(MFC) HTTP TLS Mutual Authentication (Client-Side Certificate)

This example demonstrates what to do when a TLS connection requires a client-side certificate, also known as "two-way authentication" or "mutual authentication". The Chilkat API provides a few standard methods for setting the client-side certificate:

• SetSslClientCert
• SetSslClientPem
• SetSslClientPfx

These methods are present in any Chilkat class that has SSL/TLS functionality. When the SSL client cert is set via one of these methods, it tells the API to use it for two-way (i.e. mutual) authentication. In all possible tasks, whether it is a POST, GET, PUT, an Amazon S3 method, etc., the only thing required for implementing the two-way authentication is to make a successful call to one of the above SetSsl* methods.

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See Also: Using MFC CString in Chilkat

#include <CkHttp.h>

void ChilkatSample(void)
    {
    CkString strOut;

    // This example assumes the Chilkat API to have been previously unlocked.
    // See Global Unlock Sample for sample code.

    CkHttp http;

    // Set the certificate to be used for mutual TLS authentication
    // (i.e. sets the client-side certificate for two-way TLS authentication)
    bool success = http.SetSslClientCertPfx("/home/bob/pfxFiles/myClientSideCertWithPrivateKey.pfx","pfxPassword");
    if (success != true) {
        strOut.append(http.lastErrorText());
        strOut.append("\r\n");
        SetDlgItemText(IDC_EDIT1,strOut.getUnicode());
        return;
    }

    // Note: The certificate used for the client-side of TLS mutual authentication
    // must have the associated private key available. (PFX files typically store both
    // the certificate and associated private key.)

    // At this point, the HTTP object is setup with the client-side cert, and any SSL/TLS
    // connection will automatically use it if the server demands a client-side cert


    SetDlgItemText(IDC_EDIT1,strOut.getUnicode());

    }