is typically satisfied with explicit or
+implicit tagging on some of the components.
+
+Example: X.509's Validity type is a SEQUENCE type with two
+components:
+
+Validity ::= SEQUENCE {
+ start UTCTime,
+ end UTCTime }
+
+Here the identifiers for the components are start and end,
+and the types of the components are both UTCTime.
+
+BER encoding. Constructed. Contents octets are the
+concatenation of the BER encodings of the values of the
+components of the sequence, in order of definition, with the
+following rules for components with the OPTIONAL and DEFAULT
+qualifiers:
+
+ o if the value of a component with the OPTIONAL or
+ DEFAULT qualifier is absent from the sequence,
+ then the encoding of that component is not
+ included in the contents octets
+
+ o if the value of a component with the DEFAULT
+ qualifier is the default value, then the encoding
+ of that component may or may not be included in
+ the contents octets
+
+DER encoding. Constructed. Contents octets are the same as
+the BER encoding, except that if the value of a component
+with the DEFAULT qualifier is the default value, the
+encoding of that component is not included in the contents
+octets.
+
+
+5.13 SEQUENCE OF
+
+The SEQUENCE OF type denotes an ordered collection of zero
+or more occurrences of a given type.
+
+The SEQUENCE OF type is used in X.501 distinguished names.
+
+ASN.1 notation:
+
+SEQUENCE OF Type
+
+where Type is a type.
+
+Example: X.501's RDNSequence type consists of zero or more
+occurences of the RelativeDistinguishedName type, most
+significant occurrence first:
+
+RDNSequence ::= SEQUENCE OF RelativeDistinguishedName
+
+BER encoding. Constructed. Contents octets are the
+concatenation of the BER encodings of the values of the
+occurrences in the collection, in order of occurence.
+
+DER encoding. Constructed. Contents octets are the
+concatenation of the DER encodings of the values of the
+occurrences in the collection, in order of occurence.
+
+
+5.14 SET
+
+The SET type denotes an unordered collection of one or more
+types.
+
+The SET type is not used in PKCS.
+
+ASN.1 notation:
+
+SET {
+ [identifier1] Type1 [{OPTIONAL | DEFAULT value1}],
+ ...,
+ [identifiern] Typen [{OPTIONAL | DEFAULT valuen}]}
+
+where identifier1, ..., identifiern are optional, distinct
+identifiers for the components, Type1, ..., Typen are the
+types of the components, and value1, ..., valuen are
+optional default values for the components. The identifiers
+are primarily for documentation; they do not affect values
+of the type or their encodings in any way.
+
+The OPTIONAL qualifier indicates that the value of a
+component is optional and need not be present in the set.
+The DEFAULT qualifier also indicates that the value of a
+component is optional, and assigns a default value to the
+component when the component is absent.
+
+The types must have distinct tags. This requirement is
+typically satisfied with explicit or implicit tagging on
+some of the components.
+
+BER encoding. Constructed. Contents octets are the
+concatenation of the BER encodings of the values of the
+components of the set, in any order, with the following
+rules for components with the OPTIONAL and DEFAULT
+qualifiers:
+
+ o if the value of a component with the OPTIONAL or
+ DEFAULT qualifier is absent from the set, then the
+ encoding of that component is not included in the
+ contents octets
+
+ o if the value of a component with the DEFAULT
+ qualifier is the default value, then the encoding
+ of that component may or may not be included in
+ the contents octets
+
+DER encoding. Constructed. Contents octets are the same as
+for the BER encoding, except that:
+
+ 1. If the value of a component with the DEFAULT
+ qualifier is the default value, the encoding of
+ that component is not included.
+
+ 2. There is an order to the components, namely
+ ascending order by tag.
+
+
+5.15 SET OF
+
+The SET OF type denotes an unordered collection of zero or
+more occurrences of a given type.
+
+The SET OF type is used for sets of attributes in PKCS #6,
+#7, #8, #9 and #10, for sets of message-digest algorithm
+identifiers, signer information, and recipient information
+in PKCS #7, and in X.501 distinguished names.
+
+ASN.1 notation:
+
+SET OF Type
+
+where Type is a type.
