---
product: Chilkat
product_version: 11.7.0
language: vbnet
language_label: VB.NET
class: Rsa
license: bundle
deprecated: false
reference_html: https://www.chilkatsoft.com/refdoc/vbnetRsaRef.html
---
# Chilkat Rsa — VB.NET — v11.7.0

> Chilkat 11.7.0 · language=vbnet · class=Rsa
> Other versions: replace `11.7.0` in this URL. Other languages: `https://www.chilkatsoft.com/ai-docs/v/11.7.0/<lang>/classes/Rsa.md`.
> Language-wide rules (install, unlock, error model, strings/bytes): `https://www.chilkatsoft.com/ai-docs/v/11.7.0/vbnet/guide.md`.

## Purpose

**Encrypt, decrypt, sign, verify, and generate RSA keys.**

Use `Chilkat.Rsa` when an application needs direct RSA cryptographic operations. It can encrypt data with a public key, decrypt with a private key, create RSA signatures, verify signatures, sign precomputed hashes, verify signed hashes, and generate RSA key pairs. It also works with keys supplied directly as `PrivateKey` or `PublicKey` objects, or indirectly through certificates.

**RSA encryption**

Encrypt data with a public key for workflows where only the matching private key should be able to decrypt the result.

**RSA decryption**

Decrypt RSA-encrypted data using a private key, including keys loaded directly or accessed through a certificate.

**Sign and verify data**

Create and verify RSA signatures over data using the hash algorithm and padding mode required by the application or protocol.

**Sign precomputed hashes**

Sign or verify already-computed message digests when the hashing step is performed separately or by another component.

**Generate RSA keys**

Generate RSA key pairs for applications that need new public/private key material.

**Certificate-backed keys**

Use RSA keys associated with certificates, including non-exportable private keys in smart cards, USB tokens, Windows stores, or Apple Keychain.

**Common pattern:** Load or generate the RSA key material, configure the padding, hash, charset, and encoding options needed by the protocol, then call the method matching the operation: encrypt, decrypt, sign, verify, sign-hash, or verify-hash. Use `Chilkat.Rsa` for direct RSA operations; use higher-level classes such as `Crypt2`, `Jws`, `Jwt`, or `Mime` when the RSA operation is part of a larger format or protocol.

For an extended overview, see [Rsa Class Overview](https://www.chilkatsoft.com/rsa_class_overview.asp).

## Object creation, unlocking and error handling

**Object Creation**

```vbnet
Dim obj As New Chilkat.Rsa()
```

Call `Global.UnlockBundle` once at the start of the program, before using this or any other Chilkat class. Any string unlocks a fully functional 30-day trial; a purchased unlock code is used in production. See `guide.md` for the exact code in VB.NET.

How failure is reported depends on the method's return type and is stated in the note under each method below. In every case the diagnostic text is in the `LastErrorText` property of the object whose method was called.

## Members common to every Chilkat class

Documented once per language in `common-members.md`; listed here so this page is self-contained.

| Property | Signature | Access | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| `DebugLogFilePath` | `DebugLogFilePath As String` | read/write | If set to a file path, this property logs the LastErrorText of each Chilkat method or property call to the specified file. |
| `LastErrorHtml` | `LastErrorHtml As String (ReadOnly)` | read-only | Provides HTML-formatted information about the last called method or property. |
| `LastErrorText` | `LastErrorText As String (ReadOnly)` | read-only | Provides plain text information about the last called method or property. |
| `LastErrorXml` | `LastErrorXml As String (ReadOnly)` | read-only | Provides XML-formatted information about the last called method or property. |
| `LastMethodSuccess` | `LastMethodSuccess As Boolean` | read/write | Indicates the success or failure of the most recent method call: `True` means success, `False` means failure. |
| `VerboseLogging` | `VerboseLogging As Boolean` | read/write | If set to `True`, then the contents of LastErrorText (or LastErrorXml, or LastErrorHtml) may contain more verbose information. |
| `Version` | `Version As String (ReadOnly)` | read-only | Version of the component/library, such as "10.1.0" |

