CodeSign Unicode C Reference Documentation
CodeSign
Current Version: 11.6.0
Chilkat.CodeSign
Apply Authenticode signatures to Windows executable files using a
certificate and associated private key.
Check whether a signed executable has a valid signature and whether the
signing certificate chain can be trusted.
Extract details about the Authenticode signature, including signer
information and signature-related metadata.
Get the certificate used to sign the executable and inspect it with
Remove an existing Authenticode signature from a Windows executable when
an unsigned output file is required.
Use detailed diagnostic output to troubleshoot signing, certificate,
trust-chain, timestamping, or validation problems.
For an extended overview, see
CodeSign Class Overview.
Sign, verify, inspect, and remove Authenticode signatures on Windows executables.
Chilkat.CodeSign works directly with Authenticode signatures on
Windows executable files such as .exe and .dll.
It provides functionality for applying a code-signing signature, validating
whether a signed executable can be trusted, extracting signature information,
retrieving the signer certificate, and removing an existing signature.
Sign EXE and DLL files
Validate trust
Inspect signatures
Retrieve signer certificates
Chilkat.Cert.
Remove signatures
Diagnostics
.exe or .dll, optionally add
timestamping if supported by the signing workflow, then verify the resulting
signature and inspect diagnostics if validation does not succeed.
Create/Dispose
HCkCodeSignW instance = CkCodeSignW_Create();
// ...
CkCodeSignW_Dispose(instance);Creates an instance of the HCkCodeSignW object and returns a handle ("void *" pointer). The handle is passed in the 1st argument for the functions listed on this page.
Objects created by calling CkCodeSignW_Create must be freed by calling this method. A memory leak occurs if a handle is not disposed by calling this function. Also, any handle returned by a Chilkat "C" function must also be freed by the application by calling the appropriate Dispose method, such as CkCodeSignW_Dispose.
Callback Functions
void CkCodeSignW_setAbortCheck(HCkHttp cHandle, BOOL (*fnAbortCheck)(void));
Gives your application a chance to cancel a method call while it is running. Return TRUEFALSE
This callback fires periodically, at the interval set by the HeartbeatMs property. For example, set HeartbeatMs to 200 to receive five AbortCheck callbacks per second. If HeartbeatMs is 0, no callbacks are made and the operation cannot be aborted.
void CkCodeSignW_setPercentDone(HCkHttp cHandle, BOOL (*fnPercentDone)(int pctDone));
Reports how far along a method call is, as a percentage. It applies to methods that involve network communication or time-consuming processing, and fires only when a percentage completed can actually be measured and it makes sense to express progress that way.
The pctDone argument is a value from 1 to 100. Methods that finish very quickly may produce only a few callbacks, but the final callback always reports 100. Long-running operations produce at most one callback per percentage point (for example: 1, 2, 3, … 98, 99, 100).
This callback also counts as an AbortCheck callback. When PercentDone fires, it replaces the AbortCheck callback that would otherwise have occurred at that moment.
The return value controls whether the method call continues. Return TRUEFALSE
void CkCodeSignW_setProgressInfo(HCkHttp cHandle, void (*fnProgressInfo)(const wchar_t *name, const wchar_t *value));
A general-purpose callback that reports name/value pairs describing what is happening at various points during a method call. The information provided varies by method, and some methods provide none at all. To see what a particular method reports, write a handler that logs each name/value pair. Most are self-explanatory.
void CkCodeSignW_setTaskCompleted(HCkHttp cHandle, void (*fnTaskCompleted)(HCkTask hTask));
Called when an asynchronous task finishes. This callback runs in the background thread rather than the thread that started the task. (While an async method is running, all callbacks occur in the background thread.)
Properties
DebugLogFilePath
void CkCodeSignW_putDebugLogFilePath(HCkCodeSignW cHandle, const wchar_t *newVal);
const wchar_t *CkCodeSignW_debugLogFilePath(HCkCodeSignW cHandle);
If set to a file path, this property logs the LastErrorText of each Chilkat method or property call to the specified file. This logging helps identify the context and history of Chilkat calls leading up to any crash or hang, aiding in debugging.
Enabling the VerboseLogging property provides more detailed information. This property is mainly used for debugging rare instances where a Chilkat method call causes a hang or crash, which should generally not happen.
Possible causes of hangs include:
- A timeout property set to 0, indicating an infinite timeout.
- A hang occurring within an event callback in the application code.
- An internal bug in the Chilkat code causing the hang.
HeartbeatMs
void CkCodeSignW_putHeartbeatMs(HCkCodeSignW cHandle, int newVal);
Specifies the approximate interval, in milliseconds, between AbortCheck event callbacks during supported operations. An event handler can request that the current operation be aborted.