+
+Example: X.501's RelativeDistinguishedName type consists of
+zero or more occurrences of the AttributeValueAssertion
+type, where the order is unimportant:
+
+RelativeDistinguishedName ::=
+ SET OF AttributeValueAssertion
+
+BER encoding. Constructed. Contents octets are the
+concatenation of the BER encodings of the values of the
+occurrences in the collection, in any order.
+
+DER encoding. Constructed. Contents octets are the same as
+for the BER encoding, except that there is an order, namely
+ascending lexicographic order of BER encoding. Lexicographic
+comparison of two different BER encodings is done as
+follows: Logically pad the shorter BER encoding after the
+last octet with dummy octets that are smaller in value than
+any normal octet. Scan the BER encodings from left to right
+until a difference is found. The smaller-valued BER encoding
+is the one with the smaller-valued octet at the point of
+difference.
+
+
+5.16 T61String
+
+The T61String type denotes an arbtrary string of T.61
+characters. T.61 is an eight-bit extension to the ASCII
+character set. Special "escape" sequences specify the
+interpretation of subsequent character values as, for
+example, Japanese; the initial interpretation is Latin. The
+character set includes non-printing control characters. The
+T61String type allows only the Latin and Japanese character
+interepretations, and implementors' agreements for directory
+names exclude control characters [NIST92]. A T61String value
+can have any length, including zero. This type is a string
+type.
+
+The T61String type is used in PKCS #9's unstructured-address
+and challenge-password attributes, and in several X.521
+attributes.
+
+ASN.1 notation:
+
+T61String
+
+BER encoding. Primitive or constructed. In a primitive
+encoding, the contents octets give the characters in the
+T.61 string, encoded in ASCII. In a constructed encoding,
+the contents octets give the concatenation of the BER
+encodings of consecutive substrings of the T.61 string.
+
+Example: The BER encoding of the T61String value "cl'es
+publiques" (French for "public keys") can be any of the
+following, among others, depending on the form of length
+octets and whether the encoding is primitive or constructed:
+
+14 0f DER encoding
+ 63 6c c2 65 73 20 70 75 62 6c 69 71 75 65 73
+
+14 81 0f long form of length octets
+ 63 6c c2 65 73 20 70 75 62 6c 69 71 75 65 73
+
+34 15 constructed encoding: "cl'es" + " " + "publiques"
+ 14 05 63 6c c2 65 73
+ 14 01 20
+ 14 09 70 75 62 6c 69 71 75 65 73
+
+The eight-bit character c2 is a T.61 prefix that adds an
+acute accent (') to the next character.
+
+DER encoding. Primitive. Contents octets are as for a
+primitive BER encoding.
+
+Example: The DER encoding of the T61String value "cl'es
+publiques" is
+
+14 0f 63 6c c2 65 73 20 70 75 62 6c 69 71 75 65 73
+
+
+5.17 UTCTime
+
+The UTCTime type denotes a "coordinated universal time" or
+Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) value. A UTCTime value includes
+the local time precise to either minutes or seconds, and an
+offset from GMT in hours and minutes. It takes any of the
+following forms:
+
+YYMMDDhhmmZ
+YYMMDDhhmm+hh'mm'
+YYMMDDhhmm-hh'mm'
+YYMMDDhhmmssZ
+YYMMDDhhmmss+hh'mm'
+YYMMDDhhmmss-hh'mm'
+
+where:
+
+ YY is the least significant two digits of the year
+
+ MM is the month (01 to 12)
+
+ DD is the day (01 to 31)
+
+ hh is the hour (00 to 23)
+
+ mm are the minutes (00 to 59)
+
+ ss are the seconds (00 to 59)
+
+ Z indicates that local time is GMT, + indicates that
+ local time is later than GMT, and - indicates that
+ local time is earlier than GMT
+
+ hh' is the absolute value of the offset from GMT in
+ hours
+
+ mm' is the absolute value of the offset from GMT in
+ minutes
+
+This type is a string type.
+
+The UTCTime type is used for signing times in PKCS #9's
+signing-time attribute and for certificate validity periods
+in X.509's Validity type.
