LIFE_CYCLE-CIPHER(7SSL) OpenSSL LIFE_CYCLE-CIPHER(7SSL)
NAME
life_cycle-cipher - The cipher algorithm life-cycle
DESCRIPTION
All symmetric ciphers (CIPHERs) go through a number of stages in their
life-cycle:
start
This state represents the CIPHER before it has been allocated. It
is the starting state for any life-cycle transitions.
newed
This state represents the CIPHER after it has been allocated.
initialised
These states represent the CIPHER when it is set up and capable of
processing input. There are three possible initialised states:
initialised using EVP_CipherInit
initialised for decryption using EVP_DecryptInit
initialised for encryption using EVP_EncryptInit
updated
These states represent the CIPHER when it is set up and capable of
processing additional input or generating output. The three
possible states directly correspond to those for initialised above.
The three different streams should not be mixed.
finaled
This state represents the CIPHER when it has generated output.
freed
This state is entered when the CIPHER is freed. It is the terminal
state for all life-cycle transitions.
State Transition Diagram
The usual life-cycle of a CIPHER is illustrated:
+---------------------------+
| |
| start |
| |
+---------------------------+ + - -
- - - - - - - - - - - +
| ' any
of the initialised '
| EVP_CIPHER_CTX_new '
updated or finaled states '
v '
'
+---------------------------+ + - -
- - - - - - - - - - - +
| | |
| newed | |
EVP_CIPHER_CTX_reset
| | <----+
+---------------------------+
| | |
+---------+ | +---------+
EVP_DecryptInit | | EVP_CipherInit |
EVP_EncryptInit
v v v
+---------------------------+ +---------------------------+
+---------------------------+
| | | | |
|
| initialised | | initialised | |
initialised |
| for decryption | | | |
for encryption |
+---------------------------+ +---------------------------+
+---------------------------+
| |
|
| EVP_DecryptUpdate | EVP_CipherUpdate
EVP_EncryptUpdate |
| v
|
| +---------------------------+
|
| |
|--------------------+ |
| | updated |
EVP_CipherUpdate | |
| | |
<------------------+ |
v +---------------------------+
v
+---------------------------+ |
+---------------------------+
| |---------------------+ | |
|
| updated | EVP_DecryptUpdate | | |
updated |------+
| for decryption | <-------------------+ | |
for encryption | |
+---------------------------+ |
+---------------------------+ |
| EVP_CipherFinal | |
^ |
+-------+ | +--------+
| |
EVP_DecryptFinal | | |
EVP_EncryptFinal +-------------------+
v v v
EVP_EncryptUpdate
+---------------------------+
|
|-----------------------------+
| finaled |
|
| |
<---------------------------+
+---------------------------+
EVP_CIPHER_CTX_get_params
|
(AEAD encryption)
| EVP_CIPHER_CTX_free
v
+---------------------------+
| |
| freed |
| |
+---------------------------+
Formal State Transitions
This section defines all of the legal state transitions. This is the
canonical list.
Function Call
---------------------------------------------- Current State
-----------------------------------------------
start newed initialised updated
finaled initialised updated initialised updated freed
decryption
decryption encryption encryption
EVP_CIPHER_CTX_new newed
EVP_CipherInit initialised initialised initialised
initialised initialised initialised initialised initialised
EVP_DecryptInit initialised initialised initialised
initialised initialised initialised initialised initialised
decryption decryption decryption
decryption decryption decryption decryption decryption
EVP_EncryptInit initialised initialised initialised
initialised initialised initialised initialised initialised
encryption encryption encryption
encryption encryption encryption encryption encryption
EVP_CipherUpdate updated updated
EVP_DecryptUpdate
updated updated
decryption
decryption
EVP_EncryptUpdate
updated updated
encryption
encryption
EVP_CipherFinal finaled
EVP_DecryptFinal
finaled
EVP_EncryptFinal
finaled
EVP_CIPHER_CTX_free freed freed freed freed
freed freed freed freed freed
EVP_CIPHER_CTX_reset newed newed newed
newed newed newed newed newed
EVP_CIPHER_CTX_get_params newed initialised updated
initialised updated initialised updated
decryption
decryption encryption encryption
EVP_CIPHER_CTX_set_params newed initialised updated
initialised updated initialised updated
decryption
decryption encryption encryption
EVP_CIPHER_CTX_gettable_params newed initialised updated
initialised updated initialised updated
decryption
decryption encryption encryption
EVP_CIPHER_CTX_settable_params newed initialised updated
initialised updated initialised updated
decryption
decryption encryption encryption
NOTES
At some point the EVP layer will begin enforcing the transitions
described herein.
SEE ALSO
provider-cipher(7), EVP_EncryptInit(3)
COPYRIGHT
Copyright 2021 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>.
3.0.13 2026-06-02 LIFE_CYCLE-CIPHER(7SSL)
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