From Root CA to User Authorization in nginx+apache. Part 2: Certificate Revocation, CRL and OCSP

A follow-up to Part 1 ( EN on LinkedIn · RU on Habr ), where we stood up a two-tier PKI: a Root CA and three intermediate CAs — Person, Server and Code. At the end of Part 1 I promised we'd learn to revoke certificates and run OCSP. That's what we'll do here. Like Part 1, this article is meant as a hands-on manual : for every command and extension we touch, there's an extended reference of the parameters you can actually use — with syntax, allowed values, defaults and gotchas. If you don't need a given option right now, just skim past the table; it's there so you don't have to dig through man later. Each section has the same shape: first the working commands for the common case, then the full parameter reference. Tested on versions. Flag names, defaults and extension syntax were verified against the official documentation of OpenSSL master , plus nginx and Apache mod_ssl. OpenSSL evolves per branch: anything marked "OpenSSL 4.0 / master" (for example the nonss qualifier on authorityKeyIdentifier ) is not yet available in the stable 3.x line. If you're on OpenSSL 3.0–3.6, double-check the disputed options with openssl <cmd> --help or your version's man before copy-pasting config. The numeric openssl verify error codes above 40 also shifted between branches — confirm them against your version's header. In this part: How a revoked certificate differs from an expired one, and why we need two mechanisms — CRL and OCSP. Adding the distribution points (CDP) and AIA to the config so issued certificates "tell" verifiers where to check them. Revoking a certificate and working with the CA database. Generating a CRL and inspecting it with openssl crl . Checking revocation with openssl verify . Running an OCSP responder: issuing its certificate, starting the daemon, querying status. Publishing the CRL and OCSP over HTTP (nginx), configuring OCSP stapling and revocation checking on the web server. All paths, file names and config sections are the same as in Part 1. Where you name