What's the Difference Between Key Stores and Trust Stores in Java's keytool?

Distinguishing Trust Stores and Key Stores using keytool

The distinction between trust stores and key stores may be unclear when using keytool. This article aims to clarify this distinction based on their usage and underlying mechanisms.

Definition and Usage:

A trust store is a repository of public keys from trusted entities, used to verify the identity of remote servers or clients during SSL/TLS connections. In contrast, a key store holds private keys along with their corresponding public keys for use in client authentication or server-side encryption.

Creation using keytool:

The keytool command can be used to create both key stores and trust stores. However, the distinction is made primarily through the intended usage of the store. For instance, importing a certificate using:

keytool -import -alias bob -file bob.crt -keystore keystore.ks

creates a key store file (keystore.ks) that contains the public key for "bob." This is typically used for server authentication, as clients need public keys to verify the server's identity.

System Property Configuration:

Java applications can specify the key store and trust store to be used via system properties:

-Djavax.net.ssl.keyStore=keystore.ks -Djavax.net.ssl.keyStorePassword=x
-Djavax.net.ssl.trustStore=keystore.ks -Djavax.net.ssl.trustStorePassword=x

Key Manager and Trust Manager:

When establishing an SSL/TLS connection, Java uses KeyManagers to determine which credentials to send to the remote host and TrustManagers to assess the trustworthiness of remote credentials. These managers use the specified key store and trust store to access the necessary keys and certificates.

Key Store vs. Trust Store in SSL/TLS:

In SSL/TLS connections:

• The key store contains the private key and certificate used by the local system to authenticate itself.
• The trust store contains the CA certificates that the local system trusts to verify the identity of remote systems.

This distinction is crucial for establishing secure and verifiable connections.

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