Skip to content

Commit

Permalink
ASN template documentation: adding basics for decoding
Browse files Browse the repository at this point in the history
First draft of ASN template documentation that helps with writing
parsing code.
  • Loading branch information
SparkiDev committed Oct 31, 2024
1 parent 202822c commit dcd75df
Show file tree
Hide file tree
Showing 2 changed files with 164 additions and 1 deletion.
162 changes: 162 additions & 0 deletions wolfcrypt/src/ASN_TEMPLATE.md
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
@@ -0,0 +1,162 @@
# Writing an ASN Template

## Template

A template that describes the ASN.1 items that are expected is required.

Each ASN.1 item should have a named index to make it easier to choose the item
when assigning variables or getting data.

The number of items in the template is needed too. Use a define using sizeof to
allow for modification.

```c
/* ASN template for <name of ASN.1 definition>.
* <RFC or standard that it comes from>
*/
static const ASNItem <template>[] = {
/* <ITEM_0> */ { <depth>, <ASN Type>, <constructed>, <header>, <optional> },
...
};
/* Named indeces for <template>. */
enum {
<TEMPLATE>_<ITEM_0> = 0,
<TEMPLATE>_<ITEM_1>,
...
};
/* Number of items in <template>. */
#define <template>_Length (sizeof(<template>) / sizeof(ASNItem))
```

## Examples of ASN.1 items

### Sequence

This is a sequence at depth 0 and want to parse the contents.

ASN.1 description would be something like:
```
RSASSA-PSS-params ::= SEQUENCE {
```

```c
{ 0, ASN_SEQUENCE, 1, 1, 0 },
```
To skip over the contents of the sequence, set the header to 0 indicating that
the next item to parse will be this level or higher.
```c
{ 0, ASN_SEQUENCE, 1, 0, 0 },
```

### Simple types

An INTEGER at depth 1.

ASN.1 description would be something like:
```
prime INTEGER,
```

```c
{ 1, ASN_INTEGER, 0, 0, 1 },
```
An OCTET_STRING at depth 1 but stop after header in order to parse contents:
ASN.1 description would be something like:
```
digest OCTET STRING
```
```c
{ 1, ASN_COTET_STRING, 0, 1, 0 },
```

### Context Specific

Content specific ASN.1 items need the value associated with them.

This is a constructed ASN.1 Content Specific item of 1 that is optional.

ASN.1 description would be something like:
```
maskGenAlgorithm [1] MaskGeneration Default mgf1SHA1
```


```c
{ 1, ASN_CONTENT_SPECIFIC | 1, 1, 1, 1 },
```
### Optional items
An optional boolean (like criticality of a certificate extension):
ASN.1 description would be something like:
```
critical BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE,
```
```c
{ 1, ASN_BOOLEAN, 0, 0, 1 },
```

### Choice

Next ASN.1 item, at depth 2, is one of multiple types:

```c
{ 2, ASN_TAG_NULL, 0, 0, 2 },
{ 2, ASN_OBJECT_ID, 0, 0, 2 },
{ 2, ASN_SEQUENCE, 1, 0, 2 },
```
Note, use the optional value to uniquely identify the choices.
# Decoding function outline
An outline of a decoding function:
```c
#include <wolfssl/wolfcrypt/asn.h>
...
static int Decode<Something>(const byte* input, int sz, <Object Type* <obj>)
{
DECL_ASNGETDATA(dataASN, <template>_Length);
int ret = 0;
/* Declare variables to parse data into. For example:
* word32 idx = 0;
* byte isCA = 0;
*/
CALLOC_ASNGETDATA(dataASN, <template>_Length, ret, <obj>->heap);
if (ret == 0) {
/* Set any variables to be filled in by the parser. For example:
* GetASN_Boolean(&dataASN[BASICCONSASN_IDX_CA], &isCA);
* GetASN_Int8Bit(&dataASN[BASICCONSASN_IDX_PLEN], &<obj>->pathLength);
*/
/* Decode the ASN.1 DER. */
ret = GetASN_Items(<template>, dataASN, <template>_Length, 1, input,
&idx, (word32)sz);
}
if (ret == 0) {
/* Check data in variables is valid. */
}
if (ret == 0) {
/* Put data in variables into object. */
}
FREE_ASNGETDATA(dataASN, <obj>->heap);
return ret;
}
```

3 changes: 2 additions & 1 deletion wolfcrypt/src/include.am
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -146,7 +146,8 @@ EXTRA_DIST += wolfcrypt/src/port/ti/ti-aes.c \
wolfcrypt/src/port/Renesas/README.md \
wolfcrypt/src/port/cypress/psoc6_crypto.c \
wolfcrypt/src/port/liboqs/liboqs.c \
wolfcrypt/src/port/maxim/max3266x.c
wolfcrypt/src/port/maxim/max3266x.c \
wolfcrypt/src/ASN_TEMPLATE.md

$(ASYNC_FILES):
$(AM_V_at)touch $(srcdir)/$@
Expand Down

0 comments on commit dcd75df

Please sign in to comment.