| # Porting from OpenSSL to BoringSSL |
| |
| BoringSSL is an OpenSSL derivative and is mostly source-compatible, for the |
| subset of OpenSSL retained. Libraries ideally need little to no changes for |
| BoringSSL support, provided they do not use removed APIs. In general, see if the |
| library compiles and, on failure, consult the documentation in the header files |
| and see if problematic features can be removed. |
| |
| In some cases, BoringSSL-specific code may be necessary. In that case, the |
| `OPENSSL_IS_BORINGSSL` preprocessor macro may be used in `#ifdef`s. This macro |
| should also be used in lieu of the presence of any particular function to detect |
| OpenSSL vs BoringSSL in configure scripts, etc., where those are necessary. |
| Before using the preprocessor, however, contact the BoringSSL maintainers about |
| the missing APIs. If not an intentionally removed feature, BoringSSL will |
| typically add compatibility functions for convenience. |
| |
| For convenience, BoringSSL defines upstream's `OPENSSL_NO_*` feature macros |
| corresponding to removed features. These may also be used to disable code which |
| uses a removed feature. |
| |
| Note: BoringSSL does *not* have a stable API or ABI. It must be updated with its |
| consumers. It is not suitable for, say, a system library in a traditional Linux |
| distribution. For instance, Chromium statically links the specific revision of |
| BoringSSL it was built against. Likewise, Android's system-internal copy of |
| BoringSSL is not exposed by the NDK and must not be used by third-party |
| applications. |
| |
| |
| ## Major API changes |
| |
| ### Integer types |
| |
| Some APIs have been converted to use `size_t` for consistency and to avoid |
| integer overflows at the API boundary. (Existing logic uses a mismash of `int`, |
| `long`, and `unsigned`.) For the most part, implicit casts mean that existing |
| code continues to compile. In some cases, this may require BoringSSL-specific |
| code, particularly to avoid compiler warnings. |
| |
| Most notably, the `STACK_OF(T)` types have all been converted to use `size_t` |
| instead of `int` for indices and lengths. |
| |
| ### Reference counts |
| |
| Some external consumers increment reference counts directly by calling |
| `CRYPTO_add` with the corresponding `CRYPTO_LOCK_*` value. |
| |
| These APIs no longer exist in BoringSSL. Instead, code which increments |
| reference counts should call the corresponding `FOO_up_ref` function, such as |
| `EVP_PKEY_up_ref`. Note that not all of these APIs are present in OpenSSL and |
| may require `#ifdef`s. |
| |
| ### Error codes |
| |
| OpenSSL's errors are extremely specific, leaking internals of the library, |
| including even a function code for the function which emitted the error! As some |
| logic in BoringSSL has been rewritten, code which conditions on the error may |
| break (grep for `ERR_GET_REASON` and `ERR_GET_FUNC`). This danger also exists |
| when upgrading OpenSSL versions. |
| |
| Where possible, avoid conditioning on the exact error reason. Otherwise, a |
| BoringSSL `#ifdef` may be necessary. Exactly how best to resolve this issue is |
| still being determined. It's possible some new APIs will be added in the future. |
| |
| Function codes have been completely removed. Remove code which conditions on |
| these as it will break with the slightest change in the library, OpenSSL or |
| BoringSSL. |
| |
| ### `*_ctrl` functions |
| |
| Some OpenSSL APIs are implemented with `ioctl`-style functions such as |
| `SSL_ctrl` and `EVP_PKEY_CTX_ctrl`, combined with convenience macros, such as |
| |
| # define SSL_CTX_set_mode(ctx,op) \ |
| SSL_CTX_ctrl((ctx),SSL_CTRL_MODE,(op),NULL) |
| |
| In BoringSSL, these macros have been replaced with proper functions. The |
| underlying `_ctrl` functions have been removed. |
| |
| For convenience, `SSL_CTRL_*` values are retained as macros to `doesnt_exist` so |
| existing code which uses them (or the wrapper macros) in `#ifdef` expressions |
| will continue to function. However, the macros themselves will not work. |
| |
| Switch any `*_ctrl` callers to the macro/function versions. This works in both |