## Member index

| Member | Kind | Signature |
|---|---|---|
| `Charset` | property, read/write | `Charset As String` |
| `EncodingMode` | property, read/write | `EncodingMode As String` |
| `LittleEndian` | property, read/write | `LittleEndian As Boolean` |
| `NoUnpad` | property, read/write | `NoUnpad As Boolean` |
| `NumBits` | property, read-only | `NumBits As Integer (ReadOnly)` |
| `OaepHash` | property, read/write | `OaepHash As String` |
| `OaepLabel` | property, read/write | `OaepLabel As String` |
| `OaepMgfHash` | property, read/write | `OaepMgfHash As String` |
| `PkcsPadding` | property, read/write | `PkcsPadding As Boolean` |
| `PssSaltLen` | property, read/write | `PssSaltLen As Integer` |
| `UncommonOptions` | property, read/write | `UncommonOptions As String` |
| `DecryptBd` | method | `Function DecryptBd(ByVal bd As BinData, ByVal usePrivateKey As Boolean) As Boolean` |
| `DecryptBytes` | method | `Function DecryptBytes(ByVal inData As Byte(), ByVal usePrivateKey As Boolean) As Byte()` |
| `DecryptBytesENC` | method | `Function DecryptBytesENC(ByVal str As String, ByVal bUsePrivateKey As Boolean) As Byte()` |
| `DecryptString` | method | `Function DecryptString(ByVal encBytes As Byte(), ByVal usePrivateKey As Boolean) As String` |
| `DecryptStringENC` | method | `Function DecryptStringENC(ByVal str As String, ByVal usePrivateKey As Boolean) As String` |
| `EncryptBd` | method | `Function EncryptBd(ByVal bd As BinData, ByVal usePrivateKey As Boolean) As Boolean` |
| `EncryptBytes` | method | `Function EncryptBytes(ByVal binaryData As Byte(), ByVal usePrivateKey As Boolean) As Byte()` |
| `EncryptBytesENC` | method | `Function EncryptBytesENC(ByVal data As Byte(), ByVal bUsePrivateKey As Boolean) As String` |
| `EncryptString` | method | `Function EncryptString(ByVal stringToEncrypt As String, ByVal usePrivateKey As Boolean) As Byte()` |
| `EncryptStringENC` | method | `Function EncryptStringENC(ByVal str As String, ByVal bUsePrivateKey As Boolean) As String` |
| `GenKey` | method | `Function GenKey(ByVal numBits As Integer, ByVal privKey As PrivateKey) As Boolean` |
| `SetX509Cert` | method | `Function SetX509Cert(ByVal cert As Cert, ByVal usePrivateKey As Boolean) As Boolean` |
| `SignBd` | method | `Function SignBd(ByVal bdData As BinData, ByVal hashAlgorithm As String, ByVal bdSig As BinData) As Boolean` |
| `SignBytes` | method | `Function SignBytes(ByVal binaryData As Byte(), ByVal hashAlgorithm As String) As Byte()` |
| `SignBytesENC` | method | `Function SignBytesENC(ByVal binaryData As Byte(), ByVal hashAlgorithm As String) As String` |
| `SignHash` | method | `Function SignHash(ByVal hashBytes As Byte(), ByVal hashAlg As String) As Byte()` |
| `SignHashENC` | method | `Function SignHashENC(ByVal encodedHash As String, ByVal hashAlg As String) As String` |
| `SignRawBd` | method | `Function SignRawBd(ByVal bd As BinData) As Boolean` |
| `SignString` | method | `Function SignString(ByVal strToBeHashed As String, ByVal hashAlgorithm As String) As Byte()` |
| `SignStringENC` | method | `Function SignStringENC(ByVal strToBeHashed As String, ByVal hashAlgorithm As String) As String` |
| `SnkToXml` | method | `Function SnkToXml(ByVal filename As String) As String` |
| `UsePrivateKey` | method | `Function UsePrivateKey(ByVal privKey As PrivateKey) As Boolean` |
| `UsePublicKey` | method | `Function UsePublicKey(ByVal pubKey As PublicKey) As Boolean` |
| `VerifyBd` | method | `Function VerifyBd(ByVal bdData As BinData, ByVal hashAlgorithm As String, ByVal bdSig As BinData) As Boolean` |
| `VerifyBytes` | method | `Function VerifyBytes(ByVal originalData As Byte(), ByVal hashAlgorithm As String, ByVal signatureBytes As Byte()) As Boolean` |
| `VerifyBytesENC` | method | `Function VerifyBytesENC(ByVal originalData As Byte(), ByVal hashAlgorithm As String, ByVal encodedSig As String) As Boolean` |
| `VerifyHash` | method | `Function VerifyHash(ByVal hashBytes As Byte(), ByVal hashAlg As String, ByVal sigBytes As Byte()) As Boolean` |
| `VerifyHashENC` | method | `Function VerifyHashENC(ByVal encodedHash As String, ByVal hashAlg As String, ByVal encodedSig As String) As Boolean` |
| `VerifyRawBd` | method | `Function VerifyRawBd(ByVal bd As BinData) As Boolean` |
| `VerifyString` | method | `Function VerifyString(ByVal originalString As String, ByVal hashAlgorithm As String, ByVal binarySig As Byte()) As Boolean` |
| `VerifyStringENC` | method | `Function VerifyStringENC(ByVal originalString As String, ByVal hashAlgorithm As String, ByVal encodedSig As String) As Boolean` |

Deprecated members are listed at the end of this file with their replacements; do not use them in new code.