+
+ASN.1 notation:
+
+UTCTime
+
+BER encoding. Primitive or constructed. In a primitive
+encoding, the contents octets give the characters in the
+string, encoded in ASCII. In a constructed encoding, the
+contents octets give the concatenation of the BER encodings
+of consecutive substrings of the string. (The constructed
+encoding is not particularly interesting, since UTCTime
+values are so short, but the constructed encoding is
+permitted.)
+
+Example: The time this sentence was originally written was
+4:45:40 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time on May 6, 1991, which can
+be represented with either of the following UTCTime values,
+among others:
+
+"910506164540-0700"
+
+"910506234540Z"
+
+These values have the following BER encodings, among others:
+
+17 0d 39 31 30 35 30 36 32 33 34 35 34 30 5a
+
+17 11 39 31 30 35 30 36 31 36 34 35 34 30 2D 30 37 30
+ 30
+
+DER encoding. Primitive. Contents octets are as for a
+primitive BER encoding.
+
+
+6. An example
+
+This section gives an example of ASN.1 notation and DER
+encoding: the X.501 type Name.
+
+
+6.1 Abstract notation
+
+This section gives the ASN.1 notation for the X.501 type
+Name.
+
+Name ::= CHOICE {
+ RDNSequence }
+
+RDNSequence ::= SEQUENCE OF RelativeDistinguishedName
+
+RelativeDistinguishedName ::=
+ SET OF AttributeValueAssertion
+
+AttributeValueAssertion ::= SEQUENCE {
+ AttributeType,
+ AttributeValue }
+
+AttributeType ::= OBJECT IDENTIFIER
+
+AttributeValue ::= ANY
+
+The Name type identifies an object in an X.500 directory.
+Name is a CHOICE type consisting of one alternative:
+RDNSequence. (Future revisions of X.500 may have other
+alternatives.)
+
+The RDNSequence type gives a path through an X.500 directory
+tree starting at the root. RDNSequence is a SEQUENCE OF type
+consisting of zero or more occurences of
+RelativeDistinguishedName.
+
+The RelativeDistinguishedName type gives a unique name to an
+object relative to the object superior to it in the
+directory tree. RelativeDistinguishedName is a SET OF type
+consisting of zero or more occurrences of
+AttributeValueAssertion.
+
+The AttributeValueAssertion type assigns a value to some
+attribute of a relative distinguished name, such as country
+name or common name. AttributeValueAssertion is a SEQUENCE
+type consisting of two components, an AttributeType type and
+an AttributeValue type.
+
+The AttributeType type identifies an attribute by object
+identifier. The AttributeValue type gives an arbitrary
+attribute value. The actual type of the attribute value is
+determined by the attribute type.
+
+
+6.2 DER encoding
+
+This section gives an example of a DER encoding of a value
+of type Name, working from the bottom up.
+
+The name is that of the Test User 1 from the PKCS examples
+[Kal93]. The name is represented by the following path:
+
+ (root)
+ |
+ countryName = "US"
+ |
+ organizationName = "Example Organization"
+ |
+ commonName = "Test User 1"
+
+Each level corresponds to one RelativeDistinguishedName
+value, each of which happens for this name to consist of one
+AttributeValueAssertion value. The AttributeType value is
+before the equals sign, and the AttributeValue value (a
+printable string for the given attribute types) is after the
+equals sign.
+
+The countryName, organizationName, and commonUnitName are
+attribute types defined in X.520 as:
+
+attributeType OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::=
+ { joint-iso-ccitt(2) ds(5) 4 }
+
+countryName OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { attributeType 6 }
+organizationName OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::=
+ { attributeType 10 }
+commonUnitName OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::=
+ { attributeType 3 }
+
+
+6.2.1 AttributeType
+
+The three AttributeType values are OCTET STRING values, so
+their DER encoding follows the primitive, definite-length
+method:
+
+06 03 55 04 06 countryName
+
+06 03 55 04 0a organizationName
+
+06 03 55 04 03 commonName
+
+The identifier octets follow the low-tag form, since the tag
+is 6 for OBJECT IDENTIFIER. Bits 8 and 7 have value "0,"
+indicating universal class, and bit 6 has value "0,"
+indicating that the encoding is primitive. The length octets
+follow the short form. The contents octets are the
+concatenation of three octet strings derived from
+subidentifiers (in decimal): 40 * 2 + 5 = 85 = 5516; 4; and
+6, 10, or 3.
