Contract CLI Documentation

Complete command reference and usage guide for the IBM Confidential Computing Contract CLI.

Introduction
Installation
Prerequisites
Quick Start
Command Reference
Common Workflows
CI/CD Integration
Exit Codes
Troubleshooting
Examples

Introduction

The Contract CLI automates the process of generating and managing contracts for provisioning IBM Confidential Computing services including IBM Confidential Computing Container Runtime, IBM Confidential Computing Container Runtime for Red Hat Virtualization Solutions, and IBM Confidential Computing Containers for Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform. It provides a comprehensive set of commands for:

Generating signed and encrypted contracts
Managing encryption certificates
Validating contracts and network configurations
Handling attestation records
Working with container configurations

Installation

Download the latest release for your platform from the releases page.

Available Platforms

Linux: amd64, arm64, s390x, ppc64le
macOS: amd64 (Intel), arm64 (Apple Silicon)
Windows: amd64, arm64

Verify Installation

# Check version
contract-cli --version

# View available commands
contract-cli --help

Prerequisites

OpenSSL

OpenSSL is required for all cryptographic operations. The CLI will use the openssl binary from your system PATH.

Installation:

Linux: apt-get install openssl or yum install openssl
macOS: brew install openssl
Windows: Download OpenSSL

Custom OpenSSL Path (Optional)

If OpenSSL is not in your system PATH, configure the OPENSSL_BIN environment variable:

Linux/macOS:

export OPENSSL_BIN=/usr/bin/openssl

Windows (PowerShell):

$env:OPENSSL_BIN="C:\Program Files\OpenSSL-Win64\bin\openssl.exe"

Quick Start

Generate a Complete Contract

# 1. Generate RSA key pair
openssl genrsa -out private.pem 4096

# 2. Create your contract YAML
cat > contract.yaml <<EOF
env: |
  type: env
  logging:
    logRouter:
      hostname: example.logs.cloud.ibm.com
      iamApiKey: your-api-key
workload: |
  type: workload
  compose:
    archive: your-archive
EOF 

# 3. Validate the contract
contract-cli validate-contract --in contract.yaml --os hpvs

# 4. Generate signed and encrypted contract
contract-cli encrypt --in contract.yaml --priv private.pem --out encrypted-contract.yaml

Command Reference

base64

Encode text or JSON data to Base64 format. Useful for encoding data that needs to be included in contracts or configurations.

Usage

contract-cli base64 [flags]

Flags

Flag	Type	Required	Description
`--in`	string	Yes	Input data to encode (text or JSON) (use '-' for standard input)
`--format`	string	No	Input data format (text or json)
`--out`	string	No	Path to save Base64 encoded output
`-h, --help`	-	No	Display help information

Examples

Basic text encoding:

contract-cli base64 --in "Hello World" --format text

JSON encoding:

contract-cli base64 --in '{"type": "workload"}' --format json

Save to file:

contract-cli base64 --in "Hello World" --format text --out encoded.txt

Using standard input (pipe input):

echo "Hello World" | contract-cli base64 --in - --format text

base64-tgz

Generate Base64-encoded tar.gz archive of docker-compose.yaml or pods.yaml. Creates a compressed archive of your container configuration files, encoded as Base64 for inclusion in Confidential Computing contracts. Supports both plain and encrypted output.

Usage

contract-cli base64-tgz [flags]

Flags

Flag	Type	Required	Description
`--in`	string	Yes	Path to folder containing `docker-compose.yaml` or `pods.yaml` (use '-' for standard input)
`--output`	string	No	Output type: `plain` or `encrypted` (default: `plain`)
`--cert`	string	No	Path to encryption certificate (uses latest embedded certificate for the provided IBM Confidential Computing platform, if not specified)
`--os`	string	No	Target IBM Confidential Computing platform: `ccrt`, `ccrv`, `ccco`, or `hpvs` (default: `hpvs`)
`--ver`	string	No	Specific encryption certificate version (e.g., `26.2.0`). Uses latest version if not specified. Use `list-encryptioncert-versions` to see available versions
`--out`	string	No	Path to save the output
`-h, --help`	-	No	Display help information

Examples

Plain Base64 archive:

contract-cli base64-tgz --in ./compose-folder

Encrypted archive with latest certificate:

contract-cli base64-tgz --in ./compose-folder --output encrypted

Encrypted archive with custom certificate:

contract-cli base64-tgz \
  --in ./compose-folder \
  --output encrypted \
  --cert encryption.crt

For HPCR-RHVS:

contract-cli base64-tgz \
  --in ./pods-folder \
  --output encrypted \
  --os ccrv

For CCCO:

contract-cli base64-tgz \
  --in ./pods-folder \
  --output encrypted \
  --os ccco

Save to file:

contract-cli base64-tgz --in ./compose-folder --out archive.txt

With specific certificate version:

contract-cli base64-tgz \
  --in ./compose-folder \
  --output encrypted \
  --os ccco \
  --ver 25.12.0

Using standard input (pipe input):

echo "pods-folder" | contract-cli base64-tgz --in -

contract-template

Generate a contract YAML template for IBM Confidential Computing deployments. Returns a pre-filled YAML scaffold for the workload section, env section, or a combined contract containing both. Use this as a starting point when authoring a new contract.

