An Introduction to Mutual SSL Authentication

Elvin Cheng

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8 Feb 2012CPOL7 min read

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Provides a brief introduction to mutual SSL authentication and its handshake messages

As a developer, if you're interested in developing or be able to debug the mutual SSL authentication effectively, it can be very useful to understand the intricacies of the handshake messages happening under the hood. This article looks at SSL authentication (server --> client), Mutual SSL Authentication (server client), and has a demo project to help explain the theory.

MutualSslDemo.zip
- MutualSslDemo
  - Certificates
    - MyClient.cer
    - MyClient.pfx
    - MyClient.pvk
    - MyClient.spc
    - MyServer.cer
    - MyServer.pfx
    - MyServer.pvk
    - MyServer.spc
  - MutualSslDemo.sln
  - MutualSslDemo.sln.docstates.suo
  - MutualSslDemo.suo
  - MyClient
    - app.config
    - MyClient.csproj
    - MyClient.pfx
    - Program.cs
    - Properties
      - AssemblyInfo.cs
  - MyServer
    - app.config
    - MyServer.csproj
    - MyServer.pfx
    - Program.cs
    - Properties
      - AssemblyInfo.cs

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project ToolsVersion="4.0" DefaultTargets="Build" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <Configuration Condition=" '$(Configuration)' == '' ">Debug</Configuration>
    <Platform Condition=" '$(Platform)' == '' ">x86</Platform>
    <ProductVersion>8.0.30703</ProductVersion>
    <SchemaVersion>2.0</SchemaVersion>
    <ProjectGuid>{3BC4702F-8527-480C-BC57-8D545E71D21F}</ProjectGuid>
    <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
    <AppDesignerFolder>Properties</AppDesignerFolder>
    <RootNamespace>MutualSslDemo.Client</RootNamespace>
    <AssemblyName>MutualSslDemo.Client</AssemblyName>
    <TargetFrameworkVersion>v3.5</TargetFrameworkVersion>
    <TargetFrameworkProfile>Client</TargetFrameworkProfile>
    <FileAlignment>512</FileAlignment>
    <PublishUrl>publish\</PublishUrl>
    <Install>true</Install>
    <InstallFrom>Disk</InstallFrom>
    <UpdateEnabled>false</UpdateEnabled>
    <UpdateMode>Foreground</UpdateMode>
    <UpdateInterval>7</UpdateInterval>
    <UpdateIntervalUnits>Days</UpdateIntervalUnits>
    <UpdatePeriodically>false</UpdatePeriodically>
    <UpdateRequired>false</UpdateRequired>
    <MapFileExtensions>true</MapFileExtensions>
    <ApplicationRevision>0</ApplicationRevision>
    <ApplicationVersion>1.0.0.%2a</ApplicationVersion>
    <IsWebBootstrapper>false</IsWebBootstrapper>
    <UseApplicationTrust>false</UseApplicationTrust>
    <BootstrapperEnabled>true</BootstrapperEnabled>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'Debug|x86' ">
    <PlatformTarget>x86</PlatformTarget>
    <DebugSymbols>true</DebugSymbols>
    <DebugType>full</DebugType>
    <Optimize>false</Optimize>
    <OutputPath>bin\Debug\</OutputPath>
    <DefineConstants>DEBUG;TRACE</DefineConstants>
    <ErrorReport>prompt</ErrorReport>
    <WarningLevel>4</WarningLevel>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'Release|x86' ">
    <PlatformTarget>x86</PlatformTarget>
    <DebugType>pdbonly</DebugType>
    <Optimize>true</Optimize>
    <OutputPath>bin\Release\</OutputPath>
    <DefineConstants>TRACE</DefineConstants>
    <ErrorReport>prompt</ErrorReport>
    <WarningLevel>4</WarningLevel>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <Reference Include="System" />
    <Reference Include="System.Configuration" />
    <Reference Include="System.Core" />
    <Reference Include="System.Xml.Linq" />
    <Reference Include="System.Data.DataSetExtensions" />
    <Reference Include="System.Data" />
    <Reference Include="System.Xml" />
  </ItemGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <Compile Include="Program.cs" />
    <Compile Include="Properties\AssemblyInfo.cs" />
  </ItemGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <None Include="app.config" />
    <None Include="MyClient.pfx">
      <CopyToOutputDirectory>PreserveNewest</CopyToOutputDirectory>
    </None>
  </ItemGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <BootstrapperPackage Include="Microsoft.Net.Client.3.5">
      <Visible>False</Visible>
      <ProductName>.NET Framework 3.5 SP1 Client Profile</ProductName>
      <Install>false</Install>
    </BootstrapperPackage>
    <BootstrapperPackage Include="Microsoft.Net.Framework.3.5.SP1">
      <Visible>False</Visible>
      <ProductName>.NET Framework 3.5 SP1</ProductName>
      <Install>true</Install>
    </BootstrapperPackage>
    <BootstrapperPackage Include="Microsoft.Windows.Installer.3.1">
      <Visible>False</Visible>
      <ProductName>Windows Installer 3.1</ProductName>
      <Install>true</Install>
    </BootstrapperPackage>
  </ItemGroup>
  <Import Project="$(MSBuildToolsPath)\Microsoft.CSharp.targets" />
  <!-- To modify your build process, add your task inside one of the targets below and uncomment it. 
       Other similar extension points exist, see Microsoft.Common.targets.
  <Target Name="BeforeBuild">
  </Target>
  <Target Name="AfterBuild">
  </Target>
  -->
</Project>

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License

This article, along with any associated source code and files, is licensed under The Code Project Open License (CPOL)

Written By

Elvin Cheng

Singapore

Elvin Cheng is currently living in Woodlands, Singapore. He has been developing applications with the .NET Framework, using C# and ASP.NET since October 2002. Elvin specializes in building Real-time monitoring and tracking information system for Semi-conductor manufacturing industry. During his spare time, he enjoys reading books, watching movie and gym.

An Introduction to Mutual SSL Authentication

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