PGPReader Component

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The PGPReader component reads and unprotects protected PGP files.

Syntax

TsbxPGPReader

Remarks

PGPReader allows you to parse PGP messages and manipulate PGP-secured data. It decrypts the protected data, decompresses it, verifies signatures, and returns "clear" data.

Property List

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The following is the full list of the properties of the component with short descriptions. Click on the links for further details.

Method List

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The following is the full list of the methods of the component with short descriptions. Click on the links for further details.

Event List

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The following is the full list of the events fired by the component with short descriptions. Click on the links for further details.

Config Settings

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The following is a list of config settings for the component with short descriptions. Click on the links for further details.

Armored Property (PGPReader Component)

Indicates if the processed message had been base64-armored.

Syntax

property Armored: Boolean read get_Armored;

Default Value

false

Remarks

This property is set to true if the supplied message was armored by encoding it into base64 and adding BEGIN and END brackets.

This property is read-only and not available at design time.

Compressed Property (PGPReader Component)

Indicates if the processed message had been compressed.

Syntax

property Compressed: Boolean read get_Compressed;

Default Value

false

Remarks

This property is set to true if the supplied message was compressed by its creator.

This property is read-only and not available at design time.

DataBytes Property (PGPReader Component)

Use this property to pass the original signed data to component in the byte array form.

Syntax

property DataBytes: TBytes read get_DataBytes write set_DataBytes;

Remarks

When validating detached signatures, assign a byte array containing the signed data to this property.

This property is not available at design time.

DataFile Property (PGPReader Component)

The name of the file containing the original signed data.

Syntax

property DataFile: String read get_DataFile write set_DataFile;

Default Value

''

Remarks

Use this property to provide the original data when validating detached signatures with VerifyDetached.

DecryptingKeys Property (PGPReader Component)

A collection of keys to be used for decryption.

Syntax

property DecryptingKeys: TsbxPGPKeyList read get_DecryptingKeys write set_DecryptingKeys;

Remarks

Use this property to provide decryption keys. Note that only secret keys can decrypt.

In most cases you will also need to supply a passphrase for the chosen decryption key. Use this by subscribing to KeyPassphraseNeeded event, setting the control's KeyPassphrase property, or setting the Passphrase property of the relevant key object.

This property is not available at design time.

Please refer to the PGPKey type for a complete list of fields.

ExternalCrypto Property (PGPReader Component)

Provides access to external signing and DC parameters.

Syntax

property ExternalCrypto: TsbxExternalCrypto read get_ExternalCrypto;

Remarks

Use this property to tune-up remote cryptography settings. SecureBlackbox supports two independent types of external cryptography: synchronous (based on the ExternalSign event) and asynchronous (based on the DC protocol and the DCAuth signing component).

This property is read-only.

Please refer to the ExternalCrypto type for a complete list of fields.

FIPSMode Property (PGPReader Component)

Reserved.

Syntax

property FIPSMode: Boolean read get_FIPSMode write set_FIPSMode;

Default Value

false

Remarks

This property is reserved for future use.

InputBytes Property (PGPReader Component)

Use this property to pass the input to component in byte array form.

Syntax

property InputBytes: TBytes read get_InputBytes write set_InputBytes;

Remarks

Assign a byte array containing the data to be processed to this property.

This property is not available at design time.

InputFile Property (PGPReader Component)

Provides a filename of a file to process.

Syntax

property InputFile: String read get_InputFile write set_InputFile;

Default Value

''

Remarks

Use this property to provide a path to the file to be encrypted and/or signed.

KeyPassphrase Property (PGPReader Component)

Specifies a passphrase for the decryption key.

Syntax

property KeyPassphrase: String read get_KeyPassphrase write set_KeyPassphrase;

Default Value

''

Remarks

Use this property to provide a passphrase for the decryption secret key.

If this property is left empty or a wrong passphrase is provided, the KeyPassphraseNeeded event will be fired to request the correct passphrase.

