OPENSSL-KDF(1) | OpenSSL | OPENSSL-KDF(1)

# NAME

openssl-kdf - perform Key Derivation Function operations

# SYNOPSIS

openssl kdf [-help] [-cipher] [-digest] [-mac] [-kdfopt nm:v] [-keylen num] [-out filename] [-binary] [-provider name] [-provider-path path] [-provparam [name:]key=value] [-propquery propq] kdf_name

# DESCRIPTION

The key derivation functions generate a derived key from either a secret or password.

# OPTIONS

-help
  Print a usage message.
-keylen num
  The output size of the derived key. This field is required.
-out filename
  Filename to output to, or standard output by default.
-binary
  Output the derived key in binary form. Uses hexadecimal text format if not specified.
-cipher name
  Specify the cipher to be used by the KDF. Not all KDFs require a cipher and it is an error to use this option in such cases.
-digest name
  Specify the digest to be used by the KDF. Not all KDFs require a digest and it is an error to use this option in such cases. To see the list of supported digests, use "openssl list -digest-commands".
-mac name
  Specify the MAC to be used by the KDF. Not all KDFs require a MAC and it is an error to use this option in such cases.
-kdfopt nm:v
  Passes options to the KDF algorithm. A comprehensive list of parameters can be found in "PARAMETERS" in EVP_KDF(3). Common parameter names used by EVP_KDF_CTX_set_params() are:

key:string
  Specifies the secret key as an alphanumeric string (use if the key contains printable characters only). The string length must conform to any restrictions of the KDF algorithm. A key must be specified for most KDF algorithms.
hexkey:string
  Alternative to the key: option where the secret key is specified in hexadecimal form (two hex digits per byte).
pass:string
  Specifies the password as an alphanumeric string (use if the password contains printable characters only). The password must be specified for PBKDF2 and scrypt.
hexpass:string
  Alternative to the pass: option where the password is specified in hexadecimal form (two hex digits per byte).
salt:string
  Specifies a non-secret unique cryptographic salt as an alphanumeric string (use if it contains printable characters only). The length must conform to any restrictions of the KDF algorithm. A salt parameter is required for several KDF algorithms, such as EVP_KDF-PBKDF2(7).
hexsalt:string
  Alternative to the salt: option where the salt is specified in hexadecimal form (two hex digits per byte).
info:string
  Some KDF implementations, such as EVP_KDF-HKDF(7), take an 'info' parameter for binding the derived key material to application- and context-specific information. Specifies the info, fixed info, other info or shared info argument as an alphanumeric string (use if it contains printable characters only). The length must conform to any restrictions of the KDF algorithm.
hexinfo:string
  Alternative to the info: option where the info is specified in hexadecimal form (two hex digits per byte).
digest:string
  This option is identical to the -digest option.
cipher:string
  This option is identical to the -cipher option.
mac:string
  This option is identical to the -mac option.

-provider name
-provider-path path
-provparam [name:]key=value
-propquery propq
  See "Provider Options" in openssl(1), provider(7), and property(7).
kdf_name
  Specifies the name of a supported KDF algorithm which will be used. The supported algorithms names include TLS1-PRF, HKDF, SSKDF, PBKDF2, SSHKDF, X942KDF-ASN1, X942KDF-CONCAT, X963KDF and SCRYPT.

# EXAMPLES

Use TLS1-PRF to create a hex-encoded derived key from a secret key and seed:

        openssl kdf -keylen 16 -kdfopt digest:SHA2-256 -kdfopt key:secret \
                    -kdfopt seed:seed TLS1-PRF

Use HKDF to create a hex-encoded derived key from a secret key, salt and info:

        openssl kdf -keylen 10 -kdfopt digest:SHA2-256 -kdfopt key:secret \
                    -kdfopt salt:salt -kdfopt info:label HKDF

Use SSKDF with KMAC to create a hex-encoded derived key from a secret key, salt and info:

        openssl kdf -keylen 64 -kdfopt mac:KMAC-128 -kdfopt maclen:20 \
                    -kdfopt hexkey:b74a149a161545 -kdfopt hexinfo:348a37a2 \
                    -kdfopt hexsalt:3638271ccd68a2 SSKDF

Use SSKDF with HMAC to create a hex-encoded derived key from a secret key, salt and info:

        openssl kdf -keylen 16 -kdfopt mac:HMAC -kdfopt digest:SHA2-256 \
                    -kdfopt hexkey:b74a149a -kdfopt hexinfo:348a37a2 \
                    -kdfopt hexsalt:3638271c SSKDF

Use SSKDF with Hash to create a hex-encoded derived key from a secret key, salt and info:

        openssl kdf -keylen 14 -kdfopt digest:SHA2-256 \
                    -kdfopt hexkey:6dbdc23f045488 \
                    -kdfopt hexinfo:a1b2c3d4 SSKDF

Use SSHKDF to create a hex-encoded derived key from a secret key, hash and session_id:

        openssl kdf -keylen 16 -kdfopt digest:SHA2-256 \
                    -kdfopt hexkey:0102030405 \
                    -kdfopt hexxcghash:06090A \
                    -kdfopt hexsession_id:01020304 \
                    -kdfopt type:A SSHKDF

Use PBKDF2 to create a hex-encoded derived key from a password and salt:

        openssl kdf -keylen 32 -kdfopt digest:SHA256 -kdfopt pass:password \
                    -kdfopt salt:salt -kdfopt iter:2 PBKDF2

Use scrypt to create a hex-encoded derived key from a password and salt:

        openssl kdf -keylen 64 -kdfopt pass:password -kdfopt salt:NaCl \
                    -kdfopt n:1024 -kdfopt r:8 -kdfopt p:16 \
                    -kdfopt maxmem_bytes:10485760 SCRYPT

# NOTES

The KDF mechanisms that are available will depend on the options used when building OpenSSL.

# SEE ALSO

openssl(1), openssl-pkeyutl(1), EVP_KDF(3), EVP_KDF-SCRYPT(7), EVP_KDF-TLS1_PRF(7), EVP_KDF-PBKDF2(7), EVP_KDF-HKDF(7), EVP_KDF-SS(7), EVP_KDF-SSHKDF(7), EVP_KDF-X942-ASN1(7), EVP_KDF-X942-CONCAT(7), EVP_KDF-X963(7)

# HISTORY

Added in OpenSSL 3.0

# COPYRIGHT

Copyright 2019-2023 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>.

2025-07-18 | 3.5.1