XML Signature: How to calculate the digest value?

Question

I have an XML like this

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<foo>
  <bar>
    <value>A</value>
  </bar>
  <bar>
    <value>B</value>
  </bar>
  <baz>
    <value>C</value>
  </baz><Signature xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/09/xmldsig#"><SignedInfo><CanonicalizationMethod Algorithm="http://www.w3.org/TR/2001/REC-xml-c14n-20010315" /><SignatureMethod Algorithm="http://www.w3.org/2000/09/xmldsig#rsa-sha1" /><Reference URI=""><Transforms><Transform Algorithm="http://www.w3.org/2000/09/xmldsig#enveloped-signature" /><Transform Algorithm="http://www.w3.org/2001/10/xml-exc-c14n#" /></Transforms><DigestMethod Algorithm="http://www.w3.org/2000/09/xmldsig#sha1" /><DigestValue>WqpRWHxXA0YgH+p3Sxy6hRo1XIk=</DigestValue></Reference></SignedInfo><SignatureValue>EoRk/GhR4UA4D+8AzGPPkeim1dZrlSy88eF73n/T9Lpeq9IxoGRHNUA8FEwuDNJuz3IugC0n2RHQQpQajiYvhlY3XG+z742pgsdMfFE4Pddk4gF1T8CVS1rsF7bjX+FKT/c8B2/C8FNgmfkxDlB/ochtbRvuAGPQGtgJ3h/wjSg=</SignatureValue><KeyInfo><X509Data><X509Certificate>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</X509Certificate></X509Data></KeyInfo></Signature>
</foo>

How the digest value (WqpRWHxXA0YgH+p3Sxy6hRo1XIk=) in the reference is created? I mean how can I compute this value manually?

Answer 1

I came across this question when attempting to find out the exact same thing. I later worked out how to do it, so figured I'd post the answer here.

The things that need to happen are:

• canonicalization
• create digest value, typically SHA1 (but could be SHA256 amongst others)
• base64 encode it

The canonicalization part was fairly simple, as the Java libraries did that for me. What I struggled with was the next bit, the creating of the digest, because I made a fatal error in that the SHA1 digest I generated was the SHA1 in HEX form. SHA1 is 160 bits, so 20 bytes, but if you output these 160 bits in HEX, you get 40 characters. If you then base64 encode that, you get totally the wrong value compared to what should be in the DigestValue.

Instead, you should generate the SHA1 digest and base64 encode the 20 byte output. Don't try to output the 20 bytes to STDOUT as it's highly unlikely to be readable (which is why people often output the HEX equivalent, since it is readable). Instead, just base64 encode the 20 bytes and that's your DigestValue.