# | DNS / IP |
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X.509 certificates bind a public-key to an entity and identify the issuing Certificate Authority (CA). Encoded in Privacy-Enhanced Mail (PEM) format, each block carries human-readable delimiters and Base64 text representing the certificate’s ASN.1 structure.
This decoder accepts a pasted or uploaded PEM block, parses its fields with a client-side cryptographic engine, and renders subject, issuer, validity period, serial number, signature algorithm, subject-alternative names, and SHA-256 fingerprint. All processing occurs locally in your browser.
Use it to confirm that a server’s certificate matches its hostname before trusting a connection or storing credentials. *Always verify that the “Valid To” date has not passed and that the fingerprint matches the official record from your CA.*
X.509 specifies the data model for digital certificates used in TLS, S/MIME, and code-signing. A certificate contains Distinguished Name (DN) attributes, validity timestamps, the subject’s public-key, optional extensions such as Subject Alternative Name (SAN), and a CA signature that binds the data to a trust hierarchy. Decoding reveals these components so you can inspect trust anchors, expiry windows, and domain coverage.
Parameter | Meaning |
---|---|
CN | Common Name—primary hostname or identity. |
Issuer CN | CA that signed the certificate. |
Valid From / To | ISO timestamps defining the trust window. |
Serial Number | Unique identifier assigned by the CA. |
Signature Alg | OID of the algorithm used to sign. |
SAN | Alternate DNS names or IP addresses. |
SHA-256 Fingerprint | Digest uniquely identifying the certificate. |
SHA-256 fingerprint derivation:
Output: 3A:91:4F:…:C7
(colon-separated hex).
Concept validated by ITU-T X.509 (2019), RFC 5280, and NIST SP 800-57. Digest generation follows FIPS 180-4 SHA-2 specification.
No personal data is processed; decoding occurs entirely within the user’s browser and is therefore GDPR-friendly.
Follow these actions to decode a certificate quickly:
.pem
/.crt
/.cer
file.No. All parsing is client-side; nothing leaves your browser.
Convert DER to PEM with openssl x509 -inform DER -in cert.der -out cert.pem
, then use this tool.
The Valid To date will appear in red; obtain a renewed certificate from your CA before deployment.
The digest is shown as uppercase hex octets separated by colons, matching common TLS inspection tools.
The decoder requires the BEGIN/END delimiters. Ensure you include them or select a correct file.