## Properties

### Rsa.Charset

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · Charset · property · read/write`

```vbnet
Charset As String
```

**Full documentation for this property (same in every language):** [How Charset Affects RSA](https://www.chilkatsoft.com/ai-docs/v/11.7.0/articles/how_charset_affects_rsa.md) · [ANSI Charset Explained](https://www.chilkatsoft.com/ai-docs/v/11.7.0/articles/ansi_charset_explained.md)

This property specifies the character encoding used to represent text as bytes for encryption, decryption, signing, and signature validation. By default, it uses the computer's `ANSI` charset, such as Windows-1252 for locales like the United States, United Kingdom, Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.

Most applications are advised to set this property to `UTF-8`. Chilkat plans to change its default to UTF-8 in a future major version to align with current standards. The current default of ANSI stems from a time when UTF-8 was not widely adopted.

### Rsa.EncodingMode

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · EncodingMode · property · read/write`

```vbnet
EncodingMode As String
```

This property defines the encoding for methods ending in `ENC`, such as EncryptStringENC. Valid modes include `base64`, `hex`, `hex_lower`, and more. The encoding mode applies to signatures, encrypted data, and hashes used in or returned by a method.

### Rsa.LittleEndian

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · LittleEndian · property · read/write`

```vbnet
LittleEndian As Boolean
```

When creating RSA signatures, this property determines the endianness: set it to `True` for little-endian signatures and `False` for big-endian signatures.

See also:

- [RSA Signatures and Endianness](https://cknotes.com/rsa-signatures-and-endianness/)

### Rsa.NoUnpad

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · NoUnpad · property · read/write`

```vbnet
NoUnpad As Boolean
```

If `True`, skips unpadding when decrypting. The default is `False`. This property value is typically left unchanged.

### Rsa.NumBits

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · NumBits · property · read-only`

```vbnet
NumBits As Integer (ReadOnly)
```

The bit length, such as 2048, of the imported or generated RSA key.

### Rsa.OaepHash

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · OaepHash · property · read/write · since 9.5.0.48`

```vbnet
OaepHash As String
```

Selects the hash algorithm for use within OAEP padding for encryption. The valid choices are `sha256`, `sha384`, `sha512`, or `sha1`.

The default is SHA1. You'll likely want to change this to to SHA256. The next major version of Chilkat (11.0.0) will change the default to SHA256.

See also:

- [More Information about RSA OAEP Padding for Encryption](https://cknotes.com/more-information-about-rsa-oaep-padding-for-encryption/)

### Rsa.OaepLabel

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · OaepLabel · property · read/write · since 9.5.0.95`

```vbnet
OaepLabel As String
```

The optional RSA encryption OAEP label is a hex representation of the label bytes used for encrypting with OAEP padding. Typically, this is left empty (0 bytes) unless there's a specific requirement to set it.

See also:

- [More Information about RSA OAEP Padding for Encryption](https://cknotes.com/more-information-about-rsa-oaep-padding-for-encryption/)

### Rsa.OaepMgfHash

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · OaepMgfHash · property · read/write · since 9.5.0.71`

```vbnet
OaepMgfHash As String
```

Selects the MGF (mask generation) hash algorithm for use within OAEP padding for encryption. The valid choices are `sha256`, `sha384`, `sha512`, or `sha1`.

Note: This property should typically be set to the same value as the OaepHash property. Many software implementations are not able to handle cases where the MGF hash is different than the OAEP hash.

The default is SHA1. You'll likely want to change this to to SHA256. The next major version of Chilkat (11.0.0) will change the default to SHA256.

See also:

- [More Information about RSA OAEP Padding for Encryption](https://cknotes.com/more-information-about-rsa-oaep-padding-for-encryption/)

### Rsa.PkcsPadding

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · PkcsPadding · property · read/write · since 11.0.0`

```vbnet
PkcsPadding As Boolean
```

This property controls padding for both signing and encryption. The default value is true, which is to use PKCS#1 v1.5 padding. If set to false, then PSS padding is used for signatures and OAEP padding is used for encryption.

This property replaces the deprecated `OaepPadding` property. Until the OaepPadding property is removed, setting this property will automatically set OaepPadding to the opposite, and vice-versa. This is to maintain backward compatibility until applications can switch to using this new property.

