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feat(M39): IIS target connector + README overhaul

Browse Source 
Implement full IIS target connector with PEM-to-PFX conversion via
go-pkcs12, PowerShell-based deployment (Import-PfxCertificate, IIS
binding management), SHA-1 thumbprint computation, and SNI support.
Injectable PowerShellExecutor interface enables cross-platform testing.
Regex-validated config fields prevent PowerShell injection. 28 tests.

Restructure README from 563 to 313 lines: outcome-focused feature
descriptions, "Who Is This For" persona section, examples promoted
above the fold, configuration/API/security reference moved to docs.
All numbers verified against repo (25 GUI pages, 97 OpenAPI ops,
CI thresholds service 55%/handler 60%/domain 40%/middleware 30%).

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
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shankar0123
2026-04-02 20:27:27 -04:00
parent adfb682754
commit 8b52da6aef
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README.md
+87 -335
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@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
TLS certificate lifespans are shrinking fast. The CA/Browser Forum passed [Ballot SC-081v3](https://cabforum.org/2025/04/11/ballot-sc081v3-introduce-schedule-of-reducing-validity-and-data-reuse-periods/) unanimously in April 2025, setting a phased reduction: **200 days** by March 2026, **100 days** by March 2027, and **47 days** by March 2029. Organizations managing dozens or hundreds of certificates can no longer rely on spreadsheets, calendar reminders, or manual renewal workflows. The math doesn't work — at 47-day lifespans, a team managing 100 certificates is processing 7+ renewals per week, every week, forever.
certctl is a self-hosted platform that automates the entire certificate lifecycle — from issuance through renewal to deployment — with zero human intervention. It works with any certificate authority, deploys to any server, and keeps private keys on your infrastructure where they belong.
certctl is a self-hosted platform that automates the entire certificate lifecycle — from issuance through renewal to deployment — with zero human intervention. It works with any certificate authority, deploys to any server, and keeps private keys on your infrastructure where they belong. It's free, self-hosted, and covers the same lifecycle that enterprise platforms charge $100K+/year for.
```mermaid
gantt
@@ -36,53 +36,41 @@ gantt
47 days :crit, 2020-01-01, 47d
```
## Documentation
| Guide | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| [Why certctl?](docs/why-certctl.md) | Competitive positioning — how certctl compares to open-source and enterprise certificate management platforms |
| [Concepts](docs/concepts.md) | TLS certificates explained from scratch — for beginners who know nothing about certs |
| [Quick Start](docs/quickstart.md) | Get running in 5 minutes — dashboard, API, CLI, discovery, stakeholder demo flow |
| [Advanced Demo](docs/demo-advanced.md) | Issue a certificate end-to-end with technical deep-dives |
| [Architecture](docs/architecture.md) | System design, data flow diagrams, security model |
| [Feature Inventory](docs/features.md) | Complete reference of all V2 capabilities, API endpoints, and configuration |
| [Connectors](docs/connectors.md) | Build custom issuer, target, and notifier connectors |
| [Compliance Mapping](docs/compliance.md) | SOC 2 Type II, PCI-DSS 4.0, NIST SP 800-57 alignment guides |
| [Migrate from Certbot](docs/migrate-from-certbot.md) | Step-by-step migration from Certbot/Let's Encrypt cron jobs |
| [Migrate from acme.sh](docs/migrate-from-acmesh.md) | Migration guide for acme.sh users with DNS-01 scripts |
| [certctl for cert-manager Users](docs/certctl-for-cert-manager-users.md) | Using certctl alongside cert-manager for non-Kubernetes infrastructure |
> **Next release:** v2.1.0 will be tagged after the full V2 feature suite passes manual QA across all 34 sections of the [testing guide](docs/testing-guide.md). Automated CI (1,300+ Go tests + 211 frontend tests) gates every commit; the manual playbook covers integration, deployment, and UX verification that unit tests can't reach.
> **Actively maintained — shipping weekly.** Found something? [Open a GitHub issue](https://github.com/shankar0123/certctl/issues) — issues get triaged same-day. CI runs 1,500+ tests with race detection, static analysis, and vulnerability scanning on every commit.
## Why certctl Exists
Certificate lifecycle tooling today falls into two camps: expensive enterprise platforms (Venafi, Keyfactor, Sectigo) that cost six figures and take months to deploy, or single-purpose tools (cert-manager, certbot) that handle one slice of the problem. If you run a mixed infrastructure — some NGINX, some Apache, a few HAProxy nodes, maybe an F5 — and you need to manage certificates from multiple CAs, there's nothing self-hosted that covers the full lifecycle without vendor lock-in.
