.NET Framework x509Certificate2 Class, HasPrivateKey == true && PrivateKey == null?

Question

I'm attempting to work with an X509 certificate that was originally imported into the CurrentUser keystore on a Windows 10 computer using the "Certificates" snap-in of an MMC. The same procedure has been tested on a Windows 8.1 computer with the same result.

Using the standard PowerShell PKI module, I'm getting an X509Certificate2 object using Get-Item:

$my_cert = Get-Item Cert:\CurrentUser\My\ADAA82188A17THUMBPRINTXXXXXXXXXXX

The output of $my_cert | fl * is as follows:

PSPath                   : Microsoft.PowerShell.Security\Certificate::CurrentUser\My\XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
PSParentPath             : Microsoft.PowerShell.Security\Certificate::CurrentUser\My
PSChildName              : XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
PSDrive                  : Cert
PSProvider               : Microsoft.PowerShell.Security\Certificate
PSIsContainer            : False
EnhancedKeyUsageList     : {Secure Email (1.3.6.1.5.5.7.3.4), IP security user (1.3.6.1.5.5.7.3.7), Encrypting File
                           System (1.3.6.1.4.1.311.10.3.4), Document Signing (1.3.6.1.4.1.311.10.3.12)...}
DnsNameList              : {My Name}
SendAsTrustedIssuer      : False
EnrollmentPolicyEndPoint : Microsoft.CertificateServices.Commands.EnrollmentEndPointProperty
EnrollmentServerEndPoint : Microsoft.CertificateServices.Commands.EnrollmentEndPointProperty
PolicyId                 : {D52C406F-C279-4BF2-B7C2-EE704290DB3E}
Archived                 : False
Extensions               : {System.Security.Cryptography.Oid, System.Security.Cryptography.Oid,
                           System.Security.Cryptography.Oid, System.Security.Cryptography.Oid...}
FriendlyName             :
IssuerName               : System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates.X500DistinguishedName
NotAfter                 : 4/15/2017 2:15:16 PM
NotBefore                : 4/15/2016 2:15:16 PM
HasPrivateKey            : True
PrivateKey               :
PublicKey                : System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates.PublicKey
RawData                  : {56, 130, 19, 252...}
SerialNumber             : 4F0000002F700000000000000000000000
SubjectName              : System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates.X500DistinguishedName
SignatureAlgorithm       : System.Security.Cryptography.Oid
Thumbprint               : XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Version                  : 3
Handle                   : 2241663016272
Issuer                   : CN=Issuing CA, DC=My, DC=Domain, DC=us
Subject                  : [email protected], CN=My Name

So HasPrivateKey == True, but PrivateKey == null. I've been trying to figure out how to gain access to the private key to perform encryption and decryption. The examples I've seen online all seem to indicate the PrivateKey property of the X509Certificate2 class should be readily available, but apparently I've missed something.

I've read similar questions here, such as Empty PrivateKey in x509certificate2, but none seem to resolve my issue. I've also read Eight tips for working with X.509 certificates in .NET by Paul Stovell, which was very enlightening, but ultimately didn't help. It did help me verify that the Private Key exists in the correct place and, as far as I can tell, with the correct permissions to be referenced by the x509Certificate2 class:

C:\Users\My.Name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\SystemCertificates\My\Keys

The name of the key file matches to the Subject Key Identifier on the certificate.

Edit:

The output of certutil -user -store my "Serial Number" is:

Serial Number: 4f000000xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Issuer: CN=Issuing CA, DC=My, DC=Domain, DC=us
 NotBefore: 4/15/2016 2:15 PM
 NotAfter: 4/15/2017 2:15 PM
Subject: [email protected], CN=My Name
Non-root Certificate
Template: Userv1, User v1
Cert Hash(sha1): ad ab 82 18 8a 17 4d 75 11 04 48 7c 43 43 d4 05 b9 74 c8 4c
  Key Container = te-Userv1-xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx
  Unique container name: fcbba1aa0xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx
  Provider = Microsoft Software Key Storage Provider
Encryption test passed
CertUtil: -store command completed successfully.

What "key" piece of information am I missing here? Why isn't the private key conveniently referenced from the X509Certificate2 object? How do I gain access to it?

Answer 1

This may indicate one of the following:

1) the private key is stored in the Key Storage Provider (rather than legacy crypto service provider) which is poorly supported by .NET and not supported by PrivateKey property of X509Certificate2 class at all. You can check this by running the following command:

certutil -user -store my "<CertSerialNumber>"

2) the private key is missing.

HasPrivateKey property doesn't necessary reflect the actual picture and may True for non-existent keys or False for existing keys. Run the certutil command above to make sure if the key is presented.

In the case if private key is presented, but the bindings are broken, you can try to restore bindings by running the following command:

certutil -user -repairstore my "<CertSerialNumber>"