Merge branch 'TinCanTech-docs-renew-and-revoke-v321-add-renew'

Signed-off-by: Richard T Bonhomme <[email protected]>

doc/EasyRSA-Renew-and-Revoke.md

@@ -2,40 +2,80 @@ Easy-RSA 3 Certificate Renewal and Revocation Documentation
 ===========================================================
 
 This document explains how the **differing versions** of Easy-RSA 3 work
-with Renewal and Revocation of Certificates and Private keys.
+with regard to Renewal and Revocation of Certificates.
+
+## In summary:
+
+**Easy-RSA Version 3.1.7** provides the most flexible support of renewal.
+This includes command `rewind-renew`, which is required to recover certificates
+renewed by `renew` command version 1. However, this does **not** include renewing
+any supported certificate attributes.
+
+**Easy-RSA Version 3.2.1** is preferred for future support.
+
+----
+
+Reason codes available for revoke commands
+------------------------------------------
+
+The follow is an exhaustive list of available `reason` codes, with abbreviations:
+
+- `us | uns* | unspecified`
+- `kc | key* | keyCompromise`
+- `cc | ca*  | CACompromise`
+- `ac | aff* | affiliationChanged`
+- `ss | sup* | superseded`
+- `co | ces* | cessationOfOperation`
+- `ch | cer* | certificateHold`
+
+  `reason` must be one of these abbreviations/codes, otherwise not be used.
+
+----
 
 Easy-RSA version 3.2.x
-----------------------
-v3.2 no longer supports the `renew` command.
+======================
+For **Easy-RSA Version 3.2.0**, command `renew` is NOT supported.
+
+Please upgrade to Easy-RSA Version 3.2.1
+
+For **Easy-RSA Version 3.2.1+**, command `renew` is supported.
 
-Instead, the process is as follows:
-1. Command `expire <NAME>` - This will move an existing certificate
-   from `pki/issued` to `pki/expired`, so that a new certificate
-   can be signed, using the original request.
+The command `renew` has been rewritten and now supports the renewal of
+supported attributes. During renewal, the certificate is inspected and all
+supported attributes are applied to the renewed certificate, as they were
+in the original.
 
-   Generally, renewing is required ONLY when a certificate is due to
-   expire. This means that certificates moved to `pki/expired` are
-   expected to be expired or to expire in the near future.
+User added attributes from `$EASYRSA_EXTRA_EXTS`, that are not supported,
+are dropped.
 
-2. Command `sign-req <TYPE> <NAME>` - Sign a new certificate.
+If the renewed certificate requires unsupported attibutes or changing the
+`commonName` then the following process, that of expiry and then signing a
+new certificate from the original request file, is required.
 
-   This allows ALL command line customisations to be used. eg: SAN.
-   (These customisations do not work correctly with the old `renew`)
+The expiry and signing process is as follows:
+1. Command `expire <NAME>`
 
-3. If required, Command `revoke-expired` can be used to revoke an
+   This will move an existing certificate from `pki/issued` to `pki/expired`,
+   so that a new certificate can be signed, using the original request.
+
+   Generally, renewing is required ONLY when a certificate is due to expire.
+   This means that certificates moved to `pki/expired` are expected to be expired
+   or to expire in the near future, however, this is not a requirement.
+
+2. Command `sign-req <TYPE> <NAME>`
+
+   Sign a new certificate. This allows ALL command line customisations to be used.
+
+3. If required, command `revoke-expired` can be used to revoke an
    expired certificate in the `pki/expired` directory.
 
-This approach also allows certificates which have been edited during
-`sign-req` to be edited the same way, without the need for excessive
-and non-standard code. (Note: OpenSSL allows only one way for edits)
+This approach allows original certificates, which have been edited during `sign-req`,
+to be edited the same way.
 