Certificate lifecycle tooling today falls into two camps: expensive enterprise platforms (Venafi, Keyfactor, Sectigo) that cost six figures and take months to deploy, or single-purpose tools (cert-manager, certbot) that handle one slice of the problem. If you run a mixed infrastructure — some NGINX, some Apache, a few HAProxy nodes, IIS on Windows, maybe an F5 — and you need to manage certificates from multiple CAs, there's nothing self-hosted that covers the full lifecycle without vendor lock-in.
certctl fills that gap. It's **CA-agnostic** — the issuer connector interface means you can plug in any certificate authority: a self-signed local CA for dev, Let's Encrypt via ACME for public certs, Smallstep step-ca for your private PKI, your enterprise ADCS via sub-CA mode, or any custom CA through a shell script adapter. You're never locked to a single CA vendor, and you can run multiple issuers simultaneously for different certificate types.
certctl fills that gap. It's **CA-agnostic** — plug in any certificate authority: Let's Encrypt via ACME, Smallstep step-ca, HashiCorp Vault PKI, DigiCert CertCentral, your enterprise ADCS via sub-CA mode, or any custom CA through a shell script adapter. Run multiple issuers simultaneously for different certificate types.
It's also **target-agnostic**. Agents deploy certificates to NGINX, Apache, HAProxy, Traefik, and Caddy — all using the same pluggable connector model for any server that accepts cert files. The control plane never initiates outbound connections — agents poll for work, which means certctl works behind firewalls, across network zones, and in air-gapped environments.
It's **target-agnostic**. Agents deploy certificates to NGINX, Apache, HAProxy, Traefik, Caddy, and IIS — all using the same pluggable connector model. The control plane never initiates outbound connections — agents poll for work, which means certctl works behind firewalls, across network zones, and in air-gapped environments.
For a detailed comparison with CertKit, KeyTalk, and enterprise platforms (Venafi, Keyfactor), see [Why certctl?](docs/why-certctl.md)
For a detailed comparison with CertKit, KeyTalk, and enterprise platforms, see [Why certctl?](docs/why-certctl.md)
## Who Is This For
**Platform engineering and DevOps teams** managing 10–500+ certificates across mixed infrastructure who need automated renewal, deployment, and a single dashboard for visibility. If you're currently running certbot cron jobs, manually renewing certs, or stitching together scripts — certctl replaces all of that.
**Security and compliance teams** who need an immutable audit trail, certificate ownership tracking, policy enforcement, and evidence for SOC 2, PCI-DSS 4.0, or NIST SP 800-57 audits.
**Small teams without enterprise budgets** who need the lifecycle automation that Venafi and Keyfactor provide but can't justify six-figure licensing for a 50-server environment.
## What It Does
certctl gives you a single pane of glass for every TLS certificate in your organization:
- **Certificates renew and deploy themselves.** The scheduler monitors expiration, creates renewal jobs, issues certificates through your CA, and deploys them to target servers — all without human intervention. ACME ARI (RFC 9702) lets your CA tell certctl exactly when to renew.
- **Web dashboard** — 24 operational pages: certificate inventory, deployment timeline with TLS verification, bulk operations (renew/revoke/reassign), discovery triage, network scan management, approval workflows, audit trail with CSV/JSON export, agent fleet overview with OS/arch grouping, short-lived credential monitoring, digest email preview
- **REST API** — 97 endpoints under `/api/v1/` + `/.well-known/est/` for complete automation, with sparse fields, sort, cursor pagination, and time-range filters
- **Agents** — generate private keys locally (ECDSA P-256), discover existing certs on disk (PEM/DER), submit CSRs only (private keys never leave your servers)
- **Network scanner** — discovers certificates on TLS endpoints across CIDR ranges without requiring agents, concurrent scanning with configurable timeouts
- **Certificate export** — PEM (JSON or file download) and PKCS#12 formats, with audit trail; private keys never included
- **S/MIME + EKU support** — issue certificates with emailProtection, codeSigning, timeStamping, clientAuth EKUs; email SAN routing for S/MIME
- **EST server** (RFC 7030) — device and WiFi certificate enrollment via industry-standard protocol
- **Post-deployment verification** — agent-side TLS probe confirms the target serves the correct certificate by SHA-256 fingerprint match
- **Approval workflows** — require human sign-off on renewals before deployment
- **Background scheduler** — 7 automated loops: renewal checks, job processing, agent health, notifications, short-lived cert expiry, network scanning, and scheduled certificate digest emails
- **ACME Renewal Information (ARI, RFC 9702)** — CA-directed renewal timing; certctl asks the CA when to renew instead of using fixed thresholds
- **Scheduled certificate digest emails** — HTML digest with certificate stats, expiration timeline, and job health; optional daily briefing via SMTP
- **Helm chart** — Production-ready Kubernetes deployment with server, PostgreSQL, and agent DaemonSet
- **You see everything in one place.** A 25-page operational dashboard shows every certificate across every server: status, ownership, expiration timeline, deployment history with TLS verification, discovery triage, and real-time agent fleet health. Bulk operations (renew, revoke, reassign) work across selections.
For the full capability breakdown — revocation infrastructure, policy engine, observability, EST enrollment, and more — see the [Feature Inventory](docs/features.md).
