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life_cycle-cipher - The cipher algorithm life-cycle
Contents
Copyright
Copyright 2021 The OpenSSL Project Authors. All Rights Reserved.
Licensed under the Apache License 2.0 (the "License"). You may not use this file except in compliance
with the License. You can obtain a copy in the file LICENSE in the source distribution or at
<https://www.openssl.org/source/license.html>.
3.5.0 2025-06-04 LIFE_CYCLE-CIPHER(7SSL)
Description
All symmetric ciphers (CIPHERs) go through a number of stages in their life-cycle:
start
This state represents the CIPHER before it has been allocated. It is the starting state for any
life-cycle transitions.
newed
This state represents the CIPHER after it has been allocated.
initialised
These states represent the CIPHER when it is set up and capable of processing input. There are three
possible initialised states:
initialised using EVP_CipherInit
initialised for decryption using EVP_DecryptInit
initialised for encryption using EVP_EncryptInit
updated
These states represent the CIPHER when it is set up and capable of processing additional input or
generating output. The three possible states directly correspond to those for initialised above.
The three different streams should not be mixed.
finaled
This state represents the CIPHER when it has generated output.
freed
This state is entered when the CIPHER is freed. It is the terminal state for all life-cycle
transitions.
StateTransitionDiagram
The usual life-cycle of a CIPHER is illustrated:
+---------------------------+
| |
| start |
| |
+---------------------------+ + - - - - - - - - - - - - - +
| ' any of the initialised '
| EVP_CIPHER_CTX_new ' updated or finaled states '
v ' '
+---------------------------+ + - - - - - - - - - - - - - +
| | |
| newed | | EVP_CIPHER_CTX_reset
| | <----+
+---------------------------+
| | |
+---------+ | +---------+
EVP_DecryptInit | | EVP_CipherInit | EVP_EncryptInit
v v v
+---------------------------+ +---------------------------+ +---------------------------+
| | | | | |
| initialised | | initialised | | initialised |
| for decryption | | | | for encryption |
+---------------------------+ +---------------------------+ +---------------------------+
| | |
| EVP_DecryptUpdate | EVP_CipherUpdate EVP_EncryptUpdate |
| v |
| +---------------------------+ |
| | |--------------------+ |
| | updated | EVP_CipherUpdate | |
| | | <------------------+ |
v +---------------------------+ v
+---------------------------+ | +---------------------------+
| |---------------------+ | | |
| updated | EVP_DecryptUpdate | | | updated |------+
| for decryption | <-------------------+ | | for encryption | |
+---------------------------+ | +---------------------------+ |
| EVP_CipherFinal | | ^ |
+-------+ | +--------+ | |
EVP_DecryptFinal | | | EVP_EncryptFinal +-------------------+
v v v EVP_EncryptUpdate
+---------------------------+
| |-----------------------------+
| finaled | |
| | <---------------------------+
+---------------------------+ EVP_CIPHER_CTX_get_params
| (AEAD encryption)
| EVP_CIPHER_CTX_free
v
+---------------------------+
| |
| freed |
| |
+---------------------------+
FormalStateTransitions
This section defines all of the legal state transitions. This is the canonical list.
Function Call ---------------------------------------------- Current State
-----------------------------------------------
start newed initialised updated finaled initialised updated
initialised updated freed
decryption
decryption encryption encryption
EVP_CIPHER_CTX_new newed
EVP_CipherInit initialised initialised initialised initialised initialised
initialised initialised initialised
EVP_DecryptInit initialised initialised initialised initialised initialised
initialised initialised initialised
decryption decryption decryption decryption decryption
decryption decryption decryption
EVP_EncryptInit initialised initialised initialised initialised initialised
initialised initialised initialised
encryption encryption encryption encryption encryption
encryption encryption encryption
EVP_CipherUpdate updated updated
EVP_DecryptUpdate updated updated
decryption
decryption
EVP_EncryptUpdate
updated updated
encryption
encryption
EVP_CipherFinal finaled
EVP_DecryptFinal finaled
EVP_EncryptFinal
finaled
EVP_CIPHER_CTX_free freed freed freed freed freed freed freed
freed freed
EVP_CIPHER_CTX_reset newed newed newed newed newed newed
newed newed
EVP_CIPHER_CTX_get_params newed initialised updated initialised updated
initialised updated
decryption
decryption encryption encryption
EVP_CIPHER_CTX_set_params newed initialised updated initialised updated
initialised updated
decryption
decryption encryption encryption
EVP_CIPHER_CTX_gettable_params newed initialised updated initialised updated
initialised updated
decryption
decryption encryption encryption
EVP_CIPHER_CTX_settable_params newed initialised updated initialised updated
initialised updated
decryption
decryption encryption encryption
Name
life_cycle-cipher - The cipher algorithm life-cycle
Notes
At some point the EVP layer will begin enforcing the transitions described herein.
See Also
provider-cipher(7), EVP_EncryptInit(3)
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