pkcs11-tools ☆

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Description:
Tools to manage objects on PKCS#11 crypotographic tokens

Type: Formula | Tracked Since: Dec 28, 2025

Links: Homepage | formulae.brew.sh

Category: Security

Tags: cryptography pkcs11 security hsm cli

Install: brew install pkcs11-tools

About:
Pkcs11Tools is a command-line suite designed for managing cryptographic objects on PKCS#11 compliant hardware tokens and HSMs. It provides essential functionality for key generation, certificate import/export, and object manipulation, filling a gap where standard OS utilities fall short. The tool aims to simplify secure key management workflows for developers and security engineers.

Key Features:

Key generation and certificate management
Support for multiple PKCS#11 providers (OpenSC, SoftHSM, etc.)
Batch processing and scripting capabilities
Object discovery and inspection

Use Cases:

Provisioning smart cards or HSMs with keys and certificates
Migrating cryptographic objects between different token vendors
Automating secure key management in CI/CD pipelines

Alternatives:

OpenSC tools – OpenSC provides lower-level utilities; pkcs11-tools offers a more user-friendly, high-level interface for common tasks.
openssl (pkcs11 engine) – OpenSSL is a general-purpose library; pkcs11-tools is a dedicated CLI for PKCS#11 object management.

Version History

Detected	Version	Rev	Change	Commit
Sep 13, 2025 11:06am		0	VERSION_BUMP	9c7cc51c
Sep 13, 2024 5:55am		0	VERSION_BUMP	8067e10d