- **Private keys never leave your servers.** Agents generate ECDSA P-256 keys locally and submit only the CSR. The control plane never touches private keys. Post-deployment TLS verification confirms the right certificate is actually being served.
- **Discover what you don't know about.** Agents scan filesystems for existing PEM/DER certificates. The network scanner probes TLS endpoints across CIDR ranges without requiring agents. Both feed into a triage workflow where you claim, dismiss, or import discovered certificates.
- **Everything is auditable.** Immutable append-only audit trail records every lifecycle action, every API call, and every approval decision. Certificate digest emails deliver daily briefings. Prometheus metrics endpoint for Grafana dashboards.
- **Multiple interfaces for different workflows.** REST API (97 endpoints) for automation, CLI for scripting, MCP server for AI assistants (Claude, Cursor, Windsurf), EST server (RFC 7030) for device enrollment, Helm chart for Kubernetes, and the web dashboard for day-to-day operations.
For the full capability breakdown — revocation infrastructure (CRL + OCSP), policy engine, certificate profiles, S/MIME support, approval workflows, and more — see the [Feature Inventory](docs/features.md).
## Supported Integrations
@@ -109,8 +97,8 @@ For the full capability breakdown — revocation infrastructure, policy engine,
| HAProxy | Implemented | `HAProxy` |
| Traefik | Implemented | `Traefik` |
| Caddy | Implemented | `Caddy` |
| Microsoft IIS | Implemented | `IIS` |
| F5 BIG-IP | Interface only | `F5` |
| Microsoft IIS | Interface only | `IIS` |
### Notifiers
| Notifier | Status | Type |
@@ -143,7 +131,7 @@ All connectors are pluggable — build your own by implementing the [connector i
<td><a href="docs/screenshots/v2-issuers.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/v2-issuers.png" width="270" alt="Issuers"></a><br><b>Issuers</b><br><sub>Local CA, ACME, step-ca, Vault PKI, DigiCert</sub></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><a href="docs/screenshots/v2-targets.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/v2-targets.png" width="270" alt="Targets"></a><br><b>Targets</b><br><sub>NGINX, Apache, HAProxy, Traefik, Caddy deployment</sub></td>
<td><a href="docs/screenshots/v2-targets.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/v2-targets.png" width="270" alt="Targets"></a><br><b>Targets</b><br><sub>NGINX, Apache, HAProxy, Traefik, Caddy, IIS deployment</sub></td>
<td><a href="docs/screenshots/v2-owners.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/v2-owners.png" width="270" alt="Owners"></a><br><b>Owners</b><br><sub>Cert ownership with team assignment</sub></td>
<td><a href="docs/screenshots/v2-teams.png"><img src="docs/screenshots/v2-teams.png" width="270" alt="Teams"></a><br><b>Teams</b><br><sub>Org grouping for notification routing</sub></td>
</tr>
@@ -154,17 +142,8 @@ All connectors are pluggable — build your own by implementing the [connector i
</tr>
</table>
> **24 operational GUI pages** covering the full certificate lifecycle: dashboard, certificates (list + detail with EKU badges, deployment timeline, TLS verification status), agents, fleet overview, jobs (list + detail with approval workflow), notifications, policies, profiles, issuers (catalog + detail), targets (list + detail + wizard), owners, teams, agent groups, audit trail, short-lived credentials, discovery triage, network scan management, digest email preview, and observability metrics.
## Quick Start
### Docker Pull
```bash
docker pull shankar0123.docker.scarf.sh/certctl-server
docker pull shankar0123.docker.scarf.sh/certctl-agent
```
### Docker Compose (Recommended)
```bash
@@ -177,7 +156,6 @@ Wait ~30 seconds, then open **http://localhost:8443** in your browser.
The dashboard comes pre-loaded with 32 demo certificates across 7 issuers, 8 agents, 180 days of job history, discovery scan data, and network scan targets — a realistic snapshot of a certificate inventory that looks like it's been running for months.
Verify the API:
```bash
curl http://localhost:8443/health
# {"status":"healthy"}
@@ -194,29 +172,27 @@ curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/shankar0123/certctl/master/install-a
Detects your OS and architecture, downloads the binary, configures systemd (Linux) or launchd (macOS), and starts the agent. See [install-agent.sh](install-agent.sh) for details.