+
+
+6.2.2 AttributeValue
+
+The three AttributeValue values are PrintableString values,
+so their encodings follow the primitive, definite-length
+method:
+
+13 02 55 53 "US"
+
+13 14 "Example Organization"
+ 45 78 61 6d 70 6c 65 20 4f 72 67 61 6e 69 7a 61
+ 74 69 6f 6e
+
+13 0b "Test User 1"
+ 54 65 73 74 20 55 73 65 72 20 31
+
+The identifier octets follow the low-tag-number form, since
+the tag for PrintableString, 19 (decimal), is between 0 and
+30. Bits 8 and 7 have value "0" since PrintableString is in
+the universal class. Bit 6 has value "0" since the encoding
+is primitive. The length octets follow the short form, and
+the contents octets are the ASCII representation of the
+attribute value.
+
+
+6.2.3 AttributeValueAssertion
+
+The three AttributeValueAssertion values are SEQUENCE
+values, so their DER encodings follow the constructed,
+definite-length method:
+
+30 09 countryName = "US"
+ 06 03 55 04 06
+ 13 02 55 53
+
+30 1b organizationName = "Example Organizaiton"
+ 06 03 55 04 0a
+ 13 14 ... 6f 6e
+
+30 12 commonName = "Test User 1"
+ 06 03 55 04 0b
+ 13 0b ... 20 31
+
+The identifier octets follow the low-tag-number form, since
+the tag for SEQUENCE, 16 (decimal), is between 0 and 30.
+Bits 8 and 7 have value "0" since SEQUENCE is in the
+universal class. Bit 6 has value "1" since the encoding is
+constructed. The length octets follow the short form, and
+the contents octets are the concatenation of the DER
+encodings of the attributeType and attributeValue
+components.
+
+
+6.2.4 RelativeDistinguishedName
+
+The three RelativeDistinguishedName values are SET OF
+values, so their DER encodings follow the constructed,
+definite-length method:
+
+31 0b
+ 30 09 ... 55 53
+
+31 1d
+ 30 1b ... 6f 6e
+
+31 14
+ 30 12 ... 20 31
+
+The identifier octets follow the low-tag-number form, since
+the tag for SET OF, 17 (decimal), is between 0 and 30. Bits
+8 and 7 have value "0" since SET OF is in the universal
+class Bit 6 has value "1" since the encoding is constructed.
+The lengths octets follow the short form, and the contents
+octets are the DER encodings of the respective
+AttributeValueAssertion values, since there is only one
+value in each set.
+
+
+6.2.5 RDNSequence
+
+The RDNSequence value is a SEQUENCE OF value, so its DER
+encoding follows the constructed, definite-length method:
+
+30 42
+ 31 0b ... 55 53
+ 31 1d ... 6f 6e
+ 31 14 ... 20 31
+
+The identifier octets follow the low-tag-number form, since
+the tag for SEQUENCE OF, 16 (decimal), is between 0 and 30.
+Bits 8 and 7 have value "0" since SEQUENCE OF is in the
+universal class. Bit 6 has value "1" since the encoding is
+constructed. The lengths octets follow the short form, and
+the contents octets are the concatenation of the DER
+encodings of the three RelativeDistinguishedName values, in
+order of occurrence.
+
+
+6.2.6 Name
+
+The Name value is a CHOICE value, so its DER encoding is the
+same as that of the RDNSequence value:
+
+30 42
+ 31 0b
+ 30 09
+ 06 03 55 04 06 attributeType = countryName
+ 13 02 55 53 attributeValue = "US"
+ 31 1d
+ 30 1b
+ 06 03 55 04 0a attributeType = organizationName
+ 13 14 attributeValue = "Example Organization"
+ 45 78 61 6d 70 6c 65 20 4f 72 67 61 6e 69 7a 61
+ 74 69 6f 6e
+
+ 31 14
+ 30 12
+ 06 03 55 04 03 attributeType = commonName
+ 13 0b attributeValue = "Test User 1"
+ 54 65 73 74 20 55 73 65 72 20 31
+
+
+References
+
+PKCS #1 RSA Laboratories. PKCS #1: RSA Encryption
+ Standard. Version 1.5, November 1993.