### Rsa.PssSaltLen

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · PssSaltLen · property · read/write · since 9.5.0.80`

```vbnet
PssSaltLen As Integer
```

When using RSASSA-PSS padding for signatures, you can choose the PSS salt length. By default, the salt length is set to -1, which uses the length of the hash function. For instance, with the SHA256 hash function, the salt length will be 32 bytes. You can specify a different salt length, like 20 bytes, if needed, but it's generally recommended to keep the default setting.

### Rsa.UncommonOptions

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · UncommonOptions · property · read/write · since 10.1.0`

```vbnet
UncommonOptions As String
```

This is a catch-all property to be used for uncommon needs. This property defaults to the empty string and should typically remain empty.

## Methods

### Rsa.DecryptBd

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · DecryptBd · method · since 9.5.0.76`

```vbnet
Function DecryptBd(ByVal bd As BinData, ByVal usePrivateKey As Boolean) As Boolean
```

RSA decrypts the contents of `bd`. `usePrivateKey` should be set to `True` if the private key is to be used for decrypting. Otherwise it should be set to `False` if (in rare cases) the public key is to be used for decrypting.

**Important:** If trying to match OpenSSL results, set the LittleEndian property = `False`.

Returns True for success, False for failure.

See also:

- [RSA Encryption Maximum Number of Bytes](https://cknotes.com/rsa-encryption-maximum-number-of-bytes/)

### Rsa.DecryptBytes

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · DecryptBytes · method`

```vbnet
Function DecryptBytes(ByVal inData As Byte(), ByVal usePrivateKey As Boolean) As Byte()
```

Decrypts byte data using the RSA encryption algorithm. `usePrivateKey` should be set to `True` if the private key is to be used for decrypting. Otherwise it should be set to `False` if (in rare cases) the public key is to be used for decrypting.

**Important:** If trying to match OpenSSL results, set the LittleEndian property = `False`.

Returns an empty byte array on failure

See also:

- [RSA Encryption Maximum Number of Bytes](https://cknotes.com/rsa-encryption-maximum-number-of-bytes/)

### Rsa.DecryptBytesENC

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · DecryptBytesENC · method`

```vbnet
Function DecryptBytesENC(ByVal str As String, ByVal bUsePrivateKey As Boolean) As Byte()
```

Decrypts `str` using the RSA algorithm. `str` is the encoded form of the encrypted binary data. The EncodingMode property defines `str`'s encoding. Set `bUsePrivateKey` to `True` to use the private key for decryption; otherwise, set it to `False` to use the public key (in rare cases).

**Important:** If trying to match OpenSSL results, set the LittleEndian property = `False`.

Returns an empty byte array on failure

### Rsa.DecryptString

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · DecryptString · method`

```vbnet
Function DecryptString(ByVal encBytes As Byte(), ByVal usePrivateKey As Boolean) As String
```

Decrypts `encBytes` with the RSA algorithm. `encBytes` holds the encrypted binary data. The Charset property specifies the byte representation for interpreting the decrypted text. Set `usePrivateKey` to `True` to use the private key for decryption; otherwise, set `usePrivateKey` to `False` to use the public key (used rarely). Returns the decrypted string.

**Important:** If trying to match OpenSSL results, set the LittleEndian property = `False`.

Returns `Nothing` on failure

### Rsa.DecryptStringENC

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · DecryptStringENC · method`

```vbnet
Function DecryptStringENC(ByVal str As String, ByVal usePrivateKey As Boolean) As String
```

Decrypts `str` with the RSA algorithm. `str` is the encoded form of the encrypted binary data. The EncodingMode property defines `str`'s encoding. The Charset property specifies the byte representation for interpreting the decrypted text. Set `usePrivateKey` to `True` to use the private key for decryption; otherwise, set `usePrivateKey` to `False` to use the public key (used rarely). Returns the decrypted string.

**Important:** If trying to match OpenSSL results, set the LittleEndian property = `False`.

Returns `Nothing` on failure

### Rsa.EncryptBd

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · EncryptBd · method · since 9.5.0.76`

```vbnet
Function EncryptBd(ByVal bd As BinData, ByVal usePrivateKey As Boolean) As Boolean
```

RSA encrypts the contents of `bd`. Set `usePrivateKey` to `False` to use the public key for encrypting; otherwise, set it to `True` to use the private key (in rare cases).