### Manual Build
### Docker Pull
```bash
# Prerequisites: Go 1.25+, PostgreSQL 16+, Docker (for testcontainers-go)
go mod download
make build
# Set up database
export CERTCTL_DATABASE_URL="postgres://certctl:certctl@localhost:5432/certctl?sslmode=disable"
export CERTCTL_AUTH_TYPE=none
make migrate-up
# Start server
./bin/server
# Start agent (separate terminal)
export CERTCTL_SERVER_URL=http://localhost:8443
export CERTCTL_API_KEY=change-me-in-production
export CERTCTL_AGENT_NAME=local-agent
export CERTCTL_AGENT_ID=agent-local-01
./bin/agent --agent-id=agent-local-01
docker pull shankar0123.docker.scarf.sh/certctl-server
docker pull shankar0123.docker.scarf.sh/certctl-agent
```
## Examples
Pick the scenario closest to your setup and have it running in 2 minutes.
| Example | Scenario |
|---------|----------|
| [`examples/acme-nginx/`](examples/acme-nginx/) | Let's Encrypt + NGINX, HTTP-01 challenges |
| [`examples/acme-wildcard-dns01/`](examples/acme-wildcard-dns01/) | Wildcard certs via DNS-01 (Cloudflare hook included) |
| [`examples/private-ca-traefik/`](examples/private-ca-traefik/) | Local CA (self-signed or sub-CA) + Traefik file provider |
| [`examples/step-ca-haproxy/`](examples/step-ca-haproxy/) | Smallstep step-ca + HAProxy combined PEM |
| [`examples/multi-issuer/`](examples/multi-issuer/) | ACME for public + Local CA for internal, one dashboard |
Each directory contains a `docker-compose.yml` and a `README.md` explaining the scenario, prerequisites, and customization.
## Architecture
**Control plane** (Go 1.25 net/http) → **PostgreSQL 16** (21 tables, TEXT primary keys) → **Agents** (key generation, CSR submission, cert deployment). Background scheduler runs 7 loops: renewal checks (1h), job processing (30s), agent health (2m), notifications (1m), short-lived cert expiry (30s), network scanning (6h), certificate digest (24h). See [Architecture Guide](docs/architecture.md) for full system diagrams and data flow.
@@ -228,206 +204,23 @@ export CERTCTL_AGENT_ID=agent-local-01
- **Handler → Service → Repository layering.** Handlers define their own service interfaces for clean dependency inversion. No global service singletons.
- **Idempotent migrations.** All schema uses `IF NOT EXISTS` and seed data uses `ON CONFLICT (id) DO NOTHING`, safe for repeated execution.
PostgreSQL 16 with 21 tables covering certificates, versions, policies, issuers, targets, agents, jobs, teams, owners, profiles, agent groups, revocations, discovery, network scans, and audit events. See the [Architecture Guide](docs/architecture.md) for the full schema.
## Documentation
## Configuration
All environment variables use the `CERTCTL_` prefix. Full reference below (39 variables across server, agent, and connector config).
### Server — Core
| Variable | Default | Description |
|----------|---------|-------------|
| `CERTCTL_SERVER_HOST` | `127.0.0.1` | Server bind address |
| `CERTCTL_SERVER_PORT` | `8080` | Server listen port (1–65535) |
| `CERTCTL_DATABASE_URL` | `postgres://localhost/certctl` | PostgreSQL connection string (required) |
| `CERTCTL_DATABASE_MAX_CONNS` | `25` | PostgreSQL connection pool size (min 1) |
| `CERTCTL_DATABASE_MIGRATIONS_PATH` | `./migrations` | Path to migration SQL files |
| `CERTCTL_MAX_BODY_SIZE` | `1048576` | Max HTTP request body in bytes (default 1MB) |
| `CERTCTL_LOG_LEVEL` | `info` | Log verbosity: `debug`, `info`, `warn`, `error` |
| `CERTCTL_LOG_FORMAT` | `json` | Log format: `json` (structured) or `text` (human-readable) |
### Server — Auth, CORS, Rate Limiting
| Variable | Default | Description |
|----------|---------|-------------|
| `CERTCTL_AUTH_TYPE` | `api-key` | Auth mode: `api-key`, `jwt`, or `none` (demo only) |
| `CERTCTL_AUTH_SECRET` | — | Required for `api-key` and `jwt` auth types |
| `CERTCTL_CORS_ORIGINS` | *(empty = deny all)* | Comma-separated allowed origins, or `*` for dev |
| `CERTCTL_RATE_LIMIT_ENABLED` | `true` | Enable token bucket rate limiting |
| `CERTCTL_RATE_LIMIT_RPS` | `50` | Requests per second per client |
| `CERTCTL_RATE_LIMIT_BURST` | `100` | Max burst size |
| `CERTCTL_KEYGEN_MODE` | `agent` | Key generation: `agent` (production) or `server` (demo only) |
### Server — Scheduler
| Variable | Default | Description |
|----------|---------|-------------|
| `CERTCTL_SCHEDULER_RENEWAL_CHECK_INTERVAL` | `1h` | How often to check expiring certs (min 1m) |
| `CERTCTL_SCHEDULER_JOB_PROCESSOR_INTERVAL` | `30s` | How often to process pending jobs (min 1s) |
