Microsoft Capicom 2.1 0.2 vs .NET Framework: Which One to Use for Security Features?
Microsoft Capicom 2.1 0.2 Download: What Is It and How to Use It?
If you are looking for a way to add security features to your Windows-based applications, you might have come across Microsoft Capicom. But what is it exactly, and how can you use it? In this article, we will explain what Microsoft Capicom is, how to download and install it, how to use it for various cryptographic tasks, and what are the alternatives and security issues of using it.
Microsoft Capicom 2.1 0.2 Download
What is Microsoft Capicom?
Microsoft Capicom is an ActiveX control that provides access to cryptographic functions. It can be used to digitally sign data, verify digital signatures and digital certificates, add certificates to the certificate stores, encrypt and decrypt data, and more. It is based on the CryptoAPI, which is a set of functions that perform the actual cryptographic operations.
Features and benefits of Capicom
Some of the features and benefits of using Capicom are:
It simplifies the use of CryptoAPI by providing a high-level interface that does not require detailed knowledge of the underlying implementation.
It supports various cryptographic algorithms, such as RSA, DSA, SHA-1, SHA-256, MD5, AES, DES, RC2, RC4, etc.
It supports various certificate formats, such as X.509, PKCS #7, PKCS #10, etc.
It supports various certificate stores, such as Current User, Local Machine, Memory, and Active Directory.
It supports various certificate extensions, such as Policies, Templates, Key Usage, Enhanced Key Usage, etc.
It supports various digital signature formats, such as PKCS #7 and Authenticode.
It supports various data encryption formats, such as PKCS #7 Enveloped Data and Password-based Encryption.
Supported operating systems and versions
The latest and last version of Microsoft Capicom is 2.1 0.2. It is available for use in the following operating systems:
Windows Server 2008
Windows Vista
Windows XP
Note that Capicom is a 32-bit only component that is not supported on Windows 7 or later versions. Instead, Microsoft recommends using the .NET Framework to implement security features. For more information, see Alternatives to Using CAPICOM.
How to download and install Microsoft Capicom 2.1 0.2
If you want to use Microsoft Capicom 2.1 0.2 on your Windows system, you need to download and install it first. Here are the steps to do so:
Downloading from the official Microsoft website
You can download the redistributable files for Microsoft Capicom 2.1 0.2 from the official Microsoft website by following these steps:
Go to CAPICOM Versions.
Click on the "Download" button under "CAPICOM Redistributable".
Select "Save" and specify a directory on your system where you want to save the file.
Wait for the download to complete.
The file name should be capicom_dc_sdk.msi. It is about 1.5 MB in size.
Installing and registering the Capicom.dll file
After downloading the file, you need to install and register the Capicom.dll file on your system. Here are the steps to do so:
Double-click on the capicom_dc_sdk.msi file to start the installation wizard.
Follow the instructions on the screen and accept the license agreement.
Select a destination folder for the installation. The default location is C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft CAPICOM 2.1.0.2 SDK.
Click on "Install" and wait for the installation to finish.
Click on "Finish" to exit the wizard.
Open a command prompt as an administrator.
Navigate to the installation folder using the cd command. For example, cd C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft CAPICOM 2.1.0.2 SDK\Bin.
Type regsvr32 capicom.dll and press Enter. You should see a message saying "DllRegisterServer in capicom.dll succeeded".
Congratulations, you have successfully installed and registered Microsoft Capicom 2.1 0.2 on your system.
How to use Microsoft Capicom 2.1 0.2
Now that you have Microsoft Capicom 2.1 0.2 on your system, you can use it for various cryptographic tasks. Here are some examples of how to use Capicom for digital signatures, data encryption and decryption, and certificate management.
Using Capicom for digital signatures
Digital signatures are a way of verifying the authenticity and integrity of data. They use public key cryptography to create a unique signature that can only be generated by the owner of the private key and verified by anyone who has the public key. Capicom can be used to create and verify digital signatures using various formats and algorithms.
To create a digital signature using Capicom, you need to have a digital certificate that contains your public and private keys. You can obtain a digital certificate from a trusted certificate authority (CA) or create your own self-signed certificate using Capicom or other tools. You also need to have the data that you want to sign, such as a file or a message.
Here is an example of how to create a digital signature using Capicom in Visual Basic:
'Create an instance of the SignedData object Dim objSignedData As New CAPICOM.SignedData 'Set the content of the data to be signed objSignedData.Content = "Hello, world!" 'Create an instance of the Signer object Dim objSigner As New CAPICOM.Signer 'Set the certificate of the signer objSigner.Certificate = GetCertificate() 'A function that returns a valid certificate 'Create an instance of the SignedCode object Dim objSignedCode As New CAPICOM.SignedCode 'Set the file name of the code to be signed objSignedCode.FileName = "C:\MyApp.exe" 'Sign the data using PKCS #7 format and SHA-1 algorithm objSignedData.Sign objSigner, True, CAPICOM_ENCODE_BASE64 'Sign the code using Authenticode format and SHA-256 algorithm objSignedCode.Sign objSigner, CAPICOM_CERTIFICATE_INCLUDE_WHOLE_CHAIN, CAPICOM_AUTHENTICODE_SIGNING 'Save the signature as a file objSignedData.Save "C:\MySignature.p7s" 'Save the signed code as a file objSignedCode.Save "C:\MyApp_signed.exe"
To verify a digital signature using Capicom, you need to have the signature file or data, the original data or code, and the public key or certificate of the signer. You can use Capicom to check if the signature is valid, if it matches the data or code, and if it was signed by a trusted signer.
