FIPS_CONFIG(5)

FIPS_CONFIG(5) | OpenSSL | FIPS_CONFIG(5)

# NAME

fips_config - OpenSSL FIPS configuration

# DESCRIPTION

A separate configuration file, using the OpenSSL config(5) syntax, is used to hold information about the FIPS module. This includes a digest of the shared library file, and status about the self-testing. This data is used automatically by the module itself for two purposes:

- Run the startup FIPS self-test known answer tests (KATS).
  This is normally done once, at installation time, but may also be set up to run each time the module is used.
- Verify the module's checksum.
  This is done each time the module is used.

This file is generated by the openssl-fipsinstall(1) program, and used internally by the FIPS module during its initialization.

The following options are supported. They should all appear in a section whose name is identified by the fips option in the providers section, as described in "Provider Configuration Module" in config(5).

activate
  If present, the module is activated. The value assigned to this name is not significant.
conditional-errors
  The FIPS module normally enters an internal error mode if any self test fails. Once this error mode is active, no services or cryptographic algorithms are accessible from this point on. Continuous tests are a subset of the self tests (e.g., a key pair test during key generation, or the CRNG output test). Setting this value to 0 allows the error mode to not be triggered if any continuous test fails. The default value of 1 will trigger the error mode. Regardless of the value, the operation (e.g., key generation) that called the continuous test will return an error code if its continuous test fails. The operation may then be retried if the error mode has not been triggered.
module-mac
  The calculated MAC of the FIPS provider file.
install-version
  A version number for the fips install process. Should be 1.
install-status
  This field is deprecated and is no longer used.
install-mac
  This field is deprecated and is no longer used.

## FIPS indicator options

The following FIPS configuration options indicate if run-time checks related to enforcement of FIPS security parameters such as minimum security strength of keys and approved curve names are used. A value of '1' will perform the checks, otherwise if the value is '0' the checks are not performed and FIPS compliance must be done by procedures documented in the relevant Security Policy.

See "OPTIONS" in openssl-fipsinstall(1) for further information related to these options.

security-checks
  See "OPTIONS" in openssl-fipsinstall(1) -no_security_checks
tls1-prf-ems-check
  See "OPTIONS" in openssl-fipsinstall(1) -ems_check
no-short-mac
  See "OPTIONS" in openssl-fipsinstall(1) -no_short_mac
drbg-no-trunc-md
  See "OPTIONS" in openssl-fipsinstall(1) -no_drbg_truncated_digests
signature-digest-check
  See "OPTIONS" in openssl-fipsinstall(1) -signature_digest_check
hkdf-digest-check
  This option is deprecated.
tls13-kdf-digest-check
  See "OPTIONS" in openssl-fipsinstall(1) -tls13_kdf_digest_check
tls1-prf-digest-check
  See "OPTIONS" in openssl-fipsinstall(1) -tls1_prf_digest_check
sshkdf-digest-check
  See "OPTIONS" in openssl-fipsinstall(1) -sshkdf_digest_check
sskdf-digest-check
  This option is deprecated.
x963kdf-digest-check
  See "OPTIONS" in openssl-fipsinstall(1) -x963kdf_digest_check
dsa-sign-disabled
  See "OPTIONS" in openssl-fipsinstall(1) -dsa_sign_disabled
tdes-encrypt-disabled
  See "OPTIONS" in openssl-fipsinstall(1) -tdes_encrypt_disabled
rsa-pkcs15-pad-disabled
  See "OPTIONS" in openssl-fipsinstall(1) -rsa_pkcs15_pad_disabled
rsa-pss-saltlen-check
  See "OPTIONS" in openssl-fipsinstall(1) -rsa_pss_saltlen_check
rsa-sign-x931-pad-disabled
  See "OPTIONS" in openssl-fipsinstall(1) -rsa_sign_x931_disabled
hkdf-key-check
  See "OPTIONS" in openssl-fipsinstall(1) -hkdf_key_check
kbkdf-key-check
  See "OPTIONS" in openssl-fipsinstall(1) -kbkdf_key_check
tls13-kdf-key-check
  See "OPTIONS" in openssl-fipsinstall(1) -tls13_kdf_key_check
tls1-prf-key-check
  See "OPTIONS" in openssl-fipsinstall(1) -tls1_prf_key_check
sshkdf-key-check
  See "OPTIONS" in openssl-fipsinstall(1) -sshkdf_key_check
sskdf-key-check
  See "OPTIONS" in openssl-fipsinstall(1) -sskdf_key_check
x963kdf-key-check
  See "OPTIONS" in openssl-fipsinstall(1) -x963kdf_key_check
x942kdf-key-check
  See "OPTIONS" in openssl-fipsinstall(1) -x942kdf_key_check
pbkdf2-lower-bound-check
  See "OPTIONS" in openssl-fipsinstall(1) -no_pbkdf2_lower_bound_check
ecdh-cofactor-check
  See "OPTIONS" in openssl-fipsinstall(1) -ecdh_cofactor_check
hmac-key-check
  See "OPTIONS" in openssl-fipsinstall(1) -hmac_key_check
kmac-key-check
  See "OPTIONS" in openssl-fipsinstall(1) -kmac_key_check

For example:

     [fips_sect]
     activate = 1
     install-version = 1
     conditional-errors = 1
     security-checks = 1
     module-mac = 41:D0:FA:C2:5D:41:75:CD:7D:C3:90:55:6F:A4:DC
     install-mac = FE:10:13:5A:D3:B4:C7:82:1B:1E:17:4C:AC:84:0C
     install-status = INSTALL_SELF_TEST_KATS_RUN

# NOTES

When using the FIPS provider, it is recommended that the config_diagnostics option is enabled to prevent accidental use of non-FIPS validated algorithms via broken or mistaken configuration. See config(5).

# SEE ALSO

config(5) openssl-fipsinstall(1)

# HISTORY

This functionality was added in OpenSSL 3.0.

# COPYRIGHT

Copyright 2019-2025 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>.

2026-04-07 | 3.5.6