(Mono C#) Create P7M Using Pre-Installed Windows Certificate

Demonstrates how to sign a file creating a .p7m file as output. The .p7m contains the signed contents of the original file. It can be verified and restored by calling VerifyP7M.

This example is for Windows only. It automatically searches and locates the desired certificate in the Current User or Local Machine certificate stores. (The certificate must have been pre-installed on the Windows machine, and it must have the private key available. The private key can be located on a USB Authentication Token / Smart Card. If so, then Chilkat *should* automatically use the private key located on the device.)

Chilkat .NET Downloads Chilkat .NET Assemblies Chilkat for .NET Core Chilkat for Mono

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

Chilkat.Crypt2 crypt = new Chilkat.Crypt2();

string certSubjectCN = "Matt";

Chilkat.Cert cert = new Chilkat.Cert();

// Locate and load the certificate by the common name (subject CN).
// This searches the Windows registry-based Current User and Local Machine
// certificate stores for the certificate.  
bool success = cert.LoadByCommonName(certSubjectCN);
if (success != true) {
    Debug.WriteLine("Failed to find certificate.");
    return;
}

// Make sure a private key is available.
if (cert.HasPrivateKey() != true) {
    Debug.WriteLine("This certificate does not have a private key located in the Windows protected store, or on a USB device.");
    return;
}

// Specify the cert (and implicitly the private key) to be used for signing.
success = crypt.SetSigningCert(cert);

// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
// Also see Chilkat's online tool to examine a .p7m and generate code to duplicate the .p7m
// -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

// We can sign any type of file, creating a .p7m as output:
string inFile = "qa_data/pdf/fishing.pdf";
string outputFile = "qa_output/fishing.pdf.p7m";
success = crypt.CreateP7M(inFile,outputFile);
if (success != true) {
    Debug.WriteLine(crypt.LastErrorText);
    return;
}

// Verify and restore the original file:
success = crypt.SetVerifyCert(cert);

inFile = outputFile;
outputFile = "qa_output/restored.pdf";

success = crypt.VerifyP7M(inFile,outputFile);
if (success == false) {
    Debug.WriteLine(crypt.LastErrorText);
    return;
}

Debug.WriteLine("Success!");