| `CERTCTL_SCHEDULER_AGENT_HEALTH_CHECK_INTERVAL` | `2m` | Agent heartbeat check frequency (min 1s) |
| `CERTCTL_SCHEDULER_NOTIFICATION_PROCESS_INTERVAL` | `1m` | Notification send frequency (min 1s) |
### Server — Sub-CA Mode
| Variable | Default | Description |
|----------|---------|-------------|
| `CERTCTL_CA_CERT_PATH` | — | PEM-encoded CA certificate for sub-CA mode |
| `CERTCTL_CA_KEY_PATH` | — | PEM-encoded CA private key (RSA, ECDSA, PKCS#8) |
### Server — Feature Flags
| Variable | Default | Description |
|----------|---------|-------------|
| `CERTCTL_EST_ENABLED` | `false` | Enable RFC 7030 EST enrollment endpoints |
| `CERTCTL_EST_ISSUER_ID` | `iss-local` | Which issuer processes EST enrollments |
| `CERTCTL_EST_PROFILE_ID` | — | Constrain EST to a specific certificate profile |
| `CERTCTL_NETWORK_SCAN_ENABLED` | `false` | Enable server-side TLS network scanning |
| `CERTCTL_NETWORK_SCAN_INTERVAL` | `6h` | How often scheduled scans run |
| `CERTCTL_VERIFY_DEPLOYMENT` | `true` | TLS verification after certificate deployment |
| `CERTCTL_VERIFY_TIMEOUT` | `10s` | TLS probe timeout |
| `CERTCTL_VERIFY_DELAY` | `2s` | Delay before verification probe |
### Server — Notification Connectors
| Variable | Default | Description |
|----------|---------|-------------|
| `CERTCTL_SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL` | — | Slack incoming webhook URL (enables Slack) |
| `CERTCTL_SLACK_CHANNEL` | — | Override default webhook channel |
| `CERTCTL_SLACK_USERNAME` | `certctl` | Bot display name |
| `CERTCTL_TEAMS_WEBHOOK_URL` | — | Microsoft Teams webhook URL (enables Teams) |
| `CERTCTL_PAGERDUTY_ROUTING_KEY` | — | PagerDuty Events API v2 key (enables PagerDuty) |
| `CERTCTL_PAGERDUTY_SEVERITY` | `warning` | Event severity: `info`, `warning`, `error`, `critical` |
| `CERTCTL_OPSGENIE_API_KEY` | — | OpsGenie Alert API key (enables OpsGenie) |
| `CERTCTL_OPSGENIE_PRIORITY` | `P3` | Alert priority: `P1`–`P5` |
### Agent
| Variable | Default | Description |
|----------|---------|-------------|
| `CERTCTL_SERVER_URL` | `http://localhost:8080` | Control plane URL |
| `CERTCTL_API_KEY` | — | Agent API key for authentication |
| `CERTCTL_AGENT_ID` | — | Registered agent ID (required) |
| `CERTCTL_KEY_DIR` | `/var/lib/certctl/keys` | Private key storage directory (0600 perms) |
| `CERTCTL_DISCOVERY_DIRS` | — | Directories to scan for existing certs (comma-separated) |
Docker Compose overrides for the demo stack are in `deploy/docker-compose.yml`.
## Development
```bash
# Install dev tools (golangci-lint, migrate CLI, air)
make install-tools
# Run tests
make test
# Run tests with race detection (same as CI)
go test -race ./internal/service/... ./internal/api/handler/... ./internal/api/middleware/... ./internal/scheduler/... ./internal/connector/... ./internal/domain/... ./internal/validation/...
# Run with coverage
make test-coverage
# Lint (runs golangci-lint with project config)
make lint
# Vulnerability scan
govulncheck ./...
# Format
make fmt
```
### CI Pipeline
Every push and PR runs: `go vet`, `go test -race` (race detection), `golangci-lint` (11 linters including gosec and bodyclose), `govulncheck` (dependency CVE scanning), and per-layer coverage thresholds (service 60%, handler 60%, domain 40%, middleware 50%). Frontend CI runs TypeScript type checking, Vitest tests, and Vite production build. See `.github/workflows/ci.yml` for details.
### Docker Compose
```bash
make docker-up # Start stack (server + postgres + agent)
make docker-down # Stop stack
make docker-logs-server # Server logs
make docker-logs-agent # Agent logs
make docker-clean # Stop + remove volumes
```
## Security
### Private Key Management
- **Agent keygen mode (default)**: Agents generate ECDSA P-256 keys locally and store them with 0600 permissions in `CERTCTL_KEY_DIR` (default `/var/lib/certctl/keys`). Only the CSR (public key) is sent to the control plane. Private keys never leave agent infrastructure.
- **Server keygen mode (demo only)**: Set `CERTCTL_KEYGEN_MODE=server` for development/demo with Local CA. The control plane generates RSA-2048 keys server-side. A log warning is emitted at startup.
### Authentication
- Agent-to-server: API key (registered at agent creation)
- API key and JWT auth types supported; `none` for demo/development
- Auth type and secret configured via `CERTCTL_AUTH_TYPE` and `CERTCTL_AUTH_SECRET`
### CORS
- **Deny-by-default**: Empty `CERTCTL_CORS_ORIGINS` blocks all cross-origin requests. Operators must explicitly list allowed origins (comma-separated) or set `*` for development.