OutputBytes Property (PGPReader Component)

Use this property to read the output the component object has produced.

Syntax

property OutputBytes: TBytes read get_OutputBytes;

Remarks

Read the contents of this property after the operation has completed to read the produced output. This property will only be set if the OutputFile and OutputStream properties had not been assigned.

This property is read-only and not available at design time.

OutputFile Property (PGPReader Component)

The file where the encrypted and/or signed data will be saved.

Syntax

property OutputFile: String read get_OutputFile write set_OutputFile;

Default Value

''

Remarks

Use this property to provide a path to the file where the component should store the encrypted and/or signed data.

Passphrase Property (PGPReader Component)

Specifies a message decryption password.

Syntax

property Passphrase: String read get_Passphrase write set_Passphrase;

Default Value

''

Remarks

Use this property to provide a password to decrypt the data. Whether the message can be decrypted with a password is indicated by PassphraseUsed parameter of EncryptionInfo event.

Note that this is not the same as a secret key passphrase, which should be provided via KeyPassphrase property.

If this property is left empty or the assigned passphrase is incorrect, the PassphraseNeeded event will be fired to request the correct one.

ProcessedLength Property (PGPReader Component)

Reports the number of bytes processed.

Syntax

property ProcessedLength: Int64 read get_ProcessedLength;

Default Value

0

Remarks

Use this property to check the number of bytes that the component has read when processing the protected message.

This property is read-only and not available at design time.

Profile Property (PGPReader Component)

Specifies a pre-defined profile to apply when creating the signature.

Syntax

property Profile: String read get_Profile write set_Profile;

Default Value

''

Remarks

Advanced signatures come in many variants, which are often defined by parties that needs to process them or by local standards. SecureBlackbox profiles are sets of pre-defined configurations which correspond to particular signature variants. By specifying a profile, you are pre-configuring the component to make it produce the signature that matches the configuration corresponding to that profile.

Signatures Property (PGPReader Component)

Contains signatures that were included in the protected message.

Syntax

property Signatures: TsbxPGPSignatureList read get_Signatures;

Remarks

Use this property to access the details of the signatures included in the processed message.

This property is read-only and not available at design time.

Please refer to the PGPSignature type for a complete list of fields.

VerifyingKeys Property (PGPReader Component)

A collection of keys to be used for signature verification.

Syntax

property VerifyingKeys: TsbxPGPKeyList read get_VerifyingKeys write set_VerifyingKeys;

Remarks

Use this property to provide verifying keys.

You will need an appropriate key to verify every signature included in the message. Use Signed event to get informed about the keys that were used for signing.

This property is not available at design time.

Please refer to the PGPKey type for a complete list of fields.

Config Method (PGPReader Component)

Sets or retrieves a configuration setting.

Syntax

function Config(ConfigurationString: String): String;

Remarks

Config is a generic method available in every component. It is used to set and retrieve configuration settings for the component.

These settings are similar in functionality to properties, but they are rarely used. In order to avoid "polluting" the property namespace of the component, access to these internal properties is provided through the Config method.

To set a configuration setting named PROPERTY, you must call Config("PROPERTY=VALUE"), where VALUE is the value of the setting expressed as a string. For boolean values, use the strings "True", "False", "0", "1", "Yes", or "No" (case does not matter).

To read (query) the value of a configuration setting, you must call Config("PROPERTY"). The value will be returned as a string.

DecryptAndVerify Method (PGPReader Component)

Decrypts and verifies a protected message.

Syntax

procedure DecryptAndVerify();

Remarks

Use this method to unprotect a PGP message contained in a byte array (InputBytes), in a file (InputFile) or in a stream (InputStream). The method writes the decrypted message to a byte array (OutputBytes), to a file (OutputFile) or to a stream (OutputStream).

DoAction Method (PGPReader Component)

Performs an additional action.

Syntax

function DoAction(ActionID: String; ActionParams: String): String;

Remarks

DoAction is a generic method available in every component. It is used to perform an additional action introduced after the product major release. The list of actions is not fixed, and may be flexibly extended over time.