Usage

contract-cli contract-template [flags]

Flags

Flag	Type	Required	Description
`--type`	string	No	Template type to generate: `env`, `workload`, or `contract` (default: `contract`)
`--os`	string	No	Target platform (default: `hpvs`). See OS values table below.
`--out`	string	No	Path to save the generated template (prints to terminal if not specified)
`-h, --help`	-	No	Display help information

OS Values

Value	Platform	Workload template	Env template
`hpvs`	IBM Hyper Protect Virtual Servers	compose + play + volumes	standard (syslog, env vars, volumes)
`ccrt`	IBM Confidential Computing Container Runtime	compose + play + volumes	standard
`ccrv`	IBM CCRT for Red Hat Virtualization	play only (no compose)	standard
`ccco-peerpod`	IBM CCCO Peer Pod	confidential-containers (no volumes)	logRouter only
`ccco-bmtl`	IBM CCCO Baremetal	confidential-containers + volumes	logRouter + volumes + host-attestation

Examples

Generate combined contract template (default):

contract-cli contract-template

Generate workload-only template:

contract-cli contract-template --type workload

Generate env-only template:

contract-cli contract-template --type env

Generate template for CCRT:

contract-cli contract-template --type contract --os ccrt

Save combined template to file:

contract-cli contract-template --out contract-template.yaml

Generate CCRV workload template:

contract-cli contract-template \
  --type workload \
  --os ccrv \
  --out ccrv-workload-template.yaml

Generate CCCO Peer Pod workload template:

contract-cli contract-template \
  --type workload \
  --os ccco-peerpod \
  --out ccco-peerpod-workload.yaml

Generate CCCO Baremetal combined template:

contract-cli contract-template \
  --type contract \
  --os ccco-bmtl \
  --out ccco-bmtl-contract.yaml

decrypt-attestation

Decrypt encrypted attestation records generated by Confidential Computing instances. Attestation records are typically found at /var/hyperprotect/se-checksums.txt.enc and contain cryptographic hashes for verifying workload integrity.

Optionally verify the signature of decrypted attestation records by providing both --signature and --attestation-cert flags together.

Usage

contract-cli decrypt-attestation [flags]

Flags

Flag	Type	Required	Description
`--in`	string	Yes	Path to encrypted attestation file (use '-' for standard input)
`--priv`	string	Yes	Path to private key used for decryption
`--password`	string	No	Password for encrypted private key
`--out`	string	No	Path to save decrypted attestation records
`--signature`	string	No*	Path to signature file (se-signature.bin)
`--attestation-cert`	string	No*	Path to IBM attestation certificate file (PEM format)
`-h, --help`	-	No	Display help information

* Both --signature and --attestation-cert must be provided together if signature verification is desired

Examples

Decrypt to console:

contract-cli decrypt-attestation \
  --in se-checksums.txt.enc \
  --priv private.pem

Decrypt and save to file:

contract-cli decrypt-attestation \
  --in se-checksums.txt.enc \
  --priv private.pem \
  --out decrypted-attestation.txt

Decrypt and verify signature:

contract-cli decrypt-attestation \
  --in se-checksums.txt.enc \
  --priv private.pem \
  --signature se-signature.bin \
  --attestation-cert hpse-attestation.crt

Decrypt, verify signature, and save to file:

contract-cli decrypt-attestation \
  --in se-checksums.txt.enc \
  --priv private.pem \
  --out decrypted-attestation.txt \
  --signature se-signature.bin \
  --attestation-cert hpse-attestation.crt

Using standard input:

cat se-checksums.txt.enc | contract-cli decrypt-attestation \
  --in - \
  --priv private.pem

Using password-protected private key:

contract-cli decrypt-attestation \
  --in se-checksums.txt.enc \
  --priv private-encrypted.pem \
  --password "your-secure-password" \
  --out decrypted-attestation.txt

Using password from environment variable:

export PRIVATE_KEY_PASSWORD="your-secure-password"
contract-cli decrypt-attestation \
  --in se-checksums.txt.enc \
  --priv private-encrypted.pem \
  --password "$PRIVATE_KEY_PASSWORD" \
  --out decrypted-attestation.txt

download-certificate

Download encryption certificates from the IBM Confidential Computing Repository. Retrieves the latest or specific versions of encryption certificates required for contract encryption and workload deployment.

