Keyset files are ASCII text files containing one key per line, in the form "__key_name = HEXADECIMALKEY__". Case and whitespace do not matter, ';' character can be used to insert comments.
# Loading keyset files automatically
If a keyset file is located in ___$HOME/.switch/___ it will be loaded automatically.
# General Keys (prod.keys and dev.keys)
Some switch files formats feature encryption and or cryptographic signatures. In order to process these file formats, some keys are required. These keys can be supplied via a keyfile: ___prod.keys___ (or ___dev.keys___ for devkit variants).
master_key_## : Master key, used to derive other keys. (0x10 bytes)
aes_kek_generation_source : Used to derive other aes-keks. (0x10 bytes)
aes_key_generation_source : Used to derive other aes-keys. (0x10 bytes)
package2_key_source : Used with master_key_## to derive package2_key_##. (0x10 bytes)
ticket_commonkey_source : Used with master_key_## to derive ticket_commonkey_##. (0x10 bytes)
nca_header_kek_source : Used with master_key_00, aes_kek_generation_source and aes_key_generation_source to generate nca_header_kek. (0x10 bytes)
nca_header_key_source : Used with nca_header_kek to generate nca_header_key. (0x20 bytes)
nca_key_area_key_application_source : Used with master_key_##, aes_kek_generation_source and aes_key_generation_source to generate nca_key_area_key_application_##. (0x10 bytes)
nca_key_area_key_ocean_source : Used with master_key_##, aes_kek_generation_source and aes_key_generation_source to generate nca_key_area_key_ocean_##. (0x10 bytes)
nca_key_area_key_system_source : Used with master_key_##, aes_kek_generation_source and aes_key_generation_source to generate nca_key_area_key_system_##. (0x10 bytes)
Since firmware `9.0.0+` support for signature key generations was retroactively added for RSA-PSS signatures in NRR, ACID and NCA. The old names for these keys are still valid:
```
nca_header_sign_key_modulus : alias for nca_header_sign_key_00_modulus
`prod.keys` (and `dev.keys`) keyset files share the same keyset file format as [hactool](https://github.com/SciresM/hactool/blob/master/KEYS.md), but names of keys may differ. For compatibility, hactool names for equivalent keys are accepted.
key_area_key_application_## : hactool alias for nca_key_area_key_application_##
key_area_key_ocean_## : hactool alias for nca_key_area_key_ocean_##
key_area_key_system_## : hactool alias for nca_key_area_key_system_##
```
## Encrypted File Types
See below for advice on what keys are required to decrypt certain file types.
### NX GameCard Image
The `GameCard ExtendedHeader` is encrypted with one of 8 keys, specified by the `KekIndex` in the `GameCard Header`.
It isn't required to extract game data, it just contains metadata.
Only two keys are currently defined:
| KeyIndex | Name | Description |
| ----------- | --------------- | ----------- |
| 00 | Production | Usually selected for prod images. Some dev images use this key index. |
| 01 | Development | Usually selected for dev images. This was changed from key index 00 at some point. |
Define the header key(s) in `prod.keys`/`dev.keys` (Prod and dev share the same keydata):
```
xci_header_key_00 = <32charAES128keyhere>
xci_header_key_01 = <32charAES128keyhere>
```
### Nintendo Content Archive
Nintendo Content Archive (NCA) files have both an encrypted header and content. The encrypted header determines the layout/format/encryption method of the content, which contains the game data.
In order to read the NCA content, the content key must be determined. Unlike the header key which is fixed, each NCA will have a unique content key.
Content keys are either:
1) "Internal", where they are encrypted the NCA Header KeyArea
2) "External", where they are encrypted in an external Ticket file (.tik) (external content keys are sometimes called title keys)
#### Internal Content Key
Decrypting the content key from the NCA Header Key Area requires the appropriate `nca_key_area_key` to be defined in `prod.keys`/`dev.keys`.
However for security reasons Nintendo revises this key periodically, and within each key revision there are 3 separate keys for different categories of applications.
It's best to define as many of these as possible, to reduce the number of times you need to edit the keyfiles.
So for a given key revision these key area keys can be defined explicitly (`##` represents the key revision in hexadecimal):
This however requires the the appropriate commonkey to be defined in `prod.keys`/`dev.keys` to decrypt the content key in the ticket. However for security reasons Nintendo revises this key periodically.
It's best to define as many of these as possible, to reduce the number of times you need to edit the keyfiles.
So for a given key revision the common key can be defined explicitly (`##` represents the key revision in hexadecimal):
```
ticket_commonkey_## = <32charAES128key-datahere>
```
Or allow NSTool to derive them from key sources: (`##` represents the key revision in hexadecimal):
Please note that "Scene" tickets have been known to have errors. If you have issues using the `--tik` option, try passing the raw encrypted titlekey directly with the `--titlekey` option. The titlekey can be found by reading the ticket with NSTool:
```
nstool <32charrightsid>.tik
```
##### Personalised Tickets
If the ticket is personalised (encrypted with console unique RSA key), NSTool will not support it. You will need to use extract the title key with another tool and pass the encrypted title key directly with the `--titlekey` option.
In order for NSTool to decrypt NCA files that use external content keys, the ticket or key data be provided to NSTool. For convience NSTool supports the hactool `title.keys` format. This file can store a dictionary of title keys, so that specifying a ticket or key data manually is not required, provided it is present in `title.keys`. This file must be present in: ___$HOME/.switch/___ .