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PKCS#7 AND P7B FORMAT

They usually have .p7b or .p7c as the file extension. The thing that separates pkcs#7 formatted certificates is that only certificates can be stored in this format, not private keys.  

IN other words, a p7b file will only consist of certificates and chain certificates. 

The pkcs#7 or p7b format is encoded in ascii base64 format. This type of certificate contains the following lines: 



             “—–BEGIN PKCS7—–”            AND                  “—–END PKCS7—–”   

                  

If you open a pkcs#7 file in a text editor, you can see the encoded text between ----begin pkcs7----- and -----end pkcs7----- tags. the most common extensions are: *.P7B, *.P7S, *.CER. 

The particularity of the p7b file is that it only contains certificates, string certificates, and not the private key. 

  

o	They have the .p7b and .p7c extensions 

o	They are generally used for Microsoft windows and java tomcat servers 






    
    
    PKCS#7 vs P7B Comparison
    


    Comparison: PKCS#7 vs P7B

    Overview
    PKCS#7 and P7B are related to digital certificates and cryptographic file formats. Below is a comparison of their definitions, uses, and differences.

    PKCS#7
    
        Definition: Public-Key Cryptography Standards #7, a standard for cryptographic message syntax.
        Purpose: Used to package digital signatures, certificates, or certificate chains (excluding private keys).
        File Extensions: Commonly uses .p7b or .p7c.
        Supported Systems: Widely supported across platforms like Windows, Java, and OpenSSL.
        Use Cases: Sharing certificates and certificate chains.
    

    P7B
    
        Definition: A file extension representing files encoded in PKCS#7 format.
        Purpose: Specific implementation of PKCS#7, used for certificate chains.
        File Extensions: Always uses .p7b.
        Supported Systems: Commonly used in Windows and Java environments.
    

    Key Differences
    
        
            
                Feature
                PKCS#7
                P7B
            
        
        
            
                Definition
                A cryptographic standard (format).
                A specific file extension for PKCS#7.
            
            
                File Extension
                .p7b, .p7c
                .p7b
            
            
                Private Keys
                Does not include private keys.
                Does not include private keys.
            
            
                Usage
                General term for the format.
                Refers specifically to files in PKCS#7 format.
            
        
    

    Example Commands
    To convert a .p7b file to PEM format using OpenSSL:
    openssl pkcs7 -print_certs -in file.p7b -out file.pem

    To import a .p7b file in Windows, use the Certificate Manager (certmgr.msc).