Usage

contract-cli download-certificate [flags]

Flags

Flag	Type	Required	Description
`--version`	strings	Yes	Specific certificate versions to download (comma-separated, e.g., 1.0.21,1.0.22)
`--format`	string	No	Output format for data (json, yaml, or text)
`--out`	string	No	Path to save downloaded encryption certificates
`-h, --help`	-	No	Display help information

Examples

Download latest certificate:

contract-cli download-certificate

Download specific version:

contract-cli download-certificate --version 1.0.23

Download multiple versions:

contract-cli download-certificate --version 1.0.21,1.0.22,1.0.23

Save to file in YAML format:

contract-cli download-certificate \
  --version 1.0.23 \
  --format yaml \
  --out certificates.yaml

sign-contract

Generates a signed contract from a contract with encrypted workload and env sections.

Usage

contract-cli sign-contract [flags]

Flags

Flag	Type	Required	Description
`--in`	string	Yes	Path to encrypted IBM Confidential Computing contract YAML file (use '-' for standard input)
`--priv`	string	Yes	Path to private key for signing
`--password`	string	No	Password for encrypted private key
`--out`	string	No	Path to save signed and encrypted contract
`-h, --help`	-	No	Display help information

Examples

Sign a contract:

contract-cli sign-contract --in contract.yaml --priv private.pem

Sign and save to file:

contract-cli sign-contract --in contract.yaml --priv private.pem --out signed-contract.yaml

Using standard input:

cat contract.yaml | contract-cli sign-contract --in - --priv private.pem

Using password-protected private key:

contract-cli sign-contract \
  --in contract.yaml \
  --priv private-encrypted.pem \
  --password "your-secure-password" \
  --out signed-contract.yaml

encrypt

Generate a signed and encrypted contract for IBM Confidential Computing deployment. Supports optional contract expiry for enhanced security.

Usage

contract-cli encrypt [flags]

Flags

Flag	Type	Required	Description
`--in`	string	Yes	Path to unencrypted IBM Confidential Computing contract YAML file (use '-' for standard input)
`--priv`	string	No*	Path to private key for signing
`--password`	string	No	Password for encrypted private key
`--cert`	string	No	Path to encryption certificate (uses latest embedded certificate for the provided IBM Confidential Computing platform, if not specified)
`--os`	string	No	Target IBM Confidential Computing platform: `ccrt`, `ccrv`, `ccco`, or `hpvs` (default: `hpvs`)
`--ver`	string	No	Specific encryption certificate version (e.g., `26.2.0`). Uses latest version if not specified. Use `list-encryptioncert-versions` to see available versions
`--out`	string	No	Path to save signed and encrypted contract
`--contract-expiry`	bool	No	Enable contract expiry feature
`--cacert`	string	No**	Path to CA certificate (required with expiry)
`--cakey`	string	No**	Path to CA key (required with expiry)
`--csr`	string	No**	Path to CSR file (required with expiry)
`--csrParam`	string	No**	Path to CSR parameters JSON
`--expiry`	int	No**	Contract validity in days (required with expiry)
`-h, --help`	-	No	Display help information

* Generated automatically if not provided ** Required when --contract-expiry is enabled

Examples

Basic encryption:

contract-cli encrypt --in contract.yaml --priv private.pem

With custom certificate:

contract-cli encrypt \
  --in contract.yaml \
  --priv private.pem \
  --cert encryption.crt

Save to file:

contract-cli encrypt \
  --in contract.yaml \
  --priv private.pem \
  --out encrypted-contract.yaml

With specific certificate version:

contract-cli encrypt \
  --in contract.yaml \
  --priv private.pem \
  --os ccrt \
  --ver 26.2.0

With contract expiry:

contract-cli encrypt \
  --contract-expiry \
  --in contract.yaml \
  --priv private.pem \
  --cacert ca.crt \
  --cakey ca.key \
  --csr csr.pem \
  --expiry 90

For CCRV:

contract-cli encrypt \
  --in contract.yaml \
  --priv private.pem \
  --os ccrv

Using password-protected private key:

contract-cli encrypt \
  --in contract.yaml \
  --priv private-encrypted.pem \
  --password "your-secure-password" \
  --out encrypted-contract.yaml

For CCCO:

contract-cli encrypt \
  --in contract.yaml \
  --priv private.pem \
  --os ccco

Using standard input:

echo "test-string" | contract-cli encrypt \
  --in - \
  --priv private.pem

encrypt-string

Encrypt strings using the IBM Confidential Computing encryption format. Output format: hyper-protect-basic.<encrypted-password>.<encrypted-string>. Use this to encrypt sensitive data like passwords or API keys for contracts.