| OpenSSL and BoringSSL. Note that BoringSSL's function versions will be |
| type-checked and may require more care with types. See the end of this |
| document for a table of functions to use. |
| |
| ### HMAC `EVP_PKEY`s |
| |
| `EVP_PKEY_HMAC` is removed. Use the `HMAC_*` functions in `hmac.h` instead. This |
| is compatible with OpenSSL. |
| |
| ### DSA `EVP_PKEY`s |
| |
| `EVP_PKEY_DSA` is deprecated. It is currently still possible to parse DER into a |
| DSA `EVP_PKEY`, but signing or verifying with those objects will not work. |
| |
| ### DES |
| |
| The `DES_cblock` type has been switched from an array to a struct to avoid the |
| pitfalls around array types in C. Where features which require DES cannot be |
| disabled, BoringSSL-specific codepaths may be necessary. |
| |
| ### TLS renegotiation |
| |
| OpenSSL enables TLS renegotiation by default and accepts renegotiation requests |
| from the peer transparently. Renegotiation is an extremely problematic protocol |
| feature, so BoringSSL rejects peer renegotiations by default. |
| |
| To enable renegotiation, call `SSL_set_renegotiate_mode` and set it to |
| `ssl_renegotiate_once` or `ssl_renegotiate_freely`. Renegotiation is only |
| supported as a client in SSL3/TLS and the HelloRequest must be received at a |
| quiet point in the application protocol. This is sufficient to support the |
| common use of requesting a new client certificate between an HTTP request and |
| response in (unpipelined) HTTP/1.1. |
| |
| Things which do not work: |
| |
| * There is no support for renegotiation as a server. |
| |
| * There is no support for renegotiation in DTLS. |
| |
| * There is no support for initiating renegotiation; `SSL_renegotiate` always |
| fails and `SSL_set_state` does nothing. |
| |
| * Interleaving application data with the new handshake is forbidden. |
| |
| * If a HelloRequest is received while `SSL_write` has unsent application data, |
| the renegotiation is rejected. |
| |
| ### Lowercase hexadecimal |
| |
| BoringSSL's `BN_bn2hex` function uses lowercase hexadecimal digits instead of |
| uppercase. Some code may require changes to avoid being sensitive to this |
| difference. |
| |
| ### Legacy ASN.1 functions |
| |
| OpenSSL's ASN.1 stack uses `d2i` functions for parsing. They have the form: |
| |
| RSA *d2i_RSAPrivateKey(RSA **out, const uint8_t **inp, long len); |
| |
| In addition to returning the result, OpenSSL places it in `*out` if `out` is |
| not `NULL`. On input, if `*out` is not `NULL`, OpenSSL will usually (but not |
| always) reuse that object rather than allocating a new one. In BoringSSL, these |
| functions are compatibility wrappers over a newer ASN.1 stack. Even if `*out` |
| is not `NULL`, these wrappers will always allocate a new object and free the |
| previous one. |
| |
| Ensure that callers do not rely on this object reuse behavior. It is |
| recommended to avoid the `out` parameter completely and always pass in `NULL`. |
| Note that less error-prone APIs are available for BoringSSL-specific code (see |
| below). |
| |
| ## Optional BoringSSL-specific simplifications |
| |
| BoringSSL makes some changes to OpenSSL which simplify the API but remain |
| compatible with OpenSSL consumers. In general, consult the BoringSSL |
| documentation for any functions in new BoringSSL-only code. |
| |
| ### Return values |
| |
| Most OpenSSL APIs return 1 on success and either 0 or -1 on failure. BoringSSL |
| has narrowed most of these to 1 on success and 0 on failure. BoringSSL-specific |
| code may take advantage of the less error-prone APIs and use `!` to check for |
| errors. |
| |
| ### Initialization |
| |
| OpenSSL has a number of different initialization functions for setting up error |
| strings and loading algorithms, etc. All of these functions still exist in |
| BoringSSL for convenience, but they do nothing and are not necessary. |
| |
| The one exception is `CRYPTO_library_init`. In `BORINGSSL_NO_STATIC_INITIALIZER` |
| builds, it must be called to query CPU capabitilies before the rest of the |
| library. In the default configuration, this is done with a static initializer |
| and is also unnecessary. |
| |
