CertPathValidator

public class CertPathValidator
extends Object

java.lang.Object
   ↳ java.security.cert.CertPathValidator


A class for validating certification paths (also known as certificate chains).

This class uses a provider-based architecture. To create a CertPathValidator, call one of the static getInstance methods, passing in the algorithm name of the CertPathValidator desired and optionally the name of the provider desired.

Once a CertPathValidator object has been created, it can be used to validate certification paths by calling the validate method and passing it the CertPath to be validated and an algorithm-specific set of parameters. If successful, the result is returned in an object that implements the CertPathValidatorResult interface.

The getRevocationChecker() method allows an application to specify additional algorithm-specific parameters and options used by the CertPathValidator when checking the revocation status of certificates. Here is an example demonstrating how it is used with the PKIX algorithm:

 CertPathValidator cpv = CertPathValidator.getInstance("PKIX");
 PKIXRevocationChecker rc = (PKIXRevocationChecker)cpv.getRevocationChecker();
 rc.setOptions(EnumSet.of(Option.SOFT_FAIL));
 params.addCertPathChecker(rc);
 CertPathValidatorResult cpvr = cpv.validate(path, params);
 

Every implementation of the Java platform is required to support the following standard CertPathValidator algorithm:

  • PKIX
This algorithm is described in the CertPathValidator section of the Java Security Standard Algorithm Names Specification. Consult the release documentation for your implementation to see if any other algorithms are supported.

Concurrent Access

The static methods of this class are guaranteed to be thread-safe. Multiple threads may concurrently invoke the static methods defined in this class with no ill effects.

However, this is not true for the non-static methods defined by this class. Unless otherwise documented by a specific provider, threads that need to access a single CertPathValidator instance concurrently should synchronize amongst themselves and provide the necessary locking. Multiple threads each manipulating a different CertPathValidator instance need not synchronize.

See also:

Summary

Protected constructors

CertPathValidator(CertPathValidatorSpi validatorSpi, Provider provider, String algorithm)

Creates a CertPathValidator object of the given algorithm, and encapsulates the given provider implementation (SPI object) in it.

Public methods

final String getAlgorithm()

Returns the algorithm name of this CertPathValidator.

static final String getDefaultType()

Returns the default CertPathValidator type as specified by the certpathvalidator.type security property, or the string "PKIX" if no such property exists.

static CertPathValidator getInstance(String algorithm)

Returns a CertPathValidator object that implements the specified algorithm.

static CertPathValidator getInstance(String algorithm, String provider)

Returns a CertPathValidator object that implements the specified algorithm.

static CertPathValidator getInstance(String algorithm, Provider provider)

Returns a CertPathValidator object that implements the specified algorithm.

final Provider getProvider()

Returns the Provider of this CertPathValidator.

final CertPathChecker getRevocationChecker()

Returns a CertPathChecker that the encapsulated CertPathValidatorSpi implementation uses to check the revocation status of certificates.

final CertPathValidatorResult validate(CertPath certPath, CertPathParameters params)

Validates the specified certification path using the specified algorithm parameter set.

Inherited methods

Protected constructors

CertPathValidator

Added in API level 1
protected CertPathValidator (CertPathValidatorSpi validatorSpi, 
                Provider provider, 
                String algorithm)

Creates a CertPathValidator object of the given algorithm, and encapsulates the given provider implementation (SPI object) in it.

Parameters
validatorSpi CertPathValidatorSpi: the provider implementation

provider Provider: the provider

algorithm String: the algorithm name

Public methods

getAlgorithm

Added in API level 1
public final String getAlgorithm ()

Returns the algorithm name of this CertPathValidator.

Returns
String the algorithm name of this CertPathValidator

getDefaultType

Added in API level 1
public static final String getDefaultType ()

Returns the default CertPathValidator type as specified by the certpathvalidator.type security property, or the string "PKIX" if no such property exists.

The default CertPathValidator type can be used by applications that do not want to use a hard-coded type when calling one of the getInstance methods, and want to provide a default type in case a user does not specify its own.

The default CertPathValidator type can be changed by setting the value of the certpathvalidator.type security property to the desired type.

Returns
String the default CertPathValidator type as specified by the certpathvalidator.type security property, or the string "PKIX" if no such property exists.

getInstance

Added in API level 1
public static CertPathValidator getInstance (String algorithm)

Returns a CertPathValidator object that implements the specified algorithm.