The unique identifier (case insensitive) of the action is provided in the ActionID parameter.

ActionParams contains the value of a single parameter, or a list of multiple parameters for the action in the form of PARAM1=VALUE1;PARAM2=VALUE2;....

VerifyDetached Method (PGPReader Component)

Verifies a detached signature.

Syntax

procedure VerifyDetached();

Remarks

Use this method to verify a detached signature contained in a byte array (DataBytes), in a file (DataFile) or in a stream (DataStream) over a message contained in a byte array (InputBytes), in a file (InputFile) or in a stream (InputStream).

EncryptionInfo Event (PGPReader Component)

Reports early information on encryption parameters.

Syntax

type TEncryptionInfoEvent = procedure (
  Sender: TObject;
  const KeyIDs: String;
  IntegrityProtected: Boolean;
  PassphraseUsed: Boolean
) of Object;

property OnEncryptionInfo: TEncryptionInfoEvent read FOnEncryptionInfo write FOnEncryptionInfo;

Remarks

The component fires this event to report early encryption information. Use this event to find out what encryption type is used, and to provide appropriate decryption material (the secret keys or the password) via DecryptingKeys or Passphrase properties.

KeyIDs contains the IDs of the keys that can be used to decrypt the data. PassphraseUsed shows if the message can also be decrypted with a passphrase. Both can be set at the same time, indicating that each of the decryption routes can be taken.

IntegrityProtected parameter specifies whether the message includes a modification detection record.

Error Event (PGPReader Component)

Information about errors during PGP decryption/verification.

Syntax

type TErrorEvent = procedure (
  Sender: TObject;
  ErrorCode: Integer;
  const Description: String
) of Object;

property OnError: TErrorEvent read FOnError write FOnError;

Remarks

The event is fired in case of exceptional conditions during decryption/verification of protected data.

ErrorCode contains an error code and Description contains a textual description of the error.

ExternalDecrypt Event (PGPReader Component)

Handles remote or external decryption.

Syntax

type TExternalDecryptEvent = procedure (
  Sender: TObject;
  const OperationId: String;
  const Algorithm: String;
  const Pars: String;
  const EncryptedData: String;
  var Data: String
) of Object;

property OnExternalDecrypt: TExternalDecryptEvent read FOnExternalDecrypt write FOnExternalDecrypt;

Remarks

Assign a handler to this event if you need to delegate a low-level decryption operation to an external, remote, or custom decryption engine. The handler receives an encrypted value in the EncryptedData parameter, and is expected to decrypt it and place the decrypted value into the Data parameter.

OperationId provides a comment about the operation and its origin. It depends on the exact component being used, and may be empty. Algorithm specifies the encryption algorithm being used, and Pars contains algorithm-dependent parameters.

The component uses base16 (hex) encoding for the EncryptedData, Data, and Pars parameters. If your decryption engine uses a different input and output encoding, you may need to decode and/or encode the data before and/or after the decryption.

Sample data encoded in base16: a0dee2a0382afbb09120ffa7ccd8a152 - lower case base16 A0DEE2A0382AFBB09120FFA7CCD8A152 - upper case base16

FileExtractionFinish Event (PGPReader Component)

Reports the ending of file extraction process.

Syntax

type TFileExtractionFinishEvent = procedure (
  Sender: TObject;
  const Filename: String;
  const Timestamp: String
) of Object;

property OnFileExtractionFinish: TFileExtractionFinishEvent read FOnFileExtractionFinish write FOnFileExtractionFinish;

Remarks

This event informs about the ending of extraction of the next available file. Filename parameter indicates the original file name, and the Timestamp its last modification time.

In the handler, the user can take away the output stream or store the file data from OutputBytes.

FileExtractionStart Event (PGPReader Component)

Reports the beginning of file extraction process.

