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POSign new certificates in Rails application
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  1. POSign new certificates in Rails application
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    copied!<p>I have a Rails application with a public REST API which authenticates API clients using SSL client certificates.</p> <p>I would like the app to act as a simple CA. Admin users should be able to visit a page on the site and request a new certificate. The application should generate a new SSL cert, signed with the application's private key, and return it in some form to the admin user.</p> <p>The admin user will then install this cert in client apps. These apps will then be able to use the new cert to access the REST API.</p> <p>What is the easiest way of implementing this? The only way I know of generating and signing new certs is with the <code>openssl</code> command line, after configuring <code>openssl</code> as a CA on the server (e.g. <a href="http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/securitymonkey/howto-securing-a-website-with-client-ssl-certificates-11500" rel="nofollow">like this</a>). Do I need to do that, and communicate with <code>openssl</code> using backticks inside Rails? That seems fiddly and fragile.</p> <p>How should I return the cert to admins? I could just pass them out the cert as a text file to download. I have seen CA web interfaces which allow users to request a cert from a browser, and then install the cert directly into the browser. The admins would then have to export the cert to pass it to the client scripts.</p> <p>I don't suppose there is any kind of "<code>acts_as_CA</code>" gem for Rails?</p> <p>[Note that I already know how to authenticate client requests against my private key. This question specifically relates to issuing new certs.]</p>
 

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