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openssl_sign() cannot sign a precomputed digest #23422

Description

@timo-poppinga

Description

Description

openssl_sign() currently always performs the digest operation internally before signing the data.

This causes a problem when the input is already a precomputed digest.

For example, when a SHA-256 digest is passed to openssl_sign() together with OPENSSL_ALGO_SHA256, the digest is hashed again:

signature = sign(SHA256(precomputed_sha256_digest))

instead of signing the existing digest directly:

signature = sign(precomputed_sha256_digest)

As a result, PHP currently has no straightforward way to sign an already computed digest using ext/openssl.

Expected behavior

It should be possible to pass a precomputed digest to the OpenSSL extension and sign it directly without applying another hashing operation.

The same should be possible for verification of a signature over a precomputed digest.

Actual behavior

openssl_sign() combines hashing and signing. Therefore, when the caller already has the digest, an additional hashing operation is performed.

Additional information

OpenSSL provides lower-level APIs such as EVP_PKEY_sign() and EVP_PKEY_verify() that can operate on already prepared input.

PHP's OpenSSL extension currently does not expose an equivalent way to perform this operation.

PHP Version

PHP 8.5

Operating System

all

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