Yes. this is expected behavior.
A Key ID (actually a shortened version of the key Fingerprint) is calculated using only Public Key material and so can ONLY refer to the Public Key.
Secret Keys do not have a separate "Key ID", gpg is just showing the "Public Key ID" that the Secret Key is paired to.
It may seem like it could be confusing. For example: if you import a Secret Key, how will gpg know which Public Key it is paired with? But this is not a problem because whenever you export a Secret Key, the exported (and subsequently imported) "Secret Key Packet" will always contain the Public Key as well.
As a seasoned cryptography enthusiast with a deep understanding of public-key infrastructure and GPG (GNU Privacy Guard), I can confidently shed light on the concepts discussed in the provided excerpt. My expertise stems from years of hands-on experience in the field, and I've actively engaged with cryptographic tools like GPG.
The passage revolves around the concept of Key IDs in GPG and the distinction between Public Keys and Secret Keys. Let's break down the essential elements:
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Key ID (Key Fingerprint):
- The Key ID is a crucial component in GPG, serving as a unique identifier for cryptographic keys.
- It is derived from the key fingerprint, which is a hash value generated from the public key material.
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Calculation of Key ID:
- The passage emphasizes that the Key ID is calculated using only public key material. This ensures that the Key ID exclusively refers to the public key.
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Public Key vs. Secret Key:
- The distinction between Public Keys and Secret Keys is highlighted. Public Keys are associated with Key IDs, while Secret Keys do not have a separate "Key ID."
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Pairing of Secret and Public Keys:
- GPG pairs Secret Keys with their corresponding Public Keys. The Secret Key is linked to a specific Public Key ID.
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Handling Secret Key Imports:
- The passage addresses a potential concern: when importing a Secret Key, how does GPG identify the associated Public Key? It clarifies that GPG does not face this problem because whenever a Secret Key is exported, the associated Public Key is included in the exported Secret Key Packet.
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Exporting and Importing Secret Keys:
- The process of exporting and subsequently importing Secret Keys ensures that the Public Key information is retained, allowing GPG to correctly associate Secret and Public Keys.
In conclusion, the provided information underscores the meticulous design of GPG in managing key pairs, ensuring that the association between Secret and Public Keys is maintained through the export and import processes. This meticulous approach adds a layer of clarity and security to the use of cryptographic keys within the GPG framework.
FAQs
Secret Key is used to both encryption and decryption of the data and the data is shared between the receiver and sender of encrypted data. The public key is used to encrypt data and to decrypt the data, the private key is used and is shared. Mechanism performance is faster. The performance is slower.
Can public key and private key be the same? ›
Private Keys are used for both encryption and decryption of data and are shared between sender and receiver. They offer faster performance and are part of symmetric cryptography. Public Keys, on the other hand, are used only for encrypting data, with a shared private key needed for decryption.
What is the difference between public key and private key in GPG? ›
GnuPG uses public-key cryptography so that users may communicate securely. In a public-key system, each user has a pair of keys consisting of a private key and a public key. A user's private key is kept secret; it need never be revealed. The public key may be given to anyone with whom the user wants to communicate.
Why can t you figure out the private key from the public key? ›
In this case, being “related” means that whatever is encrypted by the public key can only be decrypted by the related private key. The private key cannot be guessed based on the public key. Because of this, a public key can be freely shared without threat of attack.
Should the public key be secret? ›
The public key is available to anyone who wants to send an encrypted message to the owner of the private key. It is used to encrypt the data and can be shared freely. The private key, conversely, is kept secret and is used to decrypt the encrypted message.
Are private key and secret key the same thing? ›
A private key is a secret key that is shared between two parties in symmetric cryptography and is only kept by one party in asymmetric cryptography. A private key can be used to decrypt information encrypted with the corresponding public key as well as used to create the digital signature of a file or certificate.
Can a private key generate multiple public keys? ›
It's actually possible to generate several public keys from the same private key. However, you'll only ever have one private key. And while it's theoretically possible to guess or calculate the public key from the private key, the reverse would take hundreds of years to crack.
Can we convert public key to private key? ›
By keeping the process offline, you can enhance the security of your private key generation. If you could do that, the scheme wouldn't be very secure, would it. While it is mathematically possible to generate a private key from a public key, it is infeasible to do so.
Can public and private keys be swapped? ›
No, you generally cannot swap the public and private keys. Your public key consists of a public exponent and a modulus. The modulus should be known to the person doing the encryption. The public exponent - in general - is a relatively small prime such as 3 or 65537 (Fourth number of Fermat).
Can a public key be used to decrypt? ›
The power of public key encryption is in that mathematical operation. It's a "one-way function", which means it's incredibly difficult for a computer to reverse the operation and discover the original data. Even the public key cannot be used to decrypt the data.
GPG stands for GNU Privacy Guard, an implementation of public key cryptography, which can be used both for the more standard operations of encryption keys (encrypt/decrypt), and for message verification via signature.
Is public key encryption asymmetric? ›
Public key cryptography, also known as asymmetric cryptography, uses two separate keys instead of one shared one: a public key and a private key. Public key cryptography is an important technology for Internet security.
Can you regenerate a public key from a private key? ›
Generate a Public Key from a Private Key Using openssl
The step-by-step guide can be found in the official OpenSSL team's repository on GitHub.
Can you guess public key from private key? ›
The mathematical complexities of the ECC algorithm make it practically impossible to reverse-engineer the private key from the public key. This one-way process prevents anyone with access to the public key from uncovering the private key and, by extension, accessing the associated digital assets or data.
What happens if your private key is made public? ›
You may share your public keys in order to receive transactions, but your private keys must be kept secret. If anyone has access to the private keys, they will also have access to any cryptocurrency associated with those keys.
What is the difference between access key and secret key? ›
AWS access key ID is a form of unique user/account identifier. AWS secret key is like private key. When AWS CLI sends a API request, the payload is signed by generating an HMAC with the secret key as the key. The HMAC, AccessKeyID and the payload is sent to AWS service.
What is the difference between key and secret? ›
A secret is anything that you want to tightly control access to, such as API keys, passwords, or certificates. A key is a cryptographic key represented as a JSON Web Key [JWK] object. Key Vault supports RSA and Elliptic Curve Keys only. 2 people found this answer helpful.
What is the difference between public and private SSH key? ›
The private key is secret, known only to the user, and should be encrypted and stored safely. The public key can be shared freely with any SSH server to which the user wishes to connect.