**Important:** If trying to match OpenSSL results, set the LittleEndian property = `False`.

**Note:** The public key's role is to make encryption accessible to anyone while ensuring that only the private key holder can decrypt the messages. The public key is designed to be widely distributed so anyone can use it to encrypt messages intended for the owner of the private key.

Returns True for success, False for failure.

See also:

- [RSA Encryption Maximum Number of Bytes](https://cknotes.com/rsa-encryption-maximum-number-of-bytes/)

### Rsa.EncryptBytes

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · EncryptBytes · method`

```vbnet
Function EncryptBytes(ByVal binaryData As Byte(), ByVal usePrivateKey As Boolean) As Byte()
```

Encrypts byte data using the RSA encryption algorithm. Set `usePrivateKey` to `False` to use the public key for encrypting; otherwise, set it to `True` to use the private key (in rare cases).

**Important:** If trying to match OpenSSL results, set the LittleEndian property = `False`.

**Note:** The public key's role is to make encryption accessible to anyone while ensuring that only the private key holder can decrypt the messages. The public key is designed to be widely distributed so anyone can use it to encrypt messages intended for the owner of the private key.

Returns an empty byte array on failure

See also:

- [RSA Encryption Maximum Number of Bytes](https://cknotes.com/rsa-encryption-maximum-number-of-bytes/)

### Rsa.EncryptBytesENC

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · EncryptBytesENC · method`

```vbnet
Function EncryptBytesENC(ByVal data As Byte(), ByVal bUsePrivateKey As Boolean) As String
```

Encrypts `data` using the RSA algorithm. Set `bUsePrivateKey` to `False` to use the public key for encrypting; otherwise, set it to `True` to use the private key (in rare cases). The encrypted data is returned in the format specified by the EncodingMode property.

**Important:** If trying to match OpenSSL results, set the LittleEndian property = `False`.

**Note:** The public key's role is to make encryption accessible to anyone while ensuring that only the private key holder can decrypt the messages. The public key is designed to be widely distributed so anyone can use it to encrypt messages intended for the owner of the private key.

Returns `Nothing` on failure

### Rsa.EncryptString

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · EncryptString · method`

```vbnet
Function EncryptString(ByVal stringToEncrypt As String, ByVal usePrivateKey As Boolean) As Byte()
```

Encrypts `stringToEncrypt` with the RSA algorithm. The Charset property specifies the byte representation of the string that is encrypted. Set `usePrivateKey` to `False` to use the public key for encrypting; otherwise, set it to `True` to use the private key (in rare cases).

**Important:** If trying to match OpenSSL results, set the LittleEndian property = `False`.

**Note:** The public key's role is to make encryption accessible to anyone while ensuring that only the private key holder can decrypt the messages. The public key is designed to be widely distributed so anyone can use it to encrypt messages intended for the owner of the private key.

Returns an empty byte array on failure

### Rsa.EncryptStringENC

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · EncryptStringENC · method`

```vbnet
Function EncryptStringENC(ByVal str As String, ByVal bUsePrivateKey As Boolean) As String
```

Encrypts `str` with the RSA algorithm. The Charset property specifies the byte representation of the string that is encrypted. Set `bUsePrivateKey` to `False` to use the public key for encrypting; otherwise, set it to `True` to use the private key (in rare cases). The encrypted data is returned in the format specified by the EncodingMode property.

**Important:** If trying to match OpenSSL results, set the LittleEndian property = `False`.

**Note:** The public key's role is to make encryption accessible to anyone while ensuring that only the private key holder can decrypt the messages. The public key is designed to be widely distributed so anyone can use it to encrypt messages intended for the owner of the private key.

Returns `Nothing` on failure

### Rsa.GenKey

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · GenKey · method · since 11.0.0`

```vbnet
Function GenKey(ByVal numBits As Integer, ByVal privKey As PrivateKey) As Boolean
```

Generates a new RSA key and stores it in `privKey`. `numBits` specifies the key length, which can range from 512 to 8192 bits. Common key lengths are 1024, 2048, or 4096 bits.

Note: Generating an 8192-bit key may take a significant amount of time. The method does not support event callbacks or progress monitoring and will block the thread until completion.

Returns True for success, False for failure.

### Rsa.SetX509Cert

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · SetX509Cert · method · since 9.5.0.73`

```vbnet
Function SetX509Cert(ByVal cert As Cert, ByVal usePrivateKey As Boolean) As Boolean
```

Provides the private or public key indirectly through a certificate. This method is used when the private key is inaccessible, such as when stored on a smart card, USB token, in the Windows registry (marked as non-exportable), or in the Apple Keychain.

Returns True for success, False for failure.