The default is 0, which disables AbortCheck callbacks. Setting a positive value enables periodic callbacks when an operation is sufficiently long-running; methods that finish quickly may complete without generating one.
LastErrorHtml
const wchar_t *CkCodeSignW_lastErrorHtml(HCkCodeSignW cHandle);
Provides HTML-formatted information about the last called method or property. If a method call fails or behaves unexpectedly, check this property for details. Note that information is available regardless of the method call's success.
topLastErrorText
const wchar_t *CkCodeSignW_lastErrorText(HCkCodeSignW cHandle);
Provides plain text information about the last called method or property. If a method call fails or behaves unexpectedly, check this property for details. Note that information is available regardless of the method call's success.
LastErrorXml
const wchar_t *CkCodeSignW_lastErrorXml(HCkCodeSignW cHandle);
Provides XML-formatted information about the last called method or property. If a method call fails or behaves unexpectedly, check this property for details. Note that information is available regardless of the method call's success.
topLastMethodSuccess
void CkCodeSignW_putLastMethodSuccess(HCkCodeSignW cHandle, BOOL newVal);
Indicates the success or failure of the most recent method call: TRUE means success, FALSE means failure. This property remains unchanged by property setters or getters. This method is present to address challenges in checking for null or Nothing returns in certain programming languages. Note: This property does not apply to methods that return integer values or to boolean-returning methods where the boolean does not indicate success or failure.
UncommonOptions
void CkCodeSignW_putUncommonOptions(HCkCodeSignW cHandle, const wchar_t *newVal);
const wchar_t *CkCodeSignW_uncommonOptions(HCkCodeSignW cHandle);
Provides a comma-separated list of specialized compatibility or validation options. The default is an empty string, which is appropriate for normal use.
| Option | Effect |
|---|---|
codesign-allow-expired-cert | Prevents Authenticode verification from failing solely because the signing certificate is expired. |
VerboseLogging
void CkCodeSignW_putVerboseLogging(HCkCodeSignW cHandle, BOOL newVal);
If set to TRUE, then the contents of LastErrorText (or LastErrorXml, or LastErrorHtml) may contain more verbose information. The default value is FALSE. Verbose logging should only be used for debugging. The potentially large quantity of logged information may adversely affect peformance.
Version
const wchar_t *CkCodeSignW_version(HCkCodeSignW cHandle);
Methods
AddSignature
Adds a Microsoft Authenticode signature to the Windows executable or DLL specified by path. The file is modified in place. cert supplies the code-signing certificate and must provide access to its associated private key. options supplies the signing configuration as JSON.
Common options options include:
| JSON member | Purpose |
|---|---|
hashAlg | Selects the file-digest algorithm, such as sha256. |
timestampToken.enabled | Enables an RFC 3161 timestamp token. |
timestampToken.tsaUrl | Specifies the timestamp authority URL. |
timestampToken.requestTsaCert | Requests inclusion of the timestamp authority certificate. |
timestampToken.hashAlg | Selects the timestamp-request digest algorithm, such as sha256. |
{
"hashAlg": "sha256",
"timestampToken": {
"enabled": true,
"tsaUrl": "http://timestamp.example.com",
"requestTsaCert": true,
"hashAlg": "sha256"
}
}
Returns TRUE for success, FALSE for failure.
AddSignatureAsync (1)
Creates an asynchronous task to call the AddSignature method with the arguments provided.
Returns NULL on failure
GetSignerCert
Retrieves the X.509 signer certificate discovered by the most recent call to VerifySignature on this CodeSign object. If the certificate is fully available, cert is loaded with it and the method returns TRUE. Otherwise, the method returns FALSE.
The returned object contains the public certificate only; it does not provide the signer's private key. Call this method after VerifySignature and use the same CodeSign instance.
VerifySignature and the returned signature information when making a trust decision.Returns TRUE for success, FALSE for failure.
topRemoveSignature
Removes the embedded Authenticode signature from the Windows executable or DLL specified by path. The file is modified in place. Returns TRUE if the signature is successfully removed; otherwise returns FALSE.
Returns TRUE for success, FALSE for failure.
VerifySignature
Verifies the embedded Microsoft Authenticode signature of the Windows executable or DLL specified by path. Structured information about the signature, signer, certificate chain, digest algorithms, timestamp, and validation result is written to sigInfo.
Returns TRUE when the signature satisfies the applicable Authenticode validation checks under the current Windows trust configuration. This includes confirming that the signed portions of the file have not changed and evaluating the signing certificate and timestamp information, as applicable. An unsigned file or a signature that does not validate causes the method to return FALSE. Inspect sigInfo and LastErrorText for details.
Returns TRUE for success, FALSE for failure.