Here is an example of how to verify a digital signature using Capicom in Visual Basic:
'Create an instance of the SignedData object Dim objSignedData As New CAPICOM.SignedData 'Load the signature from a file objSignedData.Load "C:\MySignature.p7s" 'Create an instance of the SignedCode object Dim objSignedCode As New CAPICOM.SignedCode 'Load the signed code from a file objSignedCode.Load "C:\MyApp_signed.exe" 'Verify the signature using PKCS #7 format and SHA-1 algorithm objSignedData.Verify objSignedData.Content, True, CAPICOM_VERIFY_SIGNATURE_ONLY 'Verify the code using Authenticode format and SHA-256 algorithm objSignedCode.Verify CAPICOM_VERIFY_SIGNATURE_AND_CERTIFICATE 'Check the validity of the signature If objSignedData.IsValid And objSignedCode.IsValid Then MsgBox "The signature and the code are valid." Else MsgBox "The signature or the code is invalid." End If 'Check the integrity of the data or code If objSignedData.Content = "Hello, world!" And objSignedCode.FileName = "C:\MyApp.exe" Then MsgBox "The data and the code are intact." Else MsgBox "The data or the code has been tampered with." End If 'Check the trustworthiness of the signer Dim objSigner As CAPICOM.Signer Set objSigner = objSignedData.Signers(1) 'Get the first signer of the signature If objSigner.Certificate.IsValid And objSigner.Certificate.IsTrustedRoot Then MsgBox "The signer is trusted." Else MsgBox "The signer is not trusted." End If
Using Capicom for data encryption and decryption
Data encryption and decryption are a way of protecting the confidentiality and privacy of data. They use symmetric or asymmetric key cryptography to transform data into an unreadable form that can only be restored by using the correct key. Capicom can be used to encrypt and decrypt data using various formats and algorithms.
To encrypt data using Capicom, you need to have a secret key or a public key of the recipient. You can generate a secret key using Capicom or other tools, or use a public key from a digital certificate. You also need to have the data that you want to encrypt, such as a file or a message.
Here is an example of how to encrypt data using Capicom in Visual Basic:
'Create an instance of the EnvelopedData object Dim objEnvelopedData As New CAPICOM.EnvelopedData 'Set the content of the data to be encrypted objEnvelopedData.Content = "Hello, world!" 'Create an instance of the Recipients collection Dim objRecipients As CAPICOM.Recipients Set objRecipients = objEnvelopedData.Recipients 'Add a recipient using a secret key Dim objSecretKey As New CAPICOM.SecretKey objSecretKey.Algorithm.Name = CAPICOM_ENCRYPTION_ALGORITHM_RC4 'Use RC4 algorithm objSecretKey.Algorithm.KeyLength = CAPICOM_ENCRYPTION_KEY_LENGTH_128_BITS 'Use 128-bit key length objSecretKey.SetSecret "MySecretKey" 'Set the secret key value objRecipients.Add objSecretKey 'Add the secret key as a recipient 'Add another recipient using a public key from a certificate Dim objPublicKey As CAPICOM.Certificate Set objPublicKey = GetCertificate() 'A function that returns a valid certificate with a public key objRecipients.Add objPublicKey 'Add the public key as another recipient 'Encrypt the data using PKCS #7 Enveloped Data format and AES algorithm objEnvelopedData.Encrypt CAPICOM_ENCRYPTION_ALGORITHM_AES, CAPICOM_ENCODE_BASE64 'Save the encrypted data as a file objEnvelopedData.Save "C:\MyEncryptedData.p7m"
To decrypt data using Capicom, you need to have the encrypted data file or data, and the secret key or the private key of the recipient. You can use Capicom to check if you are a valid recipient, and if so, decrypt the data using the correct key.
Here is an example of how to decrypt data using Capicom in Visual Basic:
'Create an instance of the EnvelopedData object Dim objEnvelopedData As New CAPICOM.EnvelopedData 'Load the encrypted data from a file objEnvelopedData.Load "C:\MyEncryptedData.p7m" 'Create an instance of the Recipients collection Dim objRecipients As CAPICOM.Recipients Set objRecipients = objEnvelopedData.Recipients 'Check if you are a valid recipient using a secret key Dim objSecretKey As New CAPICOM.SecretKey objSecretKey.Algorithm.Name = CAPICOM_ENCRYPTION_ALGORITHM_RC4 'Use RC4 algorithm objSecretKey.Algorithm.KeyLength = CAPICOM_ENCRYPTION_KEY_LENGTH_128_BITS 'Use 128-bit key length objSecretKey.SetSecret "MySecretKey" 'Set the secret key value If objRecipients.IsRecipientValid(objSecretKey) Then 'Check if you Deploy your applications and monitor their performance and security.