### Rsa.SignBd

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · SignBd · method · since 9.5.0.77`

```vbnet
Function SignBd(ByVal bdData As BinData, ByVal hashAlgorithm As String, ByVal bdSig As BinData) As Boolean
```

Generates an RSA digital signature by first hashing the contents of `bdData` with the hash algorithm specified by `hashAlgorithm`, which can be `sha256`, `sha384`, `sha512`, or `sha1`. The resulting signature is written to `bdSig`.

Note: It is important to be aware of endianness. Make sure the LittleEndian property is set according to your specific needs.

Returns True for success, False for failure.

### Rsa.SignBytes

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · SignBytes · method`

```vbnet
Function SignBytes(ByVal binaryData As Byte(), ByVal hashAlgorithm As String) As Byte()
```

Generates an RSA digital signature by first hashing the contents of `binaryData` with the hash algorithm specified by `hashAlgorithm`, which can be `sha256`, `sha384`, `sha512`, or `sha1`. The function returns the binary signature.

Note: It is important to be aware of endianness. Make sure the LittleEndian property is set according to your specific needs.

Returns an empty byte array on failure

### Rsa.SignBytesENC

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · SignBytesENC · method`

```vbnet
Function SignBytesENC(ByVal binaryData As Byte(), ByVal hashAlgorithm As String) As String
```

Generates an RSA digital signature by first hashing the bytes passed in `binaryData` with the hash algorithm specified by `hashAlgorithm`, which can be `sha256`, `sha384`, `sha512`, or `sha1`. Returns the signature encoded based on the EncodingMode property.

Returns `Nothing` on failure

### Rsa.SignHash

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · SignHash · method`

```vbnet
Function SignHash(ByVal hashBytes As Byte(), ByVal hashAlg As String) As Byte()
```

This function creates an RSA digital signature by signing the hash provided in `hashBytes`. `hashAlg` specifies the hash algorithm, which can be `sha256`, `sha384`, `sha512`, or `sha1`. The function returns the signature in binary format.

Returns an empty byte array on failure

### Rsa.SignHashENC

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · SignHashENC · method`

```vbnet
Function SignHashENC(ByVal encodedHash As String, ByVal hashAlg As String) As String
```

This function creates an RSA digital signature for the hash provided in `encodedHash`, which should be encoded according to the EncodingMode setting (e.g., base64 if EncodingMode = `base64`). `hashAlg` specifies the hash algorithm and can be `sha256`, `sha384`, `sha512`, or `sha1`. The function returns the signature encoded as specified by EncodingMode.

Returns `Nothing` on failure

### Rsa.SignRawBd

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · SignRawBd · method · since 11.0.0`

```vbnet
Function SignRawBd(ByVal bd As BinData) As Boolean
```

This is legacy low-level raw RSA that duplicates the (now deprecated) `OpenSSL` `rsautl` utility. It directly signs raw data rather than signing a hash of the data. PKCS#1 v1.5 padding is always used. The data to be signed is passed in `bd`, and on return the content of `bd` is replaced with the RSA signed data.

Note: It is possible to validate and recover the original data by calling `VerifyRawBd`.

Returns True for success, False for failure.

### Rsa.SignString

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · SignString · method`

```vbnet
Function SignString(ByVal strToBeHashed As String, ByVal hashAlgorithm As String) As Byte()
```

Generates an RSA digital signature by first hashing `strToBeHashed` with the hash algorithm specified by `hashAlgorithm`, which can be `sha256`, `sha384`, `sha512`, or `sha1`. The function returns the binary signature.

**Note:** It is recommended to set the Charset property equal to `utf-8` before signing strings.

**Note:** It is important to be aware of endianness. Make sure the LittleEndian property is set according to your specific needs.

Returns an empty byte array on failure

### Rsa.SignStringENC

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · SignStringENC · method`

```vbnet
Function SignStringENC(ByVal strToBeHashed As String, ByVal hashAlgorithm As String) As String
```

Generates an RSA digital signature by first hashing `strToBeHashed` with the hash algorithm specified by `hashAlgorithm`, which can be `sha256`, `sha384`, `sha512`, or `sha1`. Returns the signature encoded based on the EncodingMode property.

**Note:** It is important to be aware of endianness. Make sure the LittleEndian property is set according to your specific needs.

**Note:** It is recommended to set the Charset property equal to `utf-8` before signing strings.

Returns `Nothing` on failure

### Rsa.SnkToXml

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · SnkToXml · method`

```vbnet
Function SnkToXml(ByVal filename As String) As String
```

Imports a .snk file to an XML document that can be imported via the ImportPrivateKey method.