Syntax

type TFileExtractionStartEvent = procedure (
  Sender: TObject;
  const Filename: String;
  const Timestamp: String;
  var Skip: Boolean
) of Object;

property OnFileExtractionStart: TFileExtractionStartEvent read FOnFileExtractionStart write FOnFileExtractionStart;

Remarks

This event informs about the beginning of extraction of the next available file. A PGP message may contain more than one file. Filename parameter indicates the original file name, and the Timestamp its last modification time.

The user should provide an output filename in OutputFile or a stream in OutputStream. If none of them is provided, the extracted file will be placed to OutputBytes. After the file is extracted, FileExtractionFinish event is fired.

KeyPassphraseNeeded Event (PGPReader Component)

Requests a key protection password from the application.

Syntax

type TKeyPassphraseNeededEvent = procedure (
  Sender: TObject;
  const KeyID: String;
  const UserID: String;
  MainKey: Boolean;
  var Passphrase: String;
  var Skip: Boolean
) of Object;

property OnKeyPassphraseNeeded: TKeyPassphraseNeededEvent read FOnKeyPassphraseNeeded write FOnKeyPassphraseNeeded;

Remarks

The component fires this event to request a secret key passphrase from the application. Note that this event asks for a key protection passphrase rather than a message protection passphrase (which is requested via PassphraseNeeded). The component fires it when it has found a suitable decryption secret key in the keyring, and attempts to use it to decrypt the data.

If the data is encrypted with multiple keys, this event is called for each key in a loop until the password for at least one key is provided correctly. KeyID specifies the key for which the password is requested, and UserID identifies its user. MainKey tells whether the key is a master key or a subkey.

The handler should provide password via the Passphrase parameter, or set Skip to True to skip this key.

For each key KeyPassphraseNeeded is called in a loop until the correct password is provided or the maximum number of password attempts reached.

MultipleFilesFound Event (PGPReader Component)

Fires if the PGP message is recognized to contain multiple files.

Syntax

type TMultipleFilesFoundEvent = procedure (
  Sender: TObject;
  const TarFilename: String;
  var Proceed: Boolean
) of Object;

property OnMultipleFilesFound: TMultipleFilesFoundEvent read FOnMultipleFilesFound write FOnMultipleFilesFound;

Remarks

The component fires this event to report that there is more than one file in the PGP message.

The TarFilename specifies the name of the TAR file containing the files. Tune up Proceed to go ahead or stop the processing.

Notification Event (PGPReader Component)

This event notifies the application about an underlying control flow event.

Syntax

type TNotificationEvent = procedure (
  Sender: TObject;
  const EventID: String;
  const EventParam: String
) of Object;

property OnNotification: TNotificationEvent read FOnNotification write FOnNotification;

Remarks

The component fires this event to let the application know about some event, occurrence, or milestone in the component. For example, it may fire to report completion of the document processing. The list of events being reported is not fixed, and may be flexibly extended over time.

The unique identifier of the event is provided in the EventID parameter. EventParam contains any parameters accompanying the occurrence. Depending on the type of the component, the exact action it is performing, or the document being processed, one or both may be omitted.

PassphraseNeeded Event (PGPReader Component)

Requests a data protection password from the application.

Syntax

type TPassphraseNeededEvent = procedure (
  Sender: TObject;
  var Passphrase: String;
  var Skip: Boolean
) of Object;

property OnPassphraseNeeded: TPassphraseNeededEvent read FOnPassphraseNeeded write FOnPassphraseNeeded;

Remarks

The component fires this event to request a decryption password. It is only fired if the data can be decrypted without a key.

The event is fired in a loop until the correct password is passed or the number of password attempts is exceeded.

Progress Event (PGPReader Component)

Reports the progress of the decryption operation.

Syntax

type TProgressEvent = procedure (
  Sender: TObject;
  Current: Int64;
  Total: Int64;
  var Cancel: Boolean
) of Object;

property OnProgress: TProgressEvent read FOnProgress write FOnProgress;

Remarks

The component fires this event repeatedly to report the progress of the file extraction operation.

