man > openssl-dgst(1)

TLDR: openssl-dgst (tldr-pages)

Generate digest values and perform signature operations.

  • Calculate the SHA256 digest for a file, saving the result to a specific file
    openssl dgst -sha256 -binary -out {{output_file}} {{input_file}}
  • Sign a file using an RSA key, saving the result to a specific file
    openssl dgst -sign {{private_key_file}} -sha256 -sigopt rsa_padding_mode:pss -out {{output_file}} {{input_file}}
  • Verify an RSA signature
    openssl dgst -verify {{public_key_file}} -signature {{signature_file}} -sigopt rsa_padding_mode:pss {{signature_message_file}}
  • Sign a file using and ECDSA key
    openssl dgst -sign {{private_key_file}} -sha256 -out {{output_file}} {{input_file}}
  • Verify an ECDSA signature
    openssl dgst -verify {{public_key_file}} -signature {{signature_file}} {{signature_message_file}}
OPENSSL-DGST(1SSL)                             OpenSSL                            OPENSSL-DGST(1SSL)



NAME
       openssl-dgst - perform digest operations

SYNOPSIS
       openssl dgst|digest [-digest] [-list] [-help] [-c] [-d] [-debug] [-hex] [-binary] [-xoflen
       length] [-r] [-out filename] [-sign filename|uri] [-keyform DER|PEM|P12|ENGINE] [-passin arg]
       [-verify filename] [-prverify filename] [-signature filename] [-sigopt nm:v] [-hmac key]
       [-mac alg] [-macopt nm:v] [-fips-fingerprint] [-engine id] [-engine_impl id] [-rand files]
       [-writerand file] [-provider name] [-provider-path path] [-propquery propq] [file ...]

DESCRIPTION
       This command output the message digest of a supplied file or files in hexadecimal, and also
       generates and verifies digital signatures using message digests.

       The generic name, openssl dgst, may be used with an option specifying the algorithm to be
       used.  The default digest is sha256.  A supported digest name may also be used as the sub-
       command name.  To see the list of supported algorithms, use "openssl list -digest-algorithms"

OPTIONS
       -help
           Print out a usage message.

       -digest
           Specifies name of a supported digest to be used. See option -list below :

       -list
           Prints out a list of supported message digests.

       -c  Print out the digest in two digit groups separated by colons, only relevant if the -hex
           option is given as well.

       -d, -debug
           Print out BIO debugging information.

       -hex
           Digest is to be output as a hex dump. This is the default case for a "normal" digest as
           opposed to a digital signature.  See NOTES below for digital signatures using -hex.

       -binary
           Output the digest or signature in binary form.

       -xoflen length
           Set the output length for XOF algorithms, such as shake128.

       -r  Output the digest in the "coreutils" format, including newlines.  Used by programs like
           sha1sum(1).

       -out filename
           Filename to output to, or standard output by default.

       -sign filename|uri
           Digitally sign the digest using the given private key. Note this option does not support
           Ed25519 or Ed448 private keys. Use the openssl-pkeyutl(1) command instead for this.

       -keyform DER|PEM|P12|ENGINE
           The format of the key to sign with; unspecified by default.  See
           openssl-format-options(1) for details.

       -sigopt nm:v
           Pass options to the signature algorithm during sign or verify operations.  Names and
           values of these options are algorithm-specific.

       -passin arg
           The private key password source. For more information about the format of arg see
           openssl-passphrase-options(1).

       -verify filename
           Verify the signature using the public key in "filename".  The output is either "Verified
           OK" or "Verification Failure".

       -prverify filename
           Verify the signature using the private key in "filename".

       -signature filename
           The actual signature to verify.

       -hmac key
           Create a hashed MAC using "key".

           The openssl-mac(1) command should be preferred to using this command line option.

       -mac alg
           Create MAC (keyed Message Authentication Code). The most popular MAC algorithm is HMAC
           (hash-based MAC), but there are other MAC algorithms which are not based on hash, for
           instance gost-mac algorithm, supported by the gost engine. MAC keys and other options
           should be set via -macopt parameter.

