BCryptImportKey function (bcrypt.h)

The BCryptImportKey function imports a symmetric key from a key BLOB. The BCryptImportKeyPair function is used to import a public/private key pair.

Syntax

NTSTATUS BCryptImportKey(
  [in]            BCRYPT_ALG_HANDLE hAlgorithm,
  [in, optional]  BCRYPT_KEY_HANDLE hImportKey,
  [in]            LPCWSTR           pszBlobType,
  [out]           BCRYPT_KEY_HANDLE *phKey,
  [out, optional] PUCHAR            pbKeyObject,
  [in]            ULONG             cbKeyObject,
  [in]            PUCHAR            pbInput,
  [in]            ULONG             cbInput,
  [in]            ULONG             dwFlags
);

Parameters

[in] hAlgorithm

The handle of the algorithm provider to import the key. This handle is obtained by calling the BCryptOpenAlgorithmProvider function.

[in, optional] hImportKey

The handle of the key encryption key needed to unwrap the key BLOB in the pbInput parameter.

Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista:  This parameter is not used and should be set to NULL.

[in] pszBlobType

A null-terminated Unicode string that contains an identifier that specifies the type of BLOB that is contained in the pbInput buffer. This can be one of the following values.

[out] phKey

A pointer to a BCRYPT_KEY_HANDLE that receives the handle of the imported key. This handle is used in subsequent functions that require a key, such as BCryptEncrypt. This handle must be released when it is no longer needed by passing it to the BCryptDestroyKey function.

[out, optional] pbKeyObject

A pointer to a buffer that receives the imported key object. The cbKeyObject parameter contains the size of this buffer. The required size of this buffer can be obtained by calling the BCryptGetProperty function to get the BCRYPT_OBJECT_LENGTH property. This will provide the size of the key object for the specified algorithm.

This memory can only be freed after the phKey key handle is destroyed.

[in] cbKeyObject

The size, in bytes, of the pbKeyObject buffer.

[in] pbInput

The address of a buffer that contains the key BLOB to import. The cbInput parameter contains the size of this buffer. The pszBlobType parameter specifies the type of key BLOB this buffer contains.

[in] cbInput

The size, in bytes, of the pbInput buffer.

[in] dwFlags

A set of flags that modify the behavior of this function. No flags are currently defined, so this parameter should be zero.

Return value

Returns a status code that indicates the success or failure of the function.

Possible return codes include, but are not limited to, the following.

Remarks

Depending on what processor modes a provider supports, BCryptImportKey can be called either from user mode or kernel mode. Kernel mode callers can execute either at PASSIVE_LEVEL IRQL or DISPATCH_LEVEL IRQL. If the current IRQL level is DISPATCH_LEVEL, the handle provided in the hAlgorithm parameter must have been opened by using the BCRYPT_PROV_DISPATCH flag, and any pointers passed to the BCryptImportKey function must refer to nonpaged (or locked) memory.

To call this function in kernel mode, use Cng.lib, which is part of the Driver Development Kit (DDK). Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista:  To call this function in kernel mode, use Ksecdd.lib.

Requirements

See also

BCryptDestroyKey

BCryptExportKey

BCryptImportKeyPair