Usage

contract-cli encrypt-string [flags]

Flags

Flag	Type	Required	Description
`--in`	string	Yes	String data to encrypt (use '-' for standard input)
`--format`	string	No	Input data format (text or json)
`--cert`	string	No	Path to encryption certificate (uses latest embedded certificate for the provided IBM Confidential Computing platform, if not specified)
`--os`	string	No	Target IBM Confidential Computing platform: `ccrt`, `ccrv`, `ccco`, or `hpvs` (default: `hpvs`)
`--ver`	string	No	Specific encryption certificate version (e.g., `26.2.0`). Uses latest version if not specified. Use `list-encryptioncert-versions` to see available versions
`--out`	string	No	Path to save encrypted output
`-h, --help`	-	No	Display help information

Examples

Encrypt plain text:

contract-cli encrypt-string --in "my-secret-password"

Encrypt JSON:

contract-cli encrypt-string \
  --in '{"apiKey": "secret123"}' \
  --format json

With custom certificate:

contract-cli encrypt-string \
  --in "my-secret" \
  --cert encryption.crt

Save to file:

contract-cli encrypt-string \
  --in "my-secret" \
  --out encrypted-secret.txt

With specific certificate version:

contract-cli encrypt-string \
  --in "my-secret-password" \
  --os ccrv \
  --ver 25.11.0

Using standard input:

# Encrypt echo statement
echo "my-secret-password" | contract-cli encrypt-string --in -

# Encrypt file content
cat workload.yaml | contract-cli encrypt-string --in -

decrypt

Decrypt encrypted strings in IBM Confidential Computing format using an RSA private key. Supports both contract-basic (CCRT/CCRV) and hyper-protect-basic (CCCO/HPVS) encryption formats.

Usage

contract-cli decrypt [flags]

Flags

Flag	Type	Required	Description
`--in`	string	Yes	Path to encrypted input file or encrypted string (use '-' for standard input)
`--priv`	string	Yes	Path to RSA private key file (PEM format)
`--password`	string	No	Password for encrypted private key
`--out`	string	No	Path to save decrypted output (prints to stdout if omitted)
`-h, --help`	-	No	Display help information

Examples

Decrypt from file, output to stdout:

contract-cli decrypt --in encrypted.txt --priv private.key

Decrypt raw encrypted string:

contract-cli decrypt \
  --in "hyper-protect-basic.xxx.yyy" \
  --priv private.key

Save decrypted output to file:

contract-cli decrypt \
  --in encrypted.txt \
  --priv private.key \
  --out decrypted.txt

With password-protected private key:

contract-cli decrypt \
  --in encrypted.txt \
  --priv private.key \
  --password "yourpassword"

Using standard input:

cat encrypted.txt | contract-cli decrypt --in - --priv private.key

get-certificate

Extract a specific encryption certificate version from download-certificate output. Parses the JSON output from download-certificate and extracts the certificate for the specified version.

Usage

contract-cli get-certificate [flags]

Flags

Flag	Type	Required	Description
`--in`	string	Yes	Path to download-certificate JSON output (use '-' for standard input)
`--version`	string	Yes	Certificate version to extract (e.g., 1.0.23)
`--out`	string	No	Path to save extracted encryption certificate
`-h, --help`	-	No	Display help information

Examples

Extract specific version:

contract-cli get-certificate \
  --in certificates.json \
  --version 1.0.23

Save to file:

contract-cli get-certificate \
  --in certificates.json \
  --version 1.0.23 \
  --out cert-1.0.23.crt

Using standard input:

cat "cert.json" | contract-cli get-certificate --in - --version 1.0.23

image

Retrieve IBM Confidential Computing Container Runtime image details from IBM Cloud. Parses image information from IBM Cloud API, CLI, or Terraform output to extract image ID, name, checksum, and version. Supports filtering by specific version.

Usage

contract-cli image [flags]

Flags

Flag	Type	Required	Description
`--in`	string	Yes	Path to IBM Cloud images JSON (from API, CLI, or Terraform) (use '-' for standard input)
`--version`	string	No	Specific version to retrieve (returns latest if not specified)
`--format`	string	No	Output format for data (json, yaml, or text)
`--out`	string	No	Path to save image details
`-h, --help`	-	No	Display help information

Examples

Get latest image:

contract-cli image --in ibm-cloud-images.json

Get specific version:

contract-cli image \
  --in ibm-cloud-images.json \
  --version "1.0.23"

Output in YAML:

contract-cli image \
  --in ibm-cloud-images.json \
  --format yaml

Save to file:

contract-cli image \
  --in ibm-cloud-images.json \
  --out hpcr-image.json

Using standard input:

cat "ibm-cloud-images.json" | contract-cli image --in -

list-encryptioncert-versions

List all available embedded encryption certificate versions for IBM Confidential Computing platforms. This command helps you discover which certificate versions are available before using the --ver flag with encryption commands. The embedded certificates are bundled with the CLI and don't require downloading from IBM Cloud.