           The openssl-mac(1) command should be preferred to using this command line option.

       -macopt nm:v
           Passes options to MAC algorithm, specified by -mac key.  Following options are supported
           by both by HMAC and gost-mac:

           key:string
               Specifies MAC key as alphanumeric string (use if key contain printable characters
               only). String length must conform to any restrictions of the MAC algorithm for
               example exactly 32 chars for gost-mac.

           hexkey:string
               Specifies MAC key in hexadecimal form (two hex digits per byte).  Key length must
               conform to any restrictions of the MAC algorithm for example exactly 32 chars for
               gost-mac.

           The openssl-mac(1) command should be preferred to using this command line option.

       -fips-fingerprint
           Compute HMAC using a specific key for certain OpenSSL-FIPS operations.

       -rand files, -writerand file
           See "Random State Options" in openssl(1) for details.

       -engine id
           See "Engine Options" in openssl(1).  This option is deprecated.

           The engine is not used for digests unless the -engine_impl option is used or it is
           configured to do so, see "Engine Configuration Module" in config(5).

       -engine_impl id
           When used with the -engine option, it specifies to also use engine id for digest
           operations.

       -provider name
       -provider-path path
       -propquery propq
           See "Provider Options" in openssl(1), provider(7), and property(7).

       file ...
           File or files to digest. If no files are specified then standard input is used.

EXAMPLES
       To create a hex-encoded message digest of a file:

        openssl dgst -md5 -hex file.txt
        or
        openssl md5 file.txt

       To sign a file using SHA-256 with binary file output:

        openssl dgst -sha256 -sign privatekey.pem -out signature.sign file.txt
        or
        openssl sha256 -sign privatekey.pem -out signature.sign file.txt

       To verify a signature:

        openssl dgst -sha256 -verify publickey.pem \
        -signature signature.sign \
        file.txt

NOTES
       The digest mechanisms that are available will depend on the options used when building
       OpenSSL.  The "openssl list -digest-algorithms" command can be used to list them.

       New or agile applications should use probably use SHA-256. Other digests, particularly SHA-1
       and MD5, are still widely used for interoperating with existing formats and protocols.

       When signing a file, this command will automatically determine the algorithm (RSA, ECC, etc)
       to use for signing based on the private key's ASN.1 info.  When verifying signatures, it only
       handles the RSA, DSA, or ECDSA signature itself, not the related data to identify the signer
       and algorithm used in formats such as x.509, CMS, and S/MIME.

       A source of random numbers is required for certain signing algorithms, in particular ECDSA
       and DSA.

       The signing and verify options should only be used if a single file is being signed or
       verified.

       Hex signatures cannot be verified using openssl.  Instead, use "xxd -r" or similar program to
       transform the hex signature into a binary signature prior to verification.

       The openssl-mac(1) command is preferred over the -hmac, -mac and -macopt command line
       options.

SEE ALSO
       openssl-mac(1)

HISTORY
       The default digest was changed from MD5 to SHA256 in OpenSSL 1.1.0.  The FIPS-related options
       were removed in OpenSSL 1.1.0.

       The -engine and -engine_impl options were deprecated in OpenSSL 3.0.

COPYRIGHT
       Copyright 2000-2022 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>.



3.0.2                                        2026-06-02                           OPENSSL-DGST(1SSL)
openssl-dgst(1)
NAME SYNOPSIS DESCRIPTION OPTIONS
-help -list -c Print out the digest in two digit groups separated by colons, only relevant if the -hex -d, -debug -hex -binary -xoflen length -r Output the digest in the "coreutils" format, including newlines. Used by programs like -out filename -sign filename|uri -keyform DER|PEM|P12|ENGINE -sigopt nm:v -passin arg -verify filename -prverify filename -signature filename -hmac key -mac alg -macopt nm:v -fips-fingerprint -rand files, -writerand file -engine id -engine_impl id -provider name -provider-path path -propquery propq
EXAMPLES NOTES SEE ALSO HISTORY COPYRIGHT

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