### Input Validation
- Shell command injection prevention on all connector scripts (strict character whitelist, no metacharacters)
- RFC 1123 domain name validation, base64url ACME token validation
- SSRF protection in network scanner (loopback, link-local, multicast, broadcast ranges filtered)
### Concurrency Safety
- Scheduler loops protected by `sync/atomic.Bool` idempotency guards — duplicate ticks are skipped
- Graceful shutdown waits up to 30 seconds for in-flight work before database close
### Audit Trail
- Immutable append-only log in PostgreSQL (`audit_events` table)
- Every lifecycle action attributed to an actor with timestamp and resource reference
- No update or delete operations on audit records
- Every API call recorded to audit trail with method, path, actor, SHA-256 body hash, response status, and latency
## API Overview
97 endpoints under `/api/v1/` + `/.well-known/est/`, all returning JSON. List endpoints support pagination, sparse field selection (`?fields=`), sort (`?sort=-notAfter`), time-range filters, and cursor-based pagination. Full request/response schemas in the [OpenAPI 3.1 spec](api/openapi.yaml).
### Key Endpoints
```
# Certificate lifecycle
GET /api/v1/certificates List (filter, sort, cursor, sparse fields)
POST /api/v1/certificates/{id}/renew Trigger renewal → 202 Accepted
POST /api/v1/certificates/{id}/revoke Revoke with RFC 5280 reason code
GET /api/v1/certificates/{id}/export/pem Export PEM (JSON or file download)
POST /api/v1/certificates/{id}/export/pkcs12 Export PKCS#12 bundle (no private key)
GET /api/v1/crl/{issuer_id} DER-encoded X.509 CRL
GET /api/v1/ocsp/{issuer_id}/{serial} OCSP responder (good/revoked/unknown)
# Agent operations
POST /api/v1/agents/{id}/csr Submit CSR for issuance
GET /api/v1/agents/{id}/work Poll for pending deployment jobs
POST /api/v1/agents/{id}/discoveries Submit certificate discovery scan results
# Discovery & network scanning
GET /api/v1/discovered-certificates List discovered certs (?agent_id, ?status)
POST /api/v1/discovered-certificates/{id}/claim Link to managed cert
POST /api/v1/network-scan-targets/{id}/scan Trigger immediate TLS scan
# Jobs & approval
POST /api/v1/jobs/{id}/approve Approve interactive renewal
POST /api/v1/jobs/{id}/reject Reject interactive renewal
# Post-deployment verification
POST /api/v1/jobs/{id}/verify Submit TLS verification result
GET /api/v1/jobs/{id}/verification Get verification status
# Observability
GET /api/v1/metrics/prometheus Prometheus exposition format
GET /api/v1/stats/summary Dashboard summary
# Digest emails (scheduled briefing)
GET /api/v1/digest/preview HTML email preview
POST /api/v1/digest/send Send digest immediately
# EST enrollment (RFC 7030)
POST /.well-known/est/simpleenroll Device certificate enrollment
GET /.well-known/est/cacerts CA certificate chain (PKCS#7)
```
Full CRUD is available for certificates, agents, issuers, targets, teams, owners, policies, profiles, agent groups, notifications, and audit events. See the [OpenAPI spec](api/openapi.yaml) or [Feature Inventory](docs/features.md) for the complete endpoint reference.
| Guide | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| [Why certctl?](docs/why-certctl.md) | How certctl compares to open-source and enterprise certificate management platforms |
| [Concepts](docs/concepts.md) | TLS certificates explained from scratch — for beginners who know nothing about certs |
| [Quick Start](docs/quickstart.md) | Extended quickstart — dashboard, API, CLI, discovery, stakeholder demo flow |
| [Advanced Demo](docs/demo-advanced.md) | Issue a certificate end-to-end with technical deep-dives |
| [Architecture](docs/architecture.md) | System design, data flow diagrams, security model |
| [Feature Inventory](docs/features.md) | Complete reference of all V2 capabilities, API endpoints, and configuration |
| [Configuration Reference](docs/features.md) | All 39 environment variables across server, agent, and connector config |
| [Connectors](docs/connectors.md) | Build custom issuer, target, and notifier connectors |
| [Compliance Mapping](docs/compliance.md) | SOC 2 Type II, PCI-DSS 4.0, NIST SP 800-57 alignment guides |
| [Migrate from Certbot](docs/migrate-from-certbot.md) | Step-by-step migration from Certbot/Let's Encrypt cron jobs |
| [Migrate from acme.sh](docs/migrate-from-acmesh.md) | Migration guide for acme.sh users with DNS-01 scripts |
| [certctl for cert-manager Users](docs/certctl-for-cert-manager-users.md) | Using certctl alongside cert-manager for non-Kubernetes infrastructure |
| [OpenAPI 3.1 Spec](api/openapi.yaml) | 97 operations, full request/response schemas |
## CLI
@@ -439,38 +232,26 @@ go install github.com/shankar0123/certctl/cmd/cli@latest
export CERTCTL_SERVER_URL=http://localhost:8443
export CERTCTL_API_KEY=your-api-key
# Certificate commands
# Usage
certctl-cli certs list # List all certificates
certctl-cli certs get mc-api-prod # Get certificate details
certctl-cli certs renew mc-api-prod # Trigger renewal
certctl-cli certs revoke mc-api-prod --reason keyCompromise
# Agent and job commands
certctl-cli agents list # List registered agents
certctl-cli jobs list # List jobs
certctl-cli jobs cancel job-123 # Cancel a pending job
# Operations
certctl-cli status # Server health + summary stats
certctl-cli import certs.pem # Bulk import from PEM file
# Output formats
certctl-cli certs list --format json # JSON output (default: table)
```
## MCP Server (AI Integration)
certctl ships a standalone MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that exposes all 80 API endpoints as tools for AI assistants — Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, OpenClaw, VS Code Copilot, and any MCP-compatible client.