Usage

contract-cli list-encryptioncert-versions [flags]

Flags

Flag	Type	Required	Description
`--os`	string	No	Filter by platform (ccrt, ccrv, ccco, or hpvs). Shows all platforms if not specified
`--format`	string	No	Output format: `json` or `yaml` (defaults to `json` if not specified)
`--out`	string	No	Path to save output (prints to stdout if not specified)
`-h, --help`	-	No	Display help information

Examples

List all available encryption certificate versions in JSON format (default):

contract-cli list-encryptioncert-versions

Output:

{"ccco":["25.12.0","25.10.0"],"ccrt":["26.5.0","26.2.0"],"ccrv":["26.4.1","25.11.0"],"hpvs":["26.5.0","26.2.0"]}

List all available encryption certificate versions in YAML format:

contract-cli list-encryptioncert-versions --format yaml

Output:

ccco:
  - 25.12.0
  - 25.10.0
ccrt:
  - 26.5.0
  - 26.2.0
ccrv:
  - 26.4.1
  - 25.11.0
hpvs:
  - 26.5.0
  - 26.2.0

List versions for a specific platform in JSON:

contract-cli list-encryptioncert-versions --os ccrt --format json

Output:

{"ccrt":["26.5.0","26.2.0"]}

List versions for HPVS platform in YAML:

contract-cli list-encryptioncert-versions --os hpvs --format yaml

Output:

hpvs:
  - 26.5.0
  - 26.2.0

Save output to file:

contract-cli list-encryptioncert-versions --os ccrv --format yaml --out ccrv-versions.yaml

Use Cases

Discover Available Versions: Find out which encryption certificate versions are embedded in your CLI installation
Version Selection: Choose a specific version for encryption operations using the --ver flag
Compatibility Check: Verify that a required certificate version is available before running automation scripts
Documentation: Generate a list of supported versions for your deployment documentation

Related Commands

encrypt - Use --ver flag to specify certificate version for contract encryption
encrypt-string - Use --ver flag to specify certificate version for string encryption
base64-tgz - Use --ver flag with --output encrypt to specify encryption certificate version

validate-contract

Validate an unencrypted contract against the IBM Confidential Computing schema. Checks contract structure, required fields, and data types before encryption to help catch errors early in the development process.

Usage

contract-cli validate-contract [flags]

Flags

Flag	Type	Required	Description
`--in`	string	Yes	Path to unencrypted IBM Confidential Computing contract YAML file (use '-' for standard input)
`--os`	string	No	Target IBM Confidential Computing platform: `ccrt`, `ccrv`, `ccco`, or `hpvs` (default: `hpvs`)
`--type`	string	No	Contract section to validate: `workload`, `env`, or `''` for both (default: `''`)
`-h, --help`	-	No	Display help information

Examples

Validate full contract (both sections):

contract-cli validate-contract --in contract.yaml --os ccrt

Validate only the workload section:

contract-cli validate-contract --in contract.yaml --os ccrt --type workload

Validate only the env section:

contract-cli validate-contract --in contract.yaml --os ccrt --type env

Validate CCRV contract:

contract-cli validate-contract --in contract.yaml --os ccrv

Validate CCCO contract:

contract-cli validate-contract --in contract.yaml --os ccco

Using standard input:

cat contract.yaml | contract-cli validate-contract --in - --os ccrt

validate-network

Validate network-config YAML file against the schema. Validates network configuration for on-premise deployments, ensuring all required fields are present and properly formatted.

Usage

contract-cli validate-network [flags]

Flags

Flag	Type	Required	Description
`--in`	string	Yes	Path to network-config YAML file (use '-' for standard input)
`-h, --help`	-	No	Display help information

Examples

Validate network configuration:

contract-cli validate-network --in network-config.yaml

Using standard input:

cat network-config.yaml | contract-cli validate-network --in -

validate-encryption-certificate

Validates encryption certificate for on-premise, VPC deployment. It will check encryption certificate validity, ensuring all required fields are present and properly formatted.

Usage

contract-cli validate-encryption-certificate [flags]

Flags

Flag	Type	Required	Description
`--in`	string	Yes	Path to encryption certificate file (use '-' for standard input)
`-h, --help`	-	No	Display help information

Examples

Validate encryption certificate configuration:

contract-cli validate-encryption-certificate --in encryption-cert.crt

Using standard input:

cat encryption-cert.crt | contract-cli validate-encryption-certificate --in -

sealed-secret

Generate sealed secrets for IBM Confidential Computing Containers for Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform (CCCO).

Usage

contract-cli sealed-secret [flags]

Flags

Flag	Type	Required	Description
`--in`	string	Yes	Secret for sealing (provide as string or file path, use `'-'` for standard input)
`--type`	string	Yes	Type of secret: `env` for env section of contract or `workload` for workload section of contract
`--out`	string	No	1 or 3 comma-separated output file paths (see Output format below). Omit to print JSON to stdout.
`--encryptionkey`	string	No	Path to RSA private key for encryption (generates new key if not provided)
`--signingkey`	string	No	Path to RSA private key for signing (generates new key if not provided)
`-h, --help`	—	No	Display help information

Output format

The --out flag accepts 1 or 3 comma-separated file paths. The mapping is fixed and positional:

--out <sealed-secret-file>,<decryption-key-file>,<verification-key-file>
        position 1             position 2            position 3
        sealed value           private key           public key

⚠️ Order matters. Position 2 is always the private decryption key and position 3 is always the public verification key. Swapping them will cause runtime failures.

