xref: /third_party/node/doc/contributing/maintaining/maintaining-root-certs.md

# Maintaining the root certificates

Node.js contains a compiled-in set of root certificates used as trust anchors
for TLS certificate validation.

The certificates come from Mozilla, specifically NSS's `certdata.txt` file.

The PEM encodings of the certificates are converted to C strings, and committed
in `src/node_root_certs.h`.

## When to update

Root certificates should be updated sometime after Mozilla makes an NSS release,
check the [NSS release schedule][].

## Process

The `tools/dep_updaters/update-root-certs.mjs` script automates the update of
the root certificates, including:

* Downloading `certdata.txt` from Mozilla's source control repository.
* Running `tools/mk-ca-bundle.pl` to convert the certificates and generate
  `src/node_root_certs.h`.
* Using `git diff-files` to determine which certificate have been added and/or
  removed.

Manual instructions are included in the following collapsed section.

<details>

Commands assume that the current working directory is the root of a checkout of
the nodejs/node repository.

1. Find NSS metadata for update.

   The latest released NSS version, release date, Firefox version, and Firefox
   release date can be found in the [NSS release schedule][].

   The tag to fetch `certdata.txt` from is found by looking for the release
   version in the [tag list][].

2. Update `certdata.txt` from the NSS release tag.

   Update the tag in the commands below, and run:

   ```bash
   cd tools/
   ./mk-ca-bundle.pl -v 2>_before
   curl -O https://hg.mozilla.org/projects/nss/raw-file/NSS_3_41_RTM/lib/ckfw/builtins/certdata.txt
   ```

   The `_before` file will be used later. Verify that running `mk-ca-bundle`
   made no changes to `src/node_root_certs.h`. If it did, something went wrong
   with the previous update. Seek help!

   Update metadata in the message below, and commit `certdata.txt`:

   ```text
   tools: update certdata.txt

   This is the certdata.txt[0] from NSS 3.41, released on 2018-12-03.

   This is the version of NSS that will ship in Firefox 65 on
   2018-12-11.

   [0] https://hg.mozilla.org/projects/nss/raw-file/NSS_3_41_RTM/lib/ckfw/builtins/certdata.txt
   ```

3. Update `node_root_certs.h` from `certdata.txt`.

   Run the command below:

   ```bash
   ./mk-ca-bundle.pl -v 2>_after
   ```

   Confirm that `../src/node_root_certs.h` was updated.

   Determine what changes were made by diffing the before and after files:

   ```console
   % diff _before _after
   11d10
   < Parsing: Visa eCommerce Root
   106d104
   < Parsing: TÜRKTRUST Elektronik Sertifika Hizmet Sağlayıcısı H5
   113,117d110
   < Parsing: Certplus Root CA G1
   < Parsing: Certplus Root CA G2
   < Parsing: OpenTrust Root CA G1
   < Parsing: OpenTrust Root CA G2
   < Parsing: OpenTrust Root CA G3
   134c127,136
   < Done (133 CA certs processed, 20 skipped).
   ---
   > Parsing: GlobalSign Root CA - R6
   > Parsing: OISTE WISeKey Global Root GC CA
   > Parsing: GTS Root R1
   > Parsing: GTS Root R2
   > Parsing: GTS Root R3
   > Parsing: GTS Root R4
   > Parsing: UCA Global G2 Root
   > Parsing: UCA Extended Validation Root
   > Parsing: Certigna Root CA
   > Done (135 CA certs processed, 16 skipped).
   ```

   Use the diff to update the message below, and commit `src/node_root_certs.h`:

   ```text
   crypto: update root certificates

   Update the list of root certificates in src/node_root_certs.h with
   tools/mk-ca-bundle.pl.

   Certificates added:
   - GlobalSign Root CA - R6
   - OISTE WISeKey Global Root GC CA
   - GTS Root R1
   - GTS Root R2
   - GTS Root R3
   - GTS Root R4
   - UCA Global G2 Root
   - UCA Extended Validation Root
   - Certigna Root CA

   Certificates removed:
   - Visa eCommerce Root
   - TÜRKTRUST Elektronik Sertifika Hizmet Sağlayıcısı H5
   - Certplus Root CA G1
   - Certplus Root CA G2
   - OpenTrust Root CA G1
   - OpenTrust Root CA G2
   - OpenTrust Root CA G3
   ```

</details>

[NSS release schedule]: https://wiki.mozilla.org/NSS:Release_Versions
[tag list]: https://hg.mozilla.org/projects/nss/tags