Returns `Nothing` on failure

### Rsa.UsePrivateKey

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · UsePrivateKey · method · since 11.0.0`

```vbnet
Function UsePrivateKey(ByVal privKey As PrivateKey) As Boolean
```

Imports a private key from `privKey` to use for signing or decrypting.

Returns True for success, False for failure.

### Rsa.UsePublicKey

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · UsePublicKey · method · since 11.0.0`

```vbnet
Function UsePublicKey(ByVal pubKey As PublicKey) As Boolean
```

Imports a public key from `pubKey` to use for encrypting or signature verification.

Returns True for success, False for failure.

### Rsa.VerifyBd

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · VerifyBd · method · since 9.5.0.77`

```vbnet
Function VerifyBd(ByVal bdData As BinData, ByVal hashAlgorithm As String, ByVal bdSig As BinData) As Boolean
```

Verifies the RSA signature passed in `bdSig` against the original data passed in `bdData`. The original data passed in `bdData` is hashed using the hash algorithm passed in `hashAlgorithm` (such as `sha256`, `sha384`, `sha512`, or `sha1`). Returns `True` if the signature is validated, and `False` if not.

Note: Knowing the exact hash algorithm used to create the signature is not required. If the signature is not validated using the hash algorithm specified in `hashAlgorithm`, Chilkat will automatically try validating using the other supported algorithms and return success if any validate.

Returns True for success, False for failure.

### Rsa.VerifyBytes

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · VerifyBytes · method`

```vbnet
Function VerifyBytes(ByVal originalData As Byte(), ByVal hashAlgorithm As String, ByVal signatureBytes As Byte()) As Boolean
```

Verifies the RSA signature passed in `signatureBytes` against the original data passed in `originalData`. The original data passed in `originalData` is hashed using the hash algorithm passed in `hashAlgorithm` (such as `sha256`, `sha384`, `sha512`, or `sha1`). Returns `True` if the signature is validated, and `False` if not.

Note: Knowing the exact hash algorithm used to create the signature is not required. If the signature is not validated using the hash algorithm specified in `hashAlgorithm`, Chilkat will automatically try validating using the other supported algorithms and return success if any validate.

Returns True for success, False for failure.

### Rsa.VerifyBytesENC

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · VerifyBytesENC · method`

```vbnet
Function VerifyBytesENC(ByVal originalData As Byte(), ByVal hashAlgorithm As String, ByVal encodedSig As String) As Boolean
```

Verifies the encoded RSA signature passed in `encodedSig` against the original data passed in `originalData`. The original data passed in `originalData` is hashed using the hash algorithm passed in `hashAlgorithm` (such as `sha256`, `sha384`, `sha512`, or `sha1`). Returns `True` if the signature is validated, and `False` if not.

The signature passed in `encodedSig` should be encoded according to the EncodingMode property (e.g., base64 if EncodingMode = `base64`)

Note: Knowing the exact hash algorithm used to create the signature is not required. If the signature is not validated using the hash algorithm specified in `hashAlgorithm`, Chilkat will automatically try validating using the other supported algorithms and return success if any validate.

Returns True for success, False for failure.

### Rsa.VerifyHash

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · VerifyHash · method`

```vbnet
Function VerifyHash(ByVal hashBytes As Byte(), ByVal hashAlg As String, ByVal sigBytes As Byte()) As Boolean
```

Validates an RSA signature provided in `sigBytes` against the hash of the original data in `hashBytes`. Returns `True` if validation is successful, otherwise returns `False`. `hashAlg` specifies the hash algorithm used for `hashBytes`, such as `sha256`, `sha384`, `sha512`, or `sha1`. Ensure the hash's size (e.g., 32 bytes for sha256, 48 bytes for sha384, 64 bytes for sha512, 20 bytes for sha1) matches that of `hashBytes`.

Returns True for success, False for failure.

### Rsa.VerifyHashENC

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · VerifyHashENC · method`

```vbnet
Function VerifyHashENC(ByVal encodedHash As String, ByVal hashAlg As String, ByVal encodedSig As String) As Boolean
```

Validates an RSA signature provided in `encodedSig` against the hash of the original data in `encodedHash`. Returns `True` if validation is successful, otherwise returns `False`. `hashAlg` specifies the hash algorithm used for `encodedHash`, such as `sha256`, `sha384`, `sha512`, or `sha1`. Ensure the hash's size (e.g., 32 bytes for sha256, 48 bytes for sha384, 64 bytes for sha512, 20 bytes for sha1) matches that of `encodedHash`.

Both `encodedHash` and `encodedSig` should be encoded according to the EncodingMode property (e.g., base64 if EncodingMode = `base64`)

Returns True for success, False for failure.