1-value form — only the sealed secret file name is given; key files fall back to sealed_decryption.pem and sealed_verification.pem in the same directory:

File	Key type	Contents
`<your-file>`	—	Sealed secret value for use in the contract
`sealed_decryption.pem`	Private key	RSA private key for decryption — keep secure
`sealed_verification.pem`	Public key	RSA public key for signature verification

3-value form — all three names are given explicitly:

Position	File	Key type	Contents
1	`<sealed-secret-file>`	—	Sealed secret value for use in the contract
2	`<decryption-key-file>`	Private key	RSA private key for decryption — keep secure
3	`<verification-key-file>`	Public key	RSA public key for signature verification

The terminal always confirms what was written and explicitly labels private vs public:

Sealed value written to:               sealed_secret.txt
Decryption key written to:  (private)  sealed_decryption.pem
Verification key written to: (public)  sealed_verification.pem

JSON stdout (when --out is omitted):

{
  "sealed_secret": "<sealed-secret-value>",
  "decryption_key": "<RSA-private-key-PEM-with-escaped-newlines>",
  "verification_key": "<RSA-public-key-PEM-with-escaped-newlines>"
}

JSON field	Key type	Description
`sealed_secret`	—	Sealed secret value for use in the contract
`decryption_key`	Private key	RSA private key for decryption (PEM, `\n`-escaped) — keep secure
`verification_key`	Public key	RSA public key for signature verification (PEM, `\n`-escaped)

Note: PEM newlines are replaced with the literal \n sequence so the value fits on a single JSON string line. To restore the original PEM for use with OpenSSL:
echo '<value>' | sed 's/\\n/\n/g'

Examples

1-value form — key files use default names:

contract-cli sealed-secret \
  --in "value123" \
  --type env \
  --out sealed_secret.txt
# sealed_secret.txt        ← sealed value
# sealed_decryption.pem    ← private key (position 2 default)
# sealed_verification.pem  ← public key  (position 3 default)

3-value form — all file names explicit:

contract-cli sealed-secret \
  --in "value123" \
  --type env \
  --out sealed_secret.txt,my_decryption.pem,my_verification.pem
# sealed_secret.txt    ← position 1  sealed value
# my_decryption.pem    ← position 2  private key (keep secure)
# my_verification.pem  ← position 3  public key

Generate sealed secret for workload section:

contract-cli sealed-secret \
  --in workload-secret-data \
  --type workload \
  --out sealed_workload.txt,sealed_decryption.pem,sealed_verification.pem

Generate sealed secret from file:

contract-cli sealed-secret \
  --in secrets.txt \
  --type env \
  --out sealed_secret.txt,sealed_decryption.pem,sealed_verification.pem

Generate sealed secret with custom encryption and signing keys:

openssl genrsa -out encryption.pem 2048
openssl genrsa -out signing.pem 2048

contract-cli sealed-secret \
  --in "value123" \
  --type env \
  --encryptionkey encryption.pem \
  --signingkey signing.pem \
  --out sealed_secret.txt,sealed_decryption.pem,sealed_verification.pem

Read secret from stdin:

echo "value123" | contract-cli sealed-secret \
  --in - \
  --type env

Print all values as JSON to stdout (omit --out):

contract-cli sealed-secret \
  --in "value123" \
  --type env

rego-generator

Generate an OPA v1 Rego policy from a Kubernetes pod specification for use with IBM Confidential Computing Containers (CCCO). The generated policy enforces container image and command validation via the Kata Agent Policy engine.

Use --format to control what is written to stdout or to file:

`--format`	stdout	with `--out`
`base64` (default)	prints IBM CC base64 policy only	writes `<stem>_base64` only
`text`	prints plain Rego policy only	writes `<stem>.rego` only
`both`	prints both	writes both files

No separate base64 encoding step is required.

Usage

contract-cli rego-generator [flags]

Flags

Flag	Type	Required	Description
`--in`	string	Yes	Path to Kubernetes resource YAML file (use `-` for standard input)
`--out`	string	No	Output stem used for file names (e.g. `policy` or `policy.rego`). Prints to stdout if not specified.
`--format`	string	No	Output format: `base64` (default), `text`, or `both`
`-h, --help`	-	No	Display help information

Supported Resource Types

Kind	Pod spec location
`Pod`	directly
`Deployment`	`spec.template`
`StatefulSet`	`spec.template`
`DaemonSet`	`spec.template`
`CronJob`	`spec.jobTemplate.spec.template`

Output Files

Files written when --out policy is specified (stem policy):

`--format`	Files written
`base64` (default)	`policy_base64`
`text`	`policy.rego`
`both`	`policy.rego` + `policy_base64`

The policy_base64 value maps directly to confidential-containers.regoValidator.policy in the contract workload section.

