Android 9 - KeyStore exception android.os.ServiceSpecificException

Question

If I run this code on Android 9, I receive the follow exception:

private static KeyStore.PrivateKeyEntry getPrivateKeyEntry(String alias) {
        try {
            


        

Answer 1

I found a solution how to remove the warning, would be great if you can test it all as well. Actually the order of calling the methods is the problem.

val privateKey = keyStore.getKey(alias, null)
val publicKey = if (privateKey != null) keyStore.getCertificate(alias).publicKey else null

if (privateKey != null && publicKey != null) {
    KeyPair(publicKey, privateKey as PrivateKey)
}

This is the correct ordering of how to call the methods.

When you do it like this:

val privateKey = keyStore.getKey(alias, null)
val certificate = keyStore.getCertificate(alias)

if (privateKey != null && certificate != null) {
    KeyPair(certificate.publicKey, privateKey as PrivateKey)
}

You will receive the following warning (because of keyStore.getCertificate(alias):

KeyStore exception
android.os.ServiceSpecificException:  (code 7)
    at android.os.Parcel.createException(Parcel.java:2085)
    at android.os.Parcel.readException(Parcel.java:2039)
    at android.os.Parcel.readException(Parcel.java:1987)
    at android.security.keystore.IKeystoreService$Stub$Proxy.get(IKeystoreService.java:978)
    at android.security.KeyStore.get(KeyStore.java:236)
    at android.security.KeyStore.get(KeyStore.java:225)
    at android.security.keystore.AndroidKeyStoreSpi.engineGetCertificate(AndroidKeyStoreSpi.java:160)
    at java.security.KeyStore.getCertificate(KeyStore.java:1120)

This means, that there is no private key and you should first create and store a keypair before you search for it in the key store.

Now with the answer of MatPag it should look like this:

if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.P) {
        val privateKey = keyStore.getKey(alias, null)
        val publicKey = if (privateKey != null) keyStore.getCertificate(alias).publicKey else null

        return if (privateKey != null && publicKey != null) {
            KeyPair(publicKey, privateKey as PrivateKey)
        } else {
            null
        }
} else {
        val asymmetricKey = keyStore.getEntry(alias, null) as KeyStore.PrivateKeyEntry
        val privateKey = asymmetricKey.privateKey
        val publicKey = if(privateKey != null) asymmetricKey.certificate.publicKey else null

        return if(privateKey != null && publicKey != null) {
            KeyPair(publicKey, privateKey as PrivateKey)
        } else {
            null
        }
}

Answer 2

Finally I found a solution. It looks like since Android P (KeyStore.PrivateKeyEntry) keyStore.getEntry("alias", null) is not a proper way to get private key.

I was able to get rid of this warning by accessing private/public key this way

KeyStore keyStore = KeyStore.getInstance("AndroidKeyStore");
keyStore.load(null);

PrivateKey privateKey = (PrivateKey) keyStore.getKey("alias", null);
PublicKey publicKey = keyStore.getCertificate("alias").getPublicKey();

Answer 3

I had the same problem retrieving an asymmetricKey from AndroidKeyStore

My solution based on Dr Glass answer to get keys is the following: (aliasKey is your alias string)

PublicKey:

val keyStore = KeyStore.getInstance("AndroidKeyStore")
keyStore.load(null)

val asymmetricPublicKey = if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.P) {
    keyStore.getCertificate(aliasKey).publicKey
} else {
    val asymmetricKey = keyStore.getEntry(aliasKey, null) as KeyStore.PrivateKeyEntry
    asymmetricKey.certificate.publicKey
}

PrivateKey:

val keyStore = KeyStore.getInstance("AndroidKeyStore")
keyStore.load(null)

val asymmetricPrivateKey = if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.P) {
    keyStore.getKey(aliasKey, null) as PrivateKey
} else {
    val asymmetricKey = keyStore.getEntry(aliasKey, null) as KeyStore.PrivateKeyEntry
    asymmetricKey.privateKey
}

and with this code I have no warning in the emulator and/or device with Android P