### Rsa.VerifyRawBd

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · VerifyRawBd · method · since 11.0.0`

```vbnet
Function VerifyRawBd(ByVal bd As BinData) As Boolean
```

This is legacy low-level raw RSA that duplicates the (now deprecated) `OpenSSL` `rsautl` utility. It validates signed raw data and recovers the original data. The RSA signature to be verified is passed in `bd`, and on return the content of `bd` is replaced with the original data.

Returns True for success, False for failure.

### Rsa.VerifyString

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · VerifyString · method`

```vbnet
Function VerifyString(ByVal originalString As String, ByVal hashAlgorithm As String, ByVal binarySig As Byte()) As Boolean
```

Verifies the RSA signature passed in `binarySig` against the original data passed in `originalString`. The original data passed in `originalString` is hashed using the hash algorithm passed in `hashAlgorithm` (such as `sha256`, `sha384`, `sha512`, or `sha1`). Returns `True` if the signature is validated, and `False` if not.

Note: Knowing the exact hash algorithm used to create the signature is not required. If the signature is not validated using the hash algorithm specified in `hashAlgorithm`, Chilkat will automatically try validating using the other supported algorithms and return success if any validate.

Returns True for success, False for failure.

### Rsa.VerifyStringENC

`Chilkat 11.7.0 · vbnet · Rsa · VerifyStringENC · method`

```vbnet
Function VerifyStringENC(ByVal originalString As String, ByVal hashAlgorithm As String, ByVal encodedSig As String) As Boolean
```

Verifies the encoded RSA signature passed in `encodedSig` against the original data passed in `originalString`. The original data passed in `originalString` is hashed using the hash algorithm passed in `hashAlgorithm` (such as `sha256`, `sha384`, `sha512`, or `sha1`). Returns `True` if the signature is validated, and `False` if not.

The signature passed in `encodedSig` should be encoded according to the EncodingMode property (e.g., base64 if EncodingMode = `base64`)

Note: Knowing the exact hash algorithm used to create the signature is not required. If the signature is not validated using the hash algorithm specified in `hashAlgorithm`, Chilkat will automatically try validating using the other supported algorithms and return success if any validate.

Returns True for success, False for failure.

## Deprecated members — do not use in new code

| Member | Kind | Deprecated in | Use instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| `OaepPadding` | property | before 11.6.1 | — |
| `ExportPrivateKey` | method | before 11.6.1 | — |
| `ExportPrivateKeyObj` | method | before 11.6.1 | — |
| `ExportPublicKey` | method | before 11.6.1 | — |
| `ExportPublicKeyObj` | method | before 11.6.1 | — |
| `GenerateKey` | method | before 11.6.1 | `GenKey` |
| `ImportPrivateKey` | method | before 11.6.1 | `UsePrivateKey` |
| `ImportPrivateKeyObj` | method | before 11.6.1 | `UsePrivateKey` |
| `ImportPublicKey` | method | before 11.6.1 | `UsePublicKey` |
| `ImportPublicKeyObj` | method | before 11.6.1 | `UsePublicKey` |
| `OpenSslSignBd` | method | before 11.6.1 | `SignRawBd` |
| `OpenSslSignBytes` | method | before 11.6.1 | `SignRawBd` |
| `OpenSslSignBytesENC` | method | before 11.6.1 | `SignRawBd` |
| `OpenSslSignString` | method | before 11.6.1 | `SignRawBd` |
| `OpenSslSignStringENC` | method | before 11.6.1 | `SignRawBd` |
| `OpenSslVerifyBd` | method | before 11.6.1 | `VerifyRawBd` |
| `OpenSslVerifyBytes` | method | before 11.6.1 | `VerifyRawBd` |
| `OpenSslVerifyBytesENC` | method | before 11.6.1 | `VerifyRawBd` |
| `OpenSslVerifyString` | method | before 11.6.1 | `VerifyRawBd` |
| `OpenSslVerifyStringENC` | method | before 11.6.1 | `VerifyRawBd` |

## Related classes

[`BinData`](https://www.chilkatsoft.com/ai-docs/v/11.7.0/vbnet/classes/BinData.md), [`Cert`](https://www.chilkatsoft.com/ai-docs/v/11.7.0/vbnet/classes/Cert.md), [`PrivateKey`](https://www.chilkatsoft.com/ai-docs/v/11.7.0/vbnet/classes/PrivateKey.md), [`PublicKey`](https://www.chilkatsoft.com/ai-docs/v/11.7.0/vbnet/classes/PublicKey.md)