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To generate a message signature, cryptographic keys of the ED25519 variants must first be created.
We currently only support ED25519 key types.

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Determine Signature Base

The example signature base below is determined from the content digest example request. 
"Authorization": Bearer 123
"Content-Digest": sha-512=:RK/0qy18MlBSVnWgjwz6lZEWjP/lF5HF9bvEF8FabDg=:
"Content-Length": 18
"Content-Type": application/json
"X-Client-Id": 123456
"X-Idempotency-Key": 123456
"@method": POST
"@target-uri": https://api.pipevest.com
"@path": /v1/customers
"@query: ?sort=ASC
"@signature-params": ("Authorization" "Content-Digest" "Content-Length" "Content-Type" "X-Client-Id" "X-Idempotency-Key" "@method" "@target-uri" "@path" "@query");keyid="staging-pipevest-ed25519";created=1732893484;expires=1732893584

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Signature Parameters

The field @signature-params contains an ordered list of components that make up the signature base. It is made up of two sections, fields and meta data. "@signature-params": (fields...);meta
  • fields: ordered, space ( ) separated and contained within ellipsis (...)
  • meta: unorder, semi-colon (;) separated and specify additional information about the cryptographic operation
The order in which the fields show up in the signature base must match the fields order in the signature params

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Generate Message Signature

1

Retrieve Private Key

Identify the private key for the given environment. You should have one for:
  • Staging
  • Production
How to Generate Cryptographic keys
2

Determine Signature Base

Use the instructions here to determine which fields to include to generate the signature.
3

Calculate Signature

  1. Using sha-512, hash the signature base
  2. Sign the resulting hash with the environment specific private key.
  3. Base64 encode the signed hash, this is the final computed message signature (computed-signature).
For the example request below, the computed-signature will be OTEyMjY4...A5NTNDMEQ=
4

Signature Input

The signature input is the same as the @signature-params and will be passed along the header. The inputs allow for the signature to be recomputed and verified.
5

Make Signed Request

Add Signature and Signature-Input to the request header
  • Signature: sig1=:<computed-signature>:
  • Signature-Input: sig1=<@signature-params>
  curl --request POST \
    --url https://api.pipevest.com/v1/customers?sort=ASC \
    --header 'Content-Digest: sha-512=:RK/0qy18MlBSVnWgjwz6lZEWjP/lF5HF9bvEF8FabDg=:' \
    --header 'Content-Length: 18' \
    --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
    --header 'Authorization: Bearer 123456' \
    --header 'Signature: sig1=:OTEyMjY4...A5NTNDMEQ=:' \
    --header 'Signature-Input: sig1=("Content-Type" "Content-Digest" "Content-Length" "Authorization" "X-Client-Id" "X-Idempotency-Key" "@method" "@target-uri" "@path" "@query");keyid="staging-pipevest-ed25519";created=1732893484;expires=1732893584' \
    --header 'X-Client-Id: 123456' \
    --header 'X-Idempotency-Key: 123456' \
    ...
    --data '{"firstName": "John", "lastName": "Doe"}'

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Verify Message Signature

1

Retrieve Public Key

Identify the public key for the given environment. You should have one for:
  • Staging
  • Production
For webhook message validation, refer to Step 1 in Validate Webhook Message
2

Recompute Message Signature

  1. Use the Signature-Input from the http header to determine the signature base.
  2. Create a sha-512 digest from the signature base
We will call this computed-message-signature.
3

Identify Header Signature

You will need to strip the sig1=: prefix and the : suffix to end up with the header-base64-signature.
In the example below, the header-message-signature equals OTEyMjY4...A5NTNDMEQ=
  curl --request POST \
    --url https://api.pipevest.com/v1/customers \
    --header 'Signature: sig1=:OTEyMjY4...A5NTNDMEQ=:' \
    ....
4

Decode Signature

Using a base64 decoder, decode the header-base64-signature.
We will call this final result, the header-message-signature.
5

Compare Signatures

Compare the computed-message-signature to the header-message-signature.
  computed-message-signature === header-message-signature
6

Verify or Reject

Reject the message, if computed-message-signature does not equal header-message-signature.

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Example Verification Code:

  • Javascript
  • Python
import crypto from 'node:crypto'

// Get the Public key
const publicKey = ...

// Get Signature and Signature inputs from the original http message header
const signature = request.headers['Signature']
const signatureInput = request.headers['Signature-Input']

// Recompute message signature using the signature inputs
const computedSignatureBase = `...` // determined using `signatureInput`
const computedMessageSignature = crypto.createHash('sha512').update(computedSignatureBase).digest()

// Decode the signature to get the signed http message
const headerBase64Signature = signature.match(/:(.*):/).pop()
const headerMessageSignature = Buffer.from(headerBase64Signature, 'base64')

// Use public key to verify that computed and header signatures are the same
const isSignatureVerified = crypto.verify(null, computedMessageSignature, publicKey, headerMessageSignature)

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Fields

FieldsRequest TypesRequiredNote
Content-TypePOST, PUT, PATCHYes
Content-DigestPOST, PUT, PATCHYes
Content-LengthPOST, PUT, PATCHYes
AuthorizationGET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETEYesNot required for /auth
X-Client-IdGET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETEYesNot required for /auth
X-Idempotency-KeyPOST, PUT, PATCH, DELETEYes
@methodGET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETEYes
@target-uriGET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETEYes
@pathGET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETEYes
@queryGET, DELETEYes
@signature-paramsGET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETEYes

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Meta

NameDescriptionRequiredNote
keyidThis is the id of the public key sent over to pipevest.Yesex: staging-pipevest-ed25519
createdThe unix time when the cryptographic operation took placeYes
expiresUnit time stamp that represents created + 100 msNoNot needed, but recommended
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