How to split a certificate chain file into individual certificate files? I have 2 certificates in a certificate chain file in PEM format.

If you have a certificate chain file in PEM format, you can split each certificate out of the chain file using any text editor as shown in this tutorial:

Assume that we have the certificate chain file called facebook.pem with 2 certificates inside in PEM downloaded in the previous tutorial.

Open facebook.pem in a text editor, like Notepad.

Copy the first certificate between the first pair of "-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----" line and "-----END CERTIFICATE-----" into a new file called facebook_cert.pem:

-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----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-----END CERTIFICATE-----

Copy the second certificate between the second pair of "-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----" line and "-----END CERTIFICATE-----" into a new file called verisign_server_cert.pem:

-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
MIIDgzCCAuygAwIBAgIQRvzrurTQLw+SYJgjP5MHjzANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQUFADBfMQswCQYDVQQG
EwJVUzEXMBUGA1UEChMOVmVyaVNpZ24sIEluYy4xNzA1BgNVBAsTLkNsYXNzIDMgUHVibGljIFBy
aW1hcnkgQ2VydGlmaWNhdGlvbiBBdXRob3JpdHkwHhcNOTcwNDE3MDAwMDAwWhcNMTYxMDI0MjM1
OTU5WjCBujEfMB0GA1UEChMWVmVyaVNpZ24gVHJ1c3QgTmV0d29yazEXMBUGA1UECxMOVmVyaVNp
Z24sIEluYy4xMzAxBgNVBAsTKlZlcmlTaWduIEludGVybmF0aW9uYWwgU2VydmVyIENBIC0gQ2xh
c3MgMzFJMEcGA1UECxNAd3d3LnZlcmlzaWduLmNvbS9DUFMgSW5jb3JwLmJ5IFJlZi4gTElBQklM
SVRZIExURC4oYyk5NyBWZXJpU2lnbjCBnzANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQEFAAOBjQAwgYkCgYEA2IKA6NYZ
An0fhRg5JaJlK+G/1AXTvOY2O6rwTGxbtueqPHNFVbLxveqXQu2aNAoV1Klc9UAl3dkHwTKydWzE
yruj/lYncUOqY/UwPpMo5frxCTvzt01OOfdcSVq4wR3Tsor+cDCVQsv+K1GLWjw6+SJPkLICp1Oc
TzTnqwSye28CAwEAAaOB4zCB4DAPBgNVHRMECDAGAQH/AgEAMEQGA1UdIAQ9MDswOQYLYIZIAYb4
RQEHAQEwKjAoBggrBgEFBQcCARYcaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudmVyaXNpZ24uY29tL0NQUzA0BgNVHSUE
LTArBggrBgEFBQcDAQYIKwYBBQUHAwIGCWCGSAGG+EIEAQYKYIZIAYb4RQEIATALBgNVHQ8EBAMC
AQYwEQYJYIZIAYb4QgEBBAQDAgEGMDEGA1UdHwQqMCgwJqAkoCKGIGh0dHA6Ly9jcmwudmVyaXNp
Z24uY29tL3BjYTMuY3JsMA0GCSqGSIb3DQEBBQUAA4GBAECOSZeWinPdjk3vPmG3yqBirfQOCrt1
PeJu2CzHv/S5jDabyqLQnHJGOfamggNlEcS8vy2m9dk7CrWY+rN4uR7yK0xi1f2yeh3fM/1z+aXY
LYwq6tH8sCi26UlIE0uDihtIeyT3ON5vQVS4q1drBt/HotSp9vE2YoCI8ot11oBx
-----END CERTIFICATE-----

Now we have 2 individual certificate files:

• "facebook_cert.pem" with owner of www.facebook.com and signed by "VeriSign International Server CA - Class 3".
• "verisign_server_cert" with owner of "VeriSign International Server CA - Class 3" and signed by "Class 3 Public Primary Certification Authority," of "VeriSign, Inc.".

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⇑⇑ Java Keytool: Certificate Management Tool