certctl ships a standalone MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that exposes all API endpoints as tools for AI assistants — Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, OpenClaw, VS Code Copilot, and any MCP-compatible client.
```bash
# Install
# Install and run
go install github.com/shankar0123/certctl/cmd/mcp-server@latest
# Configure
export CERTCTL_SERVER_URL=http://localhost:8443
export CERTCTL_API_KEY=your-api-key
# Run (stdio transport — add to your AI client config)
mcp-server
```
@@ -489,73 +270,44 @@ mcp-server
}
```
## Security
certctl is designed with a security-first architecture. Agents generate ECDSA P-256 keys locally — private keys never touch the control plane. API key auth is enforced by default with SHA-256 hashing and constant-time comparison. CORS is deny-by-default. All connector scripts are validated against shell injection. The network scanner filters reserved IP ranges (SSRF protection). Scheduler loops use atomic idempotency guards. Every API call is recorded to an immutable audit trail with actor attribution, SHA-256 body hash, and latency tracking. See the [Architecture Guide](docs/architecture.md) for the full security model.
## Development
```bash
make build # Build server + agent binaries
make test # Run tests
make lint # golangci-lint (11 linters)
govulncheck ./... # Vulnerability scan
make docker-up # Start Docker Compose stack
```
CI runs on every push: `go vet`, `go test -race`, `golangci-lint`, `govulncheck`, and per-layer coverage thresholds (service 55%, handler 60%, domain 40%, middleware 30%). Frontend CI runs TypeScript type checking, Vitest tests, and Vite production build.
## Roadmap
### V1 (v1.0.0)
### V1 (v1.0.0) — Shipped
Core lifecycle management — Local CA + ACME v2 issuers, NGINX target connector, agent-side key generation, API auth + rate limiting, React dashboard, CI pipeline with coverage gates, Docker images on GHCR.
### V2: Operational Maturity
### V2: Operational Maturity — Shipped
30+ milestones, 1,500+ tests. Sub-CA mode, ACME DNS-01/DNS-PERSIST-01, step-ca, Vault PKI, DigiCert CertCentral, OpenSSL/Custom CA issuers. NGINX, Apache, HAProxy, Traefik, Caddy, IIS targets. RFC 5280 revocation with CRL + OCSP. Certificate profiles, ownership tracking, approval workflows. Filesystem and network certificate discovery. Prometheus metrics, dashboard charts, agent fleet overview. EST server (RFC 7030), ACME ARI (RFC 9702), certificate export, S/MIME support, Helm chart, MCP server, CLI, scheduled digest emails. Slack, Teams, PagerDuty, OpsGenie, SMTP notifications. Compliance mapping (SOC 2, PCI-DSS 4.0, NIST SP 800-57). See the [Feature Inventory](docs/features.md) for details.
30+ milestones complete, 1,500+ tests. See the [Feature Inventory](docs/features.md) for details on every capability.