For more information and guidance on how to migrate from Capicom to .NET Framework, you can refer to the following resources:
Migrating CAPICOM Applications to .NET Framework
CAPICOM to .NET Framework Migration Tool
CAPICOM to .NET Framework Migration Guide
How to fix common errors and vulnerabilities of Capicom
If you still use Capicom for some reason and encounter errors or vulnerabilities, you need to fix them as soon as possible. Here are some of the common errors and vulnerabilities of Capicom and how to fix them:
Error or vulnerability
Description
Fix
Capicom.dll is missing or not registered
This error occurs when the Capicom.dll file is not found or not properly registered on your system. It can prevent you from using Capicom features or cause runtime errors.
You need to download and install Capicom.dll from a reliable source and register it using the regsvr32 command. See How to download and install Microsoft Capicom 2.1 0.2 for more details.
Capicom.dll is outdated or incompatible
This error occurs when the Capicom.dll file is not the latest or compatible version for your system. It can cause functionality or compatibility issues with your applications or other components.
You need to update or replace Capicom.dll with the latest or compatible version for your system. See CAPICOM Versions for more details.
Capicom.dll is corrupted or infected
This error occurs when the Capicom.dll file is damaged or infected by malware. It can compromise the security and performance of your system and applications.
You need to scan and repair Capicom.dll using a reputable antivirus or anti-malware program. You may also need to reinstall Capicom.dll from a clean source. See How to fix a corrupted CAPICOM.DLL file for more details.
Capicom is vulnerable to buffer overflow attacks
This vulnerability occurs when Capicom does not properly validate the input data size and allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code on your system by sending specially crafted data.
You need to apply the security update for Capicom that fixes this vulnerability. See Microsoft Security Bulletin MS07-028 - Critical Vulnerability in CAPICOM Could Allow Remote Code Execution (931906) for more details.
Capicom is vulnerable to signature spoofing attacks
This vulnerability occurs when Capicom does not properly verify the digital signatures and allows an attacker to spoof the identity of the signer by using a specially crafted certificate.
You need to apply the security update for Capicom that fixes this vulnerability. See Microsoft Security Bulletin MS09-055 - Critical Vulnerability in Microsoft Windows CryptoAPI Could Allow Spoofing (974571) for more details.
Capicom is vulnerable to certificate validation bypass attacks
This vulnerability occurs when Capicom does not properly validate the certificate chain and allows an attacker to bypass the certificate validation by using a specially crafted certificate.
You need to apply the security update for Capicom that fixes this vulnerability. See Microsoft Security Bulletin MS10-049 - Critical Vulnerabilities in SChannel Could Allow Remote Code Execution (980436) for more details.
Conclusion
In this article, we have learned what Microsoft Capicom is, how to download and install it, how to use it for various cryptographic tasks, and what are the alternatives and security issues of using it. We have also seen some examples of how to use Capicom in Visual Basic. We hope that this article has been helpful and informative for you.
However, we also want to remind you that Microsoft Capicom is an outdated and unsupported component that is not compatible with Windows 7 or later versions. It also has some known vulnerabilities that can compromise the security of your system and applications. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you migrate from Capicom to the .NET Framework as soon as possible. The .NET Framework provides a more modern, comprehensive, and secure way of accessing cryptographic functions. It also supports more features and platforms than Capicom.
If you have any questions or feedback about this article, please feel free to contact us. We would love to hear from you.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about Microsoft Capicom and their answers:
What is the difference between Capicom and CryptoAPI?
Capicom is an ActiveX control that provides access to cryptographic functions. CryptoAPI is a set of functions that perform the actual cryptographic operations. Capicom is based on CryptoAPI and simplifies its use by providing a high-level interface.
How can I check the version of Capicom on my system?
You can check the version of Capicom on your system by following these steps:
Open a command prompt as an administrator.
Navigate to the folder where Capicom.dll is located using the cd command. For example, cd C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft CAPICOM 2.1.0.2 SDK\Bin.
Type capicom /version and press Enter. You should see the version number of Capicom.dll displayed on the screen.
How can I uninstall Capicom from my system?
You can uninstall Capicom from your system by following these steps:
Open a command prompt as an administrator.
Navigate to the folder where Capicom.dll is located using the cd command. For example, cd C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft CAPICOM 2.1.0.2 SDK\Bin.
Type regsvr32 /u capicom.dll and press Enter. You should see a message saying "DllUnregisterServer in capicom.dll succeeded".
Delete the capicom_dc_sdk.msi file from your system.
Delete the folder where Capicom.dll is located from your system.
Where can I find more resources and documentation about Capicom?
You can find more resources and documentation about Capicom by visiting the following links:
CAPICOM Reference
CAPICOM Samples
CAPICOM Blog
Where can I find more resources and documentation about the .NET Framework?
You can find more resources and documentation about the .NET Framework by visiting the following links:
.NET Framework Documentation
System.Security.Cryptography Namespace
System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates Namespace
System.Security.Cryptography.Pkcs Namespace
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