Examples

Print only the base64 policy to stdout (default):

contract-cli rego-generator --in pod.yaml

Print only the plain Rego source to stdout:

contract-cli rego-generator --in pod.yaml --format text

Print both the plain Rego source and the base64 policy to stdout:

contract-cli rego-generator --in pod.yaml --format both

Save only the base64 policy to file (default):

# Creates policy_base64 only
contract-cli rego-generator --in pod.yaml --out policy

Save only the plain Rego source to file:

# Creates policy.rego only
contract-cli rego-generator --in pod.yaml --out policy --format text

Save both files (Rego source + base64):

# Creates policy.rego and policy_base64
contract-cli rego-generator \
  --in deployment.yaml \
  --out policy \
  --format both

Generate policy from stdin:

cat pod.yaml | contract-cli rego-generator --in -

End-to-end: generate policy and embed in contract workload section:

# Step 1 — generate the base64 policy file (default format)
contract-cli rego-generator \
  --in pod.yaml \
  --out policy
# Output:
#   Successfully generated Rego policy (base64): policy_base64

# Step 2 — read the ready-to-use base64 value (no manual encoding needed)
POLICY_B64=$(cat policy_base64)

# Step 3 — use in contract workload YAML under confidential-containers.regoValidator.policy
cat <<EOF > workload.yaml
type: workload
confidential-containers:
  regoValidator:
    policy: ${POLICY_B64}
EOF

Output format: The command outputs a complete OPA v1 Rego policy including:

CreateContainerRequest — wiring rule that requires both allow_image and allow_command
OCP baseline allow_image / allow_command — admits Kata pause/infra containers
Per-container allow_image() rules — anchored regex per unique image
Per-container allow_command() rules — strict (with count(args) and per-index checks) for containers with explicit command/args, permissive (image-only) for ENTRYPOINT-only containers
Named script validator functions for multiline shell script arguments

initdata

Create initdata annotation from signed and encrypted contract for IBM Confidential Computing Containers for Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform. Supports both Peer Pod and Baremetal solutions.

Usage

contract-cli initdata [flags]

Flags

Flag	Type	Required	Description
`--in`	string	Yes	Path to signed & encrypted contract YAML file (use '-' for standard input)
`--sehdr`	string	No	Path to SE header binary file (.bin) for baremetal solution
`--out`	string	No	Path to store gzipped & encoded initdata value
`-h, --help`	-	No	Display help information

Examples

Create initdata for Peer Pod solution without SE header binary:

contract-cli initdata --in signed_encrypted_contract.yaml

Create initdata for Baremetal solution with SE header binary:

contract-cli initdata \
  --in signed_encrypted_contract.yaml \
  --sehdr se-header.bin \
  --out initdata.txt

Save output to file for peerpod solution without SE header binary:

contract-cli initdata \
  --in signed_encrypted_contract.yaml \
  --out initdata-annotation.txt

Save output to file for baremetal solution with SE header binary:

contract-cli initdata \
  --in signed_encrypted_contract.yaml \
  --sehdr se-header.bin \
  --out initdata-annotation.txt

Using standard input:

cat signed_encrypted_contract.yaml | contract-cli initdata --in -

Notes

With --sehdr, the command generates initdata for baremetal solution
Without --sehdr, the command generates initdata for Peer Pod solution
The SE header binary file is automatically encoded to base64 before being included in the initdata
Output is gzipped and base64 encoded, ready to use as an initdata annotation

Common Workflows

Complete Contract Generation Workflow

# Step 1: Generate key pair
openssl genrsa -out private.pem 4096

# Step 2: Download encryption certificate
contract-cli download-certificate --version 1.0.23 --out certs.json
contract-cli get-certificate --in certs.json --version 1.0.23 --out cert.crt

# Step 3: Create docker-compose archive
contract-cli base64-tgz --in ./compose-folder --output encrypted --cert cert.crt --out archive.txt

# Step 4: Create contract YAML (with archive from step 3)
cat > contract.yaml <<EOF
env: |
  type: env
  logging:
    logRouter:
      hostname: logs.example.com
workload: |
  type: workload
  compose:
    archive: $(cat archive.txt)
EOF

# Step 5: Validate contract
contract-cli validate-contract --in contract.yaml --os hpvs

# Step 6: Generate signed and encrypted contract
contract-cli encrypt --in contract.yaml --priv private.pem --cert cert.crt --out final-contract.yaml

Working with Attestation Records

# Decrypt attestation from running instance
contract-cli decrypt-attestation \
  --in se-checksums.txt.enc \
  --priv private.pem \
  --out attestation.txt

# Decrypt and verify signature
contract-cli decrypt-attestation \
  --in se-checksums.txt.enc \
  --priv private.pem \
  --signature se-signature.bin \
  --attestation-cert hpse-attestation.crt \
  --out attestation.txt

# View decrypted attestation
cat attestation.txt

Certificate Management

# Download all available certificates
contract-cli download-certificate --out all-certs.json

# Extract specific version
contract-cli get-certificate \
  --in all-certs.json \
  --version 1.0.23 \
  --out cert-1.0.23.crt

CI/CD Integration

The CLI supports stdin input (--in -) for all commands, making it easy to integrate into CI/CD pipelines.