This method traverses the list of registered security Providers, starting with the most preferred Provider. A new CertPathValidator object encapsulating the CertPathValidatorSpi implementation from the first Provider that supports the specified algorithm is returned.

Note that the list of registered providers may be retrieved via the Security.getProviders() method.

Implementation Note:
  • The JDK Reference Implementation additionally uses the jdk.security.provider.preferred Security property to determine the preferred provider order for the specified algorithm. This may be different than the order of providers returned by Security.getProviders().
Parameters
algorithm String: the name of the requested CertPathValidator algorithm. See the CertPathValidator section in the Java Security Standard Algorithm Names Specification for information about standard algorithm names.

Returns
CertPathValidator a CertPathValidator object that implements the specified algorithm

Throws
NoSuchAlgorithmException if no Provider supports a CertPathValidatorSpi implementation for the specified algorithm
NullPointerException if algorithm is null

See also:

getInstance

Added in API level 1
public static CertPathValidator getInstance (String algorithm, 
                String provider)

Returns a CertPathValidator object that implements the specified algorithm.

A new CertPathValidator object encapsulating the CertPathValidatorSpi implementation from the specified provider is returned. The specified provider must be registered in the security provider list.

Note that the list of registered providers may be retrieved via the Security.getProviders() method.

Parameters
algorithm String: the name of the requested CertPathValidator algorithm. See the CertPathValidator section in the Java Security Standard Algorithm Names Specification for information about standard algorithm names.

provider String: the name of the provider.

Returns
CertPathValidator a CertPathValidator object that implements the specified algorithm

Throws
IllegalArgumentException if the provider is null or empty
NoSuchAlgorithmException if a CertPathValidatorSpi implementation for the specified algorithm is not available from the specified provider
NoSuchProviderException if the specified provider is not registered in the security provider list
NullPointerException if algorithm is null

See also:

getInstance

Added in API level 1
public static CertPathValidator getInstance (String algorithm, 
                Provider provider)

Returns a CertPathValidator object that implements the specified algorithm.

A new CertPathValidator object encapsulating the CertPathValidatorSpi implementation from the specified Provider object is returned. Note that the specified Provider object does not have to be registered in the provider list.

Parameters
algorithm String: the name of the requested CertPathValidator algorithm. See the CertPathValidator section in the Java Security Standard Algorithm Names Specification for information about standard algorithm names.

provider Provider: the provider.

Returns
CertPathValidator a CertPathValidator object that implements the specified algorithm

Throws
IllegalArgumentException if the provider is null
NoSuchAlgorithmException if a CertPathValidatorSpi implementation for the specified algorithm is not available from the specified Provider object
NullPointerException if algorithm is null

See also:

getProvider

Added in API level 1
public final Provider getProvider ()

Returns the Provider of this CertPathValidator.

Returns
Provider the Provider of this CertPathValidator

getRevocationChecker

Added in API level 24
public final CertPathChecker getRevocationChecker ()

Returns a CertPathChecker that the encapsulated CertPathValidatorSpi implementation uses to check the revocation status of certificates. A PKIX implementation returns objects of type PKIXRevocationChecker. Each invocation of this method returns a new instance of CertPathChecker.

The primary purpose of this method is to allow callers to specify additional input parameters and options specific to revocation checking. See the class description for an example.

Returns
CertPathChecker a CertPathChecker

Throws
UnsupportedOperationException if the service provider does not support this method

validate

Added in API level 1
public final CertPathValidatorResult validate (CertPath certPath, 
                CertPathParameters params)

Validates the specified certification path using the specified algorithm parameter set.

The CertPath specified must be of a type that is supported by the validation algorithm, otherwise an InvalidAlgorithmParameterException will be thrown. For example, a CertPathValidator that implements the PKIX algorithm validates CertPath objects of type X.509.

Parameters
certPath CertPath: the CertPath to be validated

params CertPathParameters: the algorithm parameters

Returns
CertPathValidatorResult the result of the validation algorithm

Throws
CertPathValidatorException if the CertPath does not validate
InvalidAlgorithmParameterException if the specified parameters or the type of the specified CertPath are inappropriate for this CertPathValidator