Interoperability

The following provides an overview of SignServer's capabilities and support, with relevant links to documentation and external standards.

SignServer supports multiple application servers and standard, high-performance databases. For more information on SignServer requirements, see Prerequisites.

Algorithms

SignServer supports* the following algorithm types and key size/curves.

Algorithm	Key Size/curve
RSA	Keys up to and including 8192 bits.
ECDSA	ECDSA key algorithm with named curves.
EdDSA	Pure EdDSA with Edwards25519 or Edwards448
Hash algorithms	Hash algorithms for signatures, SHA-1, SHA-2.
NSA SUITE B	Compliant with NSA SUITE B algorithms and certificates.

*See individual workers and crypto tokens for information about what they support. For more information, see Signers Algorithm Support.

Signature Formats

Document Signing

SignServer can easily be adapted to customer-specific needs by using plug-ins and supports document signing formats such as the ones listed below.

Format	Documentation
PDF (ISO 32000) PDF document processing, including support for: Visible signatures. Different certification levels. Requesting and embedding timestamp responses. Requesting and embedding CRLs. Requesting and embedding OCSP responses. PDF permissions.	PDF Signer
PAdES (-B, -T, -LT, -LTA) (PDF Advanced Electronic Signatures)	ENTERPRISE AdES Signer
XAdES (–B, -T, -LT, -LTA) (XML Advanced Electronic Signatures)	ENTERPRISE AdES Signer
XAdES (XAdES-BES and XAdES-T)	XAdES Signer
XML (XMLdSig)	XML Signer
CMS/PKCS#7 Generic CMS (PKCS#7) signer signs any document or file with support for encapsulated content or detached signatures and client-side hashing.	CMS Signer
CMS signing with support for time-stamping	ENTERPRISE Extended CMS Signer

Code Signing

SignServer supports code signing formats such as the following.

Format	Documentation
Plain signing	Plain Signer
CMS signing	CMS Signer
OpenPGP signing	OpenPGP Signer
Java code signing including JAR signing Android (APK) signing v1	JArchive Signer
CMS signing + time-stamping	ENTERPRISE Extended CMS Signer
OpenPGP signing with client-side hashing	ENTERPRISE Client-Side Hashing
Authenticode signing including: Signing of Windows Executable files Signing of Windows Installer files (.MSI) Signing of PowerShell script files (.ps1) Signing of Catalogue files (.cat) Signing of Cabinet files (.cab)	ENTERPRISE MS Authenticode Signer
Microsoft APPX package signing (AppX)	ENTERPRISE Appx Signer
Java code signing with client-side hashing	ENTERPRISE Client-Side Hashing
Android (APK) signing v1, v2 and v3	ENTERPRISE APK Signer
Debian package signing (dpkg-sig)	Debian Dpkg-sig Signer

ePassport

SignServer is used both for MRTD signing and for ICAO CSCA Master list signing.

ePassport	Documentation
Document (MRTD SOD) signing with Logical Data Structure (LDS) version 1.7 and 1.8 support	MRTD SOD Signer
Document (MRTD) signing	(Legacy) MRTD Signer
ICAO CSCA Master list signing	ENTERPRISE Master List Signer
Additional algorithm support Subject to SoW/support agreement including for instance: Java patch with HSM support for ePassport required algorithms such as SHA256withRSAandMGF1 (RSASSA-PSS) SHA224withECDSA Brainpool ECC curves ...

Time-stamping

SignServer can be used as the time stamp unit within a Time Stamp Authority (TSA) to generate digitally signed time stamps and includes monitoring of time synchronization, offering both RFC 3161 and MS Authenticode time-stamps.

Format

External References

Documentation

Basic Time-stamping

RFC 3161, RFC 5816

Time Stamp Signer

Professional Time-stamping including:

Time synchronization monitoring
eIDAS Qualified Electronic Time-stamping extension

RFC 3161, RFC 5816

ETSI EN 319 422

ENTERPRISE

Extended Time Stamp Signer

Validation Service

Validators for signed documents, built-in support for XML validation, and XAdES (XAdES-BES and XAdES-T).

The SignServer Validation Service also allows you to make your own validator plug-in.

Third-party Hardware

Hardware Security Modules

SignServer supports Hardware Security Modules (HSMs) and has built-in support for various HSMs such as the ones listed below, and other HSMs with a good PKCS#11 library. SignServer additionally supports software-based keys for lower security requirements or development.

Vendor	Model
Generic PKCS#11 Provider
Fortanix	Data Security Manager (DSM)
Microsoft Azure	Key Vault
nChipher	nShield/netHSM
SafeNet	Luna
SafeNet	ProtectServer Gold
SafeNet	ProtectServer Gold Emulator
SoftHSM	SoftHSMv2
Utimaco	CryptoServer
Thales	Thales Data Protection on Demand (DPoD)

For HSM vendor specific installation and configuration information, refer to the EJBCA Documentation section HSMs - Vendor Specific Information.

Integration Interfaces

SignServer provides multiple integration interfaces such as:

Client HTTP Interface.
Client Web Service (WS) interface and Admin WS Interface.
Client CLI Interface (a.k.a. SignClient) and Administration CLI.