6.4.2 Command Options for Encrypted Connections

--ssl

On the server side, the --ssl option specifies that the server permits but does not require encrypted connections. The option is enabled on the server side by default. --ssl is implied by other --ssl-xxx options, as indicated in the descriptions for those options.

The --ssl option in negated form indicates that encryption should not be used and overrides other --ssl-xxx options. Specify the option as --ssl=0 or a synonym (--skip-ssl, --disable-ssl).

To specify additional parameters for encrypted connections, use at least --ssl-cert and --ssl-key on the server side and --ssl-ca on the client side. See Section 6.4.1, “Configuring MySQL to Use Encrypted Connections”. That section also describes server capabilities for certificate and key file autogeneration and autodiscovery.

--ssl-ca=file_name

The path name of the Certificate Authority (CA) certificate file in PEM format. On the server side, this option implies --ssl.

To tell the client not to authenticate the server certificate when establishing an encrypted connection to the server, specify neither --ssl-ca nor --ssl-capath. The server still verifies the client according to any applicable requirements established for the client account, and it still uses any --ssl-ca or --ssl-capath option values specified on the server side.

--ssl-capath=dir_name

The path name of the directory that contains trusted SSL certificate authority (CA) certificate files in PEM format. On the server side, this option implies --ssl.

To tell the client not to authenticate the server certificate when establishing an encrypted connection to the server, specify neither --ssl-ca nor --ssl-capath. The server still verifies the client according to any applicable requirements established for the client account, and it still uses any --ssl-ca or --ssl-capath option values specified on the server side.

MySQL distributions compiled using OpenSSL support the --ssl-capath option (see Section 6.4.4, “OpenSSL Versus wolfSSL”). Distributions compiled using wolfSSL do not because wolfSSL does not look in any directory and do not follow a chained certificate tree. wolfSSL requires that all components of the CA certificate tree be contained within a single CA certificate tree and that each certificate in the file has a unique SubjectName value. To work around this wolfSSL limitation, concatenate the individual certificate files comprising the certificate tree into a new file and specify that file as the value of the --ssl-ca option.

--ssl-cert=file_name

The path name of the SSL public key certificate file in PEM format. On the client side, this is the client public key certificate. On the server side, this is the server public key certificate. On the server side, this option implies --ssl.

--ssl-cipher=cipher_list

The list of permitted ciphers for connection encryption. If no cipher in the list is supported, encrypted connections will not work. On the server side, this option implies --ssl.

For greatest portability, cipher_list should be a list of one or more cipher names, separated by colons. Examples:

--ssl-cipher=AES128-SHA
--ssl-cipher=DHE-RSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256:AES128-SHA

OpenSSL supports a more flexible syntax for specifying ciphers, as described in the OpenSSL documentation at https://www.openssl.org/docs/manmaster/man1/ciphers.html. wolfSSL does not, so attempts to use that extended syntax fail for a MySQL distribution compiled using wolfSSL.

For information about which encryption ciphers MySQL supports, see Section 6.4.6, “Encrypted Connection Protocols and Ciphers”.

--ssl-crl=file_name

The path name of the file containing certificate revocation lists in PEM format. On the server side, this option implies --ssl.

If neither --ssl-crl nor --ssl-crlpath is given, no CRL checks are performed, even if the CA path contains certificate revocation lists.

MySQL distributions compiled using OpenSSL support the --ssl-crl option (see Section 6.4.4, “OpenSSL Versus wolfSSL”). Distributions compiled using wolfSSL do not because revocation lists do not work with wolfSSL.

--ssl-crlpath=dir_name

The path name of the directory that contains certificate revocation list files in PEM format. On the server side, this option implies --ssl.

If neither --ssl-crl nor --ssl-crlpath is given, no CRL checks are performed, even if the CA path contains certificate revocation lists.

MySQL distributions compiled using OpenSSL support the --ssl-crlpath option (see Section 6.4.4, “OpenSSL Versus wolfSSL”). Distributions compiled using wolfSSL do not because revocation lists do not work with wolfSSL.

--ssl-fips-mode={OFF|ON|STRICT}

Controls whether to enable FIPS mode on the client side. The --ssl-fips-mode option differs from other --ssl-xxx options in that it is not used to establish encrypted connections, but rather to affect which cryptographic operations are permitted. See Section 6.6, “FIPS Support”.

These --ssl-fips-mode values are permitted:

--ssl-key=file_name

The path name of the SSL private key file in PEM format. On the client side, this is the client private key. On the server side, this is the server private key. On the server side, this option implies --ssl.

If the key file is protected by a passphrase, the program prompts the user for the passphrase. The password must be given interactively; it cannot be stored in a file. If the passphrase is incorrect, the program continues as if it could not read the key.

For better security, use a certificate with an RSA key size of at least 2048 bits.

--ssl-mode=mode

This option is available only for client programs, not the server. It specifies the security state of the connection to the server. These option values are permitted:

The --ssl-mode option interacts with CA certificate options as follows:

To require use of encrypted connections by a MySQL account, use CREATE USER to create the account with a REQUIRE SSL clause, or use ALTER USER for an existing account to add a REQUIRE SSL clause. Connection attempts by clients that use the account will be rejected unless MySQL supports encrypted connections and an encrypted connection can be established.

The REQUIRE clause permits other encryption-related options, which can be used to enforce security requirements stricter than REQUIRE SSL. For additional details about which command options may or must be specified by clients that connect using accounts configured using the various REQUIRE options, see the description of REQUIRE in Section 13.7.1.3, “CREATE USER Syntax”.

--tls-version=protocol_list

For client programs, the protocols permitted by the client for encrypted connections. The value is a comma-separated list containing one or more protocol names. For example:

mysql --tls-version="TLSv1.1,TLSv1.2"

The protocols that can be named for this option depend on the SSL library used to compile MySQL. For details, see Section 6.4.6, “Encrypted Connection Protocols and Ciphers”.

On the server side, use the tls_version system variable instead.