808bits

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 NSS Cryptographic Module

FIPS 140-2 certificate #3946 · Red Hat®, Inc. · data as of 2026-10-09

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 NSS Cryptographic Module, from Red Hat®, Inc., holds FIPS 140-2 certificate #3946 at overall level 1. The validation is historical: agencies may keep the module in existing systems but not buy it new. Below are its validation history, algorithm certificates and security policy, drawn from the NIST CMVP entry.

Historical. SP 800-56Arev3 transition - replaced by certificate #4413. Federal agencies may reference historical validations for existing systems only, not for new procurement.
Caveat: When operated in FIPS mode. The module generates cryptographic keys whose strengths are modified by available entropy

Certificate

Certificate number3946
StandardFIPS 140-2
Statushistorical
Overall level1
Module typeSoftware
EmbodimentMulti-Chip Stand Alone
VendorRed Hat®, Inc. · website
Software versionsrhel8.20200131

Module description

Quoted from the NIST CMVP entry for this certificate.

Network Security Services (NSS) is a set of open source C libraries designed to support cross-platform development of security-enabled applications. NSS implements major Internet security standards. NSS is available free of charge under a variety of open source compatible licenses. See http://www.mozilla.org/projects/security/pki/nss/.

Security level exceptions

  • Roles, Services, and Authentication: Level 2
  • Physical Security: N/A
  • Design Assurance: Level 2

Approved algorithms (11)

AlgorithmCAVP certificates
AESA612, A613
CKGvendor affirmed
CVLA609, A613
DRBGA613
DSAA613
ECDSAA613
HMACA613
PBKDFvendor affirmed
RSAA613
SHSA613
Triple-DESA613

Allowed algorithms

Diffie-Hellman (CVL Cert. #A613 with CVL Certs. #A609 and #A613, key agreement; key establishment methodology provides between 112 bits and 256 bits of encryption strength); EC Diffie-Hellman (CVL Cert. #A613 with CVL Certs. #A609 and #A613, key agreement; key establishment methodology provides between 128 and 256 bits of encryption strength); NDRNG; RSA (key wrapping; key establishment methodology provides between 112 and 256 bits of encryption strength)

Tested configurations

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 running on Dell PowerEdge R430 Intel Xeon E5 with PAA
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 running on Dell PowerEdge R430 Intel Xeon E5 without PAA (single-user mode)

Validation history

DateTypeLab
2021-06-07Initialatsec information security corporation

Status timeline

As observed by this tracker's snapshots. NIST publishes no dates for list moves; observation began 2026-08-21, so earlier changes carry no date.

  • 2026-08-21: first observed by this tracker, status historical
  • Validation dates on record: 2021-06-07

Source documents