GitHub Actions Example

name: Generate Contract
on:
  push:
    branches: [main]

jobs:
  generate-contract:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4

      - name: Download contract-cli
        run: |
          curl -sL https://github.com/ibm-hyper-protect/contract-cli/releases/latest/download/contract-cli-linux-amd64 -o contract-cli
          chmod +x contract-cli

      - name: Validate contract
        run: ./contract-cli validate-contract --in contract.yaml --os hpvs

      - name: Generate signed and encrypted contract
        run: |
          ./contract-cli encrypt \
            --in contract.yaml \
            --priv "${{ secrets.PRIVATE_KEY_PATH }}" \
            --out encrypted-contract.yaml

      - name: Upload artifact
        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
        with:
          name: encrypted-contract
          path: encrypted-contract.yaml

Shell Script Pattern

#!/bin/bash
set -euo pipefail

# Validate → Encrypt → Deploy pattern
if ! contract-cli validate-contract --in contract.yaml --os hpvs; then
  echo "Contract validation failed" >&2
  exit 1
fi

contract-cli encrypt \
  --in contract.yaml \
  --priv private.pem \
  --out encrypted-contract.yaml

echo "Contract generated successfully"

Exit Codes

Code	Meaning
`0`	Success
`1`	General error (invalid input, missing files, encryption failure, etc.)

All error messages are written to stderr. Successful output is written to stdout (unless --out is specified).

Troubleshooting

OpenSSL Not Found

Error:

Error: openssl binary not found in PATH

Solution:

Install OpenSSL for your platform
Or set OPENSSL_BIN environment variable to the full path of OpenSSL

Invalid Contract Schema

Error:

Error: contract validation failed

Solution:

Run validate-contract to see specific schema errors
Check contract structure matches IBM Confidential Computing requirements
Ensure all required fields are present

Certificate Version Not Found

Error:

Error: certificate version not found

Solution:

Run download-certificate without --version to see available versions
Verify the version number format (e.g., 1.0.23)

Permission Denied

Error:

Error: permission denied reading file

Solution:

Check file permissions: chmod 600 private.pem
Ensure you have read access to input files
Verify output directory is writable

Git Commits Showing Unverified on GitHub

Symptom: Commits show Unverified badge on GitHub even after configuring SSH signing locally.

Cause: The SSH key is added to GitHub as an Authentication Key only. GitHub requires a separate Signing Key entry to verify commit signatures.

Solution:

Copy your public key:

cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

Go to GitHub → Settings → SSH and GPG keys → New SSH key
Fill in:
- Title: Mac Signing (or any name)
- Key type: Signing Key ← must be Signing Key, not Authentication Key
- Key: paste the output from step 1
Click Add SSH key

GitHub will now show Verified on all commits signed with that key — no new push needed.

Note: You can have the same key added twice — once as Authentication Key (for push/pull) and once as Signing Key (for commit verification).

Examples

The samples/ directory contains working examples:

Contract - Basic contract structure
Contract with Expiry - Contract with expiration
Attestation Records - Example attestation files
Certificate Examples - Encryption certificate samples
Network Configuration - Network config examples
Docker Compose - Compose file examples
Signed & Encrypted Contract - Signed & Encrypted contract
Contract Signing - Contract signing examples

Additional Resources

Main README - Project overview and quick start
Contributing Guide - How to contribute
Security Policy - Security best practices
Changelog - Release history and version notes

IBM Confidential Computing Documentation

Related Projects

contract-go - Go library
terraform-provider-hpcr - Terraform provider
k8s-operator-hpcr - Kubernetes operator

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Contract CLI Documentation

Table of Contents

Introduction

Installation

Available Platforms

Verify Installation

Prerequisites

OpenSSL

Custom OpenSSL Path (Optional)

Quick Start

Generate a Complete Contract

Command Reference

base64

Usage

Flags

Examples

base64-tgz

Usage

Flags

Examples

contract-template

Usage

Flags

OS Values

Examples

decrypt-attestation

Usage

Flags

Examples

download-certificate

Usage

Flags

Examples

sign-contract

Usage

Flags

Examples

encrypt

Usage

Flags

Examples

encrypt-string

Usage

Flags

Examples

decrypt

Usage

Flags

Examples

get-certificate

Usage

Flags

Examples

image

Usage

Flags

Examples

list-encryptioncert-versions

Usage

Flags

Examples

Use Cases

Related Commands

validate-contract

Usage

Flags

Examples

validate-network

Usage

Flags

Examples

validate-encryption-certificate

Usage