+----
 
 Easy-RSA version 3.1.x
-----------------------
-
-**UPDATE**:
-The changes noted for Easy-RSA version 3.1.2 have all been included with
-Easy-RSA version 3.1.1 - See https://github.com/OpenVPN/easy-rsa/pull/688
+======================
 
 Command Details: `renew`
 ------------------------
@@ -76,7 +116,7 @@ using command:
 
     easyrsa rewind-renew serialNumber
 
-Command `rewind-renew` is available since Easy-RSA version `3.1.1`
+Command `rewind-renew` is only available in Easy-RSA version `3.1.1` to `3.1.7`.
 
 Once `rewind-renew` has recovered the files, the certificate can be revoked:
 
@@ -111,6 +151,7 @@ private key is still valid.
 
 `renew` version 3 is **only** available since Easy-RSA version `3.1.1+`.
 
+----
 
 Easy-RSA Reporting tools for certificate status
 -----------------------------------------------
@@ -131,25 +172,79 @@ certificate status:
 
   `show-revoke` shows all certificates which have been revoked.
 
-
-Reason codes available for revoke commands
-------------------------------------------
-
-The follow is an exhaustive list of available `reason` codes:
-- `unspecified`
-- `keyCompromise`
-- `CACompromise`
-- `affiliationChanged`
-- `superseded`
-- `cessationOfOperation`
-- `certificateHold`
-
-  `reason` must be one of these codes, otherwise not be used.
-
+----
 
 About command `rebuild`
 -----------------------
 
 If `rebuild` is used then the output directory of old certificate, key and
 request is also the `renewed` directory.  Use **`revoke-renewed`** to revoke
 an old certificate/key pair, which has been _rebuilt_ by command `rebuild`.
+
+----
+
+Renew CA Certificate
+====================
+
+Easy-RSA Version 3.2.1+ supports a simple way to effectively renew a CA Certificate.
+
+**Preamble** - Specifically for use with OpenVPN:
+
+When a CA certificate expires it must be replaced, this is unavoidable.
+No matter what method is used to create a new or renewed CA certificate,
+that CA certificate must be distributed to all of your servers and clients.
+
+Please consider the method outlined here, which requires very little work:
+
+1. **Before you do anything else -- Make a BACKUP of your current PKI.**
+
+2. Use command `init-pki soft`
+
+   This will reset your current PKI but will keep your `vars` setting file
+   and your current Request files [CSR], in the `pki/reqs` directory.
+
+   If you have an Easy-RSA generated TLS key for OpenVPN, that will also be
+   preserved. However, it will NOT be used for new `inline` files. The file
+   `pki/private/easyrsa-tls.key` will be moved to `pki/easyrsa-keepsafe-tls.key`,
+   for safe keeping. Easy-RSA will display a warning that this key is still
+   valid and possibly in use, before allowing another TLS key to be generated.
+
+3. Use command `build-ca`
+
+   (With or without password and other preferences)
+
+   This will build a completely new CA Certificate and private key.
+
+   Use option `--days` to extend the lifetime of your new CA.
+
+4. Use command `sign-req <TYPE> <NAME>`
+
+   (With or without other preferences, password is not relavent)
+
+   This will use an existing Request to sign a new Certificate.
+
+   This will NOT generate a new Private Key for each new Certificate.
+
+   This will generate new `inline` files that can be distributed publicly.
+   These `inline` files will not contain any security sensitive data.
+
+   This means that you will have a new CA certificate and private key.
+   And signed certificates for all of your users, including servers.
+
+5. Distribute the new `inline` files to all members of your PKI/VPN.
+
+   These new `inline` files will not contain the user private key or the
+   OpenVPN Pre-shared TLS key.
+
+   These new `inline` files can be used by OpenVPN, examples below:
+
+   * specify: `--config <INLNE-FILE>` in the OpenVPN user config file.
+   * Use copy/paste to add the new details to the OpenVPN user config file.
+   * Use `cat` to append the `inline` file to the OpenVPN user config file.
+
+   Note:
+   `inline` files in the `pki/inline/private` directory include security keys,
+   which MUST only be transmitted over a secure connection, such as `https`.
+
+   As of Easy-RSA Version 3.2.1, this is the only supported way to renew an
+   expired CA certificate.