**What shipped (all ✅):**
- **Issuers** — Sub-CA mode (enterprise root chains), ACME DNS-01 + DNS-PERSIST-01 (wildcard certs, any DNS provider), step-ca (native /sign API), OpenSSL/Custom CA (script-based signing), ACME ARI (RFC 9702, CA-directed renewal timing)
- **Revocation** — RFC 5280 reason codes, DER-encoded X.509 CRL, embedded OCSP responder, short-lived cert exemption
- **Profiles + Ownership** — certificate profiles (key types, max TTL, crypto constraints), ownership tracking (owners + teams), dynamic agent groups, interactive renewal approval
- **GUI Operations** — bulk renew/revoke/reassign, deployment timeline, inline policy editor, target wizard, audit export (CSV/JSON), short-lived credentials view
- **Discovery** — filesystem scanning (PEM/DER) + network TLS scanning (CIDR ranges), triage workflow (claim/dismiss), network scan target management
- **Observability** — Prometheus + JSON metrics, 5 stats API endpoints, dashboard charts (heatmap, trends, distribution), agent fleet overview, structured logging
- **EST Server** (RFC 7030) — device/WiFi certificate enrollment, PKCS#7 wire format, configurable issuer + profile binding
- **MCP Server** — 78 API operations as AI tools for Claude, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible client
- **CLI** — 10 subcommands (list/get/renew/revoke certs, list agents/jobs, import, status, health, metrics), JSON/table output
- **Notifications** — Email (SMTP), Webhooks, Slack, Microsoft Teams, PagerDuty, OpsGenie connectors
- **API Enhancements** — sparse fields, sort, time-range filters, cursor pagination, immutable API audit logging
- **Compliance Mapping** — SOC 2 Type II, PCI-DSS 4.0, NIST SP 800-57 alignment guides
- **Post-Deployment TLS Verification** — agent-side TLS probe confirms the target is serving the correct certificate by SHA-256 fingerprint match, verification status visible in deployment timeline
- **Traefik + Caddy Targets** — Traefik (file provider, auto-reload) and Caddy (Admin API hot-reload or file-based), both in target wizard GUI
- **Certificate Export** — PEM (JSON or file download) and PKCS#12 formats, private keys never included (agent-side only), audit trail, GUI export buttons
- **S/MIME Support** — EKU-aware issuance (emailProtection, codeSigning, timeStamping), adaptive KeyUsage flags, email SAN routing, EKU badges in GUI
- **ACME ARI (RFC 9702)** — CA-directed renewal timing: the CA tells certctl the optimal renewal window, gracefully degrading to fixed thresholds when ARI is unavailable
- **Scheduled Certificate Digest** — HTML email digests with certificate stats, expiration timeline, job trends, and agent health; configurable daily/hourly/weekly briefings via SMTP
- **Helm Chart** — Production-ready Kubernetes with server Deployment, PostgreSQL StatefulSet with PVC, Agent DaemonSet, security contexts, resource limits, optional Ingress
**Also shipped:**
- Issuer catalog page (see all supported CAs, configure from dashboard)
- Vault PKI and DigiCert CertCentral issuer connectors (Beta)
- Turnkey deployment examples (ACME+NGINX, wildcard+DNS-01, private CA+Traefik, step-ca+HAProxy, multi-issuer)
- Migration guides (Certbot, acme.sh, cert-manager complement)
- One-line agent install script with cross-compiled binaries
**Coming in v2.1.0:**
- Dynamic issuer and target configuration via GUI (no env var restarts)
- First-run onboarding wizard
**Coming in v2.1.0:** Dynamic issuer and target configuration via GUI (no env var restarts), first-run onboarding wizard.
### V3: certctl Pro
Team access controls, identity provider integration, enterprise deployment targets, compliance and risk scoring, advanced fleet operations, event-driven architecture, advanced search, real-time operational views.
Team access controls and identity provider integration (OIDC/SSO). Role-based access control with profile-gating. Event-driven architecture (NATS) with real-time operational views. Advanced search DSL, compliance and risk scoring, bulk fleet operations.
### V4+: Cloud, Scale & Passive Discovery
Passive network discovery (TLS listener), Kubernetes integration (cert-manager external issuer, Secrets target), cloud infrastructure targets (AWS ALB/ACM, Azure Key Vault), extended CA support (Google CAS, EJBCA, Sectigo), and platform-scale features (Terraform provider, multi-tenancy, HSM support).
## Examples
Turnkey Docker Compose configurations for common scenarios — pick the one closest to your setup and have it running in 2 minutes.
| Example | Scenario |
|---------|----------|
| [`examples/acme-nginx/`](examples/acme-nginx/) | Let's Encrypt + NGINX, HTTP-01 challenges |
| [`examples/acme-wildcard-dns01/`](examples/acme-wildcard-dns01/) | Wildcard certs via DNS-01 (Cloudflare hook included) |
| [`examples/private-ca-traefik/`](examples/private-ca-traefik/) | Local CA (self-signed or sub-CA) + Traefik file provider |
| [`examples/step-ca-haproxy/`](examples/step-ca-haproxy/) | Smallstep step-ca + HAProxy combined PEM |
| [`examples/multi-issuer/`](examples/multi-issuer/) | ACME for public + Local CA for internal, one dashboard |
Each directory contains a `docker-compose.yml` and a `README.md` explaining the scenario, prerequisites, and customization.
## License
Certctl is licensed under the [Business Source License 1.1](LICENSE). The source code is publicly available and free to use, modify, and self-host. The one restriction: you may not offer certctl as a managed/hosted certificate management service to third parties. The BSL 1.1 license converts automatically to Apache 2.0 on March 1, 2033, providing perpetual freedom.
For licensing inquiries: certctl@proton.me
---
If certctl solves a problem you have, [star the repo](https://github.com/shankar0123/certctl) to help others find it. Questions, bugs, or feature requests — [open an issue](https://github.com/shankar0123/certctl/issues).