+
+PKCS #3 RSA Laboratories. PKCS #3: Diffie-Hellman Key-
+ Agreement Standard. Version 1.4, November 1993.
+
+PKCS #5 RSA Laboratories. PKCS #5: Password-Based
+ Encryption Standard. Version 1.5, November 1993.
+
+PKCS #6 RSA Laboratories. PKCS #6: Extended-Certificate
+ Syntax Standard. Version 1.5, November 1993.
+
+PKCS #7 RSA Laboratories. PKCS #7: Cryptographic Message
+ Syntax Standard. Version 1.5, November 1993.
+
+PKCS #8 RSA Laboratories. PKCS #8: Private-Key Information
+ Syntax Standard. Version 1.2, November 1993.
+
+PKCS #9 RSA Laboratories. PKCS #9: Selected Attribute
+ Types. Version 1.1, November 1993.
+
+PKCS #10 RSA Laboratories. PKCS #10: Certification Request
+ Syntax Standard. Version 1.0, November 1993.
+
+X.200 CCITT. Recommendation X.200: Reference Model of
+ Open Systems Interconnection for CCITT
+ Applications. 1984.
+
+X.208 CCITT. Recommendation X.208: Specification of
+ Abstract Syntax Notation One (ASN.1). 1988.
+
+X.209 CCITT. Recommendation X.209: Specification of
+ Basic Encoding Rules for Abstract Syntax Notation
+ One (ASN.1). 1988.
+
+X.500 CCITT. Recommendation X.500: The
+ Directory--Overview of Concepts, Models and
+ Services. 1988.
+
+X.501 CCITT. Recommendation X.501: The Directory--
+ Models. 1988.
+
+X.509 CCITT. Recommendation X.509: The Directory--
+ Authentication Framework. 1988.
+
+X.520 CCITT. Recommendation X.520: The Directory--
+ Selected Attribute Types. 1988.
+
+[Kal93] Burton S. Kaliski Jr. Some Examples of the PKCS
+ Standards. RSA Laboratories, November 1993.
+
+[NIST92] NIST. Special Publication 500-202: Stable
+ Implementation Agreements for Open Systems
+ Interconnection Protocols. Part 11 (Directory
+ Services Protocols). December 1992.
+
+
+Revision history
+
+
+June 3, 1991 version
+
+The June 3, 1991 version is part of the initial public
+release of PKCS. It was published as NIST/OSI Implementors'
+Workshop document SEC-SIG-91-17.
+
+
+November 1, 1993 version
+
+The November 1, 1993 version incorporates several editorial
+changes, including the addition of a revision history. It is
+updated to be consistent with the following versions of the
+PKCS documents:
+
+ PKCS #1: RSA Encryption Standard. Version 1.5, November
+ 1993.
+
+ PKCS #3: Diffie-Hellman Key-Agreement Standard. Version
+ 1.4, November 1993.
+
+ PKCS #5: Password-Based Encryption Standard. Version
+ 1.5, November 1993.
+
+ PKCS #6: Extended-Certificate Syntax Standard. Version
+ 1.5, November 1993.
+
+ PKCS #7: Cryptographic Message Syntax Standard. Version
+ 1.5, November 1993.
+
+ PKCS #8: Private-Key Information Syntax Standard.
+ Version 1.2, November 1993.
+
+ PKCS #9: Selected Attribute Types. Version 1.1,
+ November 1993.
+
+ PKCS #10: Certification Request Syntax Standard.
+ Version 1.0, November 1993.
+
+The following substantive changes were made:
+
+ Section 5: Description of T61String type is added.
+
+ Section 6: Names are changed, consistent with other
+ PKCS examples.
+
+
+Author's address
+
+Burton S. Kaliski Jr., Ph.D.
+Chief Scientist
+RSA Laboratories (415) 595-7703
+100 Marine Parkway (415) 595-4126 (fax)
+Redwood City, CA 94065 USA burt@rsa.com
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