OpenSSL - Neither PUB key nor PRIV key:: nested asn1 error

Question

I am trying to initialize OpenSSL::PKey::RSA using a public key, and it is not working.

Following is the key pair:

-----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----
MIIBOwIBAAJBALbkpbDFbZ54bM5ybwwdCqsUHjxWQF4B0Q1sAOBFEYdpxZJZ8dAz
ycPzIgSlPc8yqjeqwJQtvCpktrntALpX1ksCAwEAAQJAYT0XyvBs48BrOSgmWm5m
aab8nF/PQSv+FgDCRnryYue3WZOpUqITB0w6ivC68G/+Mf6IXyE4ljqw2iIAdjyv
YQIhAOE20o2bLPMtziEOdH0KGpN0gNYpe38jGyvGw7k5gZd9AiEAz+TWZRJpc9yX
5dew3xcBtIhaTPFmVLgmfU7FwIWW32cCIQCvKK9LmUO1gouN5CsvUNtokbTeW/cD
467vNjDlb1deFQIhAK55pZ1p2GrOpgTWArEYg+vZy79rkbBkZJkh9UFgXIDdAiBm
Rglcmt9cD2Vqg7xMr7cP3FJbSmJffSwYve1fazuZOw==
-----END RSA PRIVATE KEY-----

-----BEGIN PUBLIC KEY-----
MEoCAQACQLbkpbDFbZ54bM5ybwwdCqsUHjxWQF4B0Q1sAOBFEYdpxZJZ8dAzycPz
IgSlPc8yqjeqwJQtvCpktrntALpX1ksCAwEAAQ==
-----END PUBLIC KEY-----

OpenSSL::PKey::RSA.new(private_key) # WORKS!
OpenSSL::PKey::RSA.new(public_key) # FAILS!
OpenSSL::PKey::RSAError: Neither PUB key nor PRIV key:: nested asn1 error
    from (irb):16:in `initialize'
    from (irb):16:in `new'
    from (irb):16
    from /Users/dhracker/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p194/gems/railties-3.2.8/lib/rails/commands/console.rb:47:in `start'
    from /Users/dhracker/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p194/gems/railties-3.2.8/lib/rails/commands/console.rb:8:in `start'
    from /Users/dhracker/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p194/gems/railties-3.2.8/lib/rails/commands.rb:41:in `<top (required)>'
    from script/rails:6:in `require'
    from script/rails:6:in `<main>'

another_public_key = OpenSSL::PKey::RSA.new(512).public_key
-----BEGIN PUBLIC KEY-----
MFwwDQYJKoZIhvcNAQEBBQADSwAwSAJBAMS6XZD2NHTCwdgT+A2/PkStyJwYX/Qu
mfCyZc5TE5IZYaKsBg4uGcI97r8lxEv6rx5b0b6cIwQ7A7e6CUVph5MCAwEAAQ==
-----END PUBLIC KEY-----
OpenSSL::PKey::RSA.new(another_public_key) # WORKS!

What is wrong with public_key that causes things to fail?

Answer 1

Following this link http://skim.la/2012/01/16/rsa-public-key-interoperability-between-ruby-and-android/ I had more success this way.

require 'openssl'
require 'base64'

public_key = "MIIBCgKCAQEA20O377QEiZvPsj14LKl2xO23iirJB5WDTVjeab1cIOJu1vbV+Pdwl1Bov8m896ZG4K0S/qvfJcdHLovr2WJ+o2maK1XZCNy8lA" +
  "zIPzZrj/yDZAB2GSjR3in1lQRQPtWjIOdB8Cy2FGybEstIkpf8MD3XMWp5g8BtdOv43ekjBuTiGGLlPRG0+IiazjHlWjyl6DU9x9m2Jxks0H6YZud6zf4s9Q6" +
  "9vPUYgOZXWs7IghxqrVGE5mWxoRudsDFhLYP706+IrSxGOf5fE0/8fjtzj/eJayCLmkUWq/xsts5tBAbwsX5xKdk8iD0OU2qOEbVuiYmehEiJnvO2vyd+t76C" +
  "xwIDAQAB"

rsa_public_key = OpenSSL::PKey::RSA.new(Base64.decode64(public_key))