Current indicates the amount of processed data in bytes, and Total is the total number of bytes to be processed. Use Cancel to terminate the extraction process.

Signed Event (PGPReader Component)

Notifies the application about a signed message.

Syntax

type TSignedEvent = procedure (
  Sender: TObject;
  const KeyIDs: String;
  SignatureType: Integer
) of Object;

property OnSigned: TSignedEvent read FOnSigned write FOnSigned;

Remarks

The component fires this event when it identifies a signed message to allow the application to prepare the component for verification.

Use the KeyIDs parameter to identify keys used that were used to sign the message, and make sure they are available in the VerifyingKeys list.

SignatureType indicates the signature type:

ExternalCrypto Type

Specifies the parameters of external cryptographic calls.

Remarks

External cryptocalls are used in a Distributed Cryptography (DC) subsystem, which allows the delegation of security operations to the remote agent. For instance, it can be used to compute the signature value on the server, while retaining the client's private key locally.

Fields

Constructors

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constructor Create();

Creates a new ExternalCrypto object with default field values.

PGPKey Type

This container represents a PGP key.

Remarks

OpenPGP standard supports several types of keys. In our days, a typical OpenPGP keypair actually consists of two cryptographic keys: a primary key and a subkey. The primary key is normally used for signing, while the subkey is used for encryption.

While it is typical for PGP environments to use a primary key/subkey bundle, this is not a must. Sometimes you may come across standalone keys (mainly when dealing with older implementations), as well as whole key trees, each of those carrying a bunch of differently-purposed subkeys bound to the same primary key.

Algorithm-wise, OpenPGP keys also differ. Generally speaking, OpenPGP supports the following public key algorithms: RSA, Elgamal (often incorrectly referred to as DH), DSA, ECDH and ECDSA. When it comes to primary key/subkey bundles, DSA/Elgamal, RSA/RSA and ECDSA/ECDH pairs are typically used. Although there's no restriction on algorithm bundles, and, e.g. a ECDSA/Elgamal key bundle is perfectly possible, such combination is rarely used in practice.

A typical OpenPGP key is associated with some kind of user ID (Username). It is normally represented with a user's e-mail address, while in theory can be any piece of text. The secret part of the OpenPGP keypair is protected with a password (Passphrase).

Fields

Constructors

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constructor Create();

Creates an empty PGP key object.

PGPSignature Type

A container for PGP signature properties.

Remarks

PGPSignature contains details and validation information for a PGP signature.

Fields

Constructors

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constructor Create();

Creates an empty PGPSignature object.

Config Settings (PGPReader Component)

The component accepts one or more of the following configuration settings. Configuration settings are similar in functionality to properties, but they are rarely used. In order to avoid "polluting" the property namespace of the component, access to these internal properties is provided through the Config method.

PGPReader Config Settings

Base Config Settings

Trappable Errors (PGPReader Component)

PGPReader Errors

	1048577   Invalid parameter value (SB_ERROR_INVALID_PARAMETER)
	1048578   Component is configured incorrectly (SB_ERROR_INVALID_SETUP)
	1048579   Operation cannot be executed in the current state (SB_ERROR_INVALID_STATE)
	1048580   Attempt to set an invalid value to a property (SB_ERROR_INVALID_VALUE)
	1048581   Certificate does not have its private key loaded (SB_ERROR_NO_PRIVATE_KEY)
	1048581   Cancelled by the user (SB_ERROR_CANCELLED_BY_USER) 
	27262977   File does not exist (SB_ERROR_PGP_FILE_NOT_EXISTS)
	27262978   Invalid key (SB_ERROR_PGP_INVALID_KEY)
	27262979   No public key (SB_ERROR_PGP_NO_PUBLIC_KEY)
	27262980   No secret key (SB_ERROR_PGP_NO_SECRET_KEY)
	27262981   Not found (SB_ERROR_PGP_NOT_FOUND)
	27262982   Operation cannot be performed on a subkey (SB_ERROR_PGP_OPERATION_ON_SUBKEY)