| ### Threading |
| |
| OpenSSL provides a number of APIs to configure threading callbacks and set up |
| locks. Without initializing these, the library is not thread-safe. Configuring |
| these does nothing in BoringSSL. Instead, BoringSSL calls pthreads and the |
| corresponding Windows APIs internally and is always thread-safe where the API |
| guarantees it. |
| |
| ### ASN.1 |
| |
| BoringSSL is in the process of deprecating OpenSSL's `d2i` and `i2d` in favor of |
| new functions using the much less error-prone `CBS` and `CBB` types. |
| BoringSSL-only code should use those functions where available. |
| |
| |
| ## Replacements for `CTRL` values |
| |
| When porting code which uses `SSL_CTX_ctrl` or `SSL_ctrl`, use the replacement |
| functions below. If a function has both `SSL_CTX` and `SSL` variants, only the |
| `SSL_CTX` version is listed. |
| |
| Note some values correspond to multiple functions depending on the `larg` |
| parameter. |
| |
| `CTRL` value | Replacement function(s) |
| -------------|------------------------- |
| `DTLS_CTRL_GET_TIMEOUT` | `DTLSv1_get_timeout` |
| `DTLS_CTRL_HANDLE_TIMEOUT` | `DTLSv1_handle_timeout` |
| `SSL_CTRL_CHAIN` | `SSL_CTX_set0_chain` or `SSL_CTX_set1_chain` |
| `SSL_CTRL_CHAIN_CERT` | `SSL_add0_chain_cert` or `SSL_add1_chain_cert` |
| `SSL_CTRL_CLEAR_EXTRA_CHAIN_CERTS` | `SSL_CTX_clear_extra_chain_certs` |
| `SSL_CTRL_CLEAR_MODE` | `SSL_CTX_clear_mode` |
| `SSL_CTRL_CLEAR_OPTIONS` | `SSL_CTX_clear_options` |
| `SSL_CTRL_EXTRA_CHAIN_CERT` | `SSL_CTX_add_extra_chain_cert` |
| `SSL_CTRL_GET_CHAIN_CERTS` | `SSL_CTX_get0_chain_certs` |
| `SSL_CTRL_GET_CLIENT_CERT_TYPES` | `SSL_get0_certificate_types` |
| `SSL_CTRL_GET_EXTRA_CHAIN_CERTS` | `SSL_CTX_get_extra_chain_certs` or `SSL_CTX_get_extra_chain_certs_only` |
| `SSL_CTRL_GET_MAX_CERT_LIST` | `SSL_CTX_get_max_cert_list` |
| `SSL_CTRL_GET_NUM_RENEGOTIATIONS` | `SSL_num_renegotiations` |
| `SSL_CTRL_GET_READ_AHEAD` | `SSL_CTX_get_read_ahead` |
| `SSL_CTRL_GET_RI_SUPPORT` | `SSL_get_secure_renegotiation_support` |
| `SSL_CTRL_GET_SESSION_REUSED` | `SSL_session_reused` |
| `SSL_CTRL_GET_SESS_CACHE_MODE` | `SSL_CTX_get_session_cache_mode` |
| `SSL_CTRL_GET_SESS_CACHE_SIZE` | `SSL_CTX_sess_get_cache_size` |
| `SSL_CTRL_GET_TLSEXT_TICKET_KEYS` | `SSL_CTX_get_tlsext_ticket_keys` |
| `SSL_CTRL_GET_TOTAL_RENEGOTIATIONS` | `SSL_total_renegotiations` |
| `SSL_CTRL_MODE` | `SSL_CTX_get_mode` or `SSL_CTX_set_mode` |
| `SSL_CTRL_NEED_TMP_RSA` | `SSL_CTX_need_tmp_RSA` is equivalent, but [*do not use this function*](https://freakattack.com/). (It is a no-op in BoringSSL.) |
| `SSL_CTRL_OPTIONS` | `SSL_CTX_get_options` or `SSL_CTX_set_options` |
| `SSL_CTRL_SESS_NUMBER` | `SSL_CTX_sess_number` |
| `SSL_CTRL_SET_CURVES` | `SSL_CTX_set1_curves` |
| `SSL_CTRL_SET_MAX_CERT_LIST` | `SSL_CTX_set_max_cert_list` |
| `SSL_CTRL_SET_MAX_SEND_FRAGMENT` | `SSL_CTX_set_max_send_fragment` |
| `SSL_CTRL_SET_MSG_CALLBACK` | `SSL_set_msg_callback` |
| `SSL_CTRL_SET_MSG_CALLBACK_ARG` | `SSL_set_msg_callback_arg` |
| `SSL_CTRL_SET_MTU` | `SSL_set_mtu` |
| `SSL_CTRL_SET_READ_AHEAD` | `SSL_CTX_set_read_ahead` |
| `SSL_CTRL_SET_SESS_CACHE_MODE` | `SSL_CTX_set_session_cache_mode` |
| `SSL_CTRL_SET_SESS_CACHE_SIZE` | `SSL_CTX_sess_set_cache_size` |
| `SSL_CTRL_SET_TLSEXT_HOSTNAME` | `SSL_set_tlsext_host_name` |
| `SSL_CTRL_SET_TLSEXT_SERVERNAME_ARG` | `SSL_CTX_set_tlsext_servername_arg` |
| `SSL_CTRL_SET_TLSEXT_SERVERNAME_CB` | `SSL_CTX_set_tlsext_servername_callback` |
| `SSL_CTRL_SET_TLSEXT_TICKET_KEYS` | `SSL_CTX_set_tlsext_ticket_keys` |
| `SSL_CTRL_SET_TLSEXT_TICKET_KEY_CB` | `SSL_CTX_set_tlsext_ticket_key_cb` |
| `SSL_CTRL_SET_TMP_DH` | `SSL_CTX_set_tmp_dh` |
| `SSL_CTRL_SET_TMP_DH_CB` | `SSL_CTX_set_tmp_dh_callback` |
| `SSL_CTRL_SET_TMP_ECDH` | `SSL_CTX_set_tmp_ecdh` |
| `SSL_CTRL_SET_TMP_ECDH_CB` | `SSL_CTX_set_tmp_ecdh_callback` |
| `SSL_CTRL_SET_TMP_RSA` | `SSL_CTX_set_tmp_rsa` is equivalent, but [*do not use this function*](https://freakattack.com/). (It is a no-op in BoringSSL.) |
| `SSL_CTRL_SET_TMP_RSA_CB` | `SSL_CTX_set_tmp_rsa_callback` is equivalent, but [*do not use this function*](https://freakattack.com/). (It is a no-op in BoringSSL.) |