NVME-KEYS-IMPORT(1)               NVMe Manual              NVME-KEYS-IMPORT(1)

NAME
       nvme-keys-import - Import NVMeoF TLS PSKs or KX-HMAC-CHAP secrets into
       a keyring

SYNOPSIS
       nvme [<global-options>] keys import [--keyring=<name> | -k <name>]
                               [--keyfile=<file> | -f <file>]
                               [--keydata=<key> | -d <key>]
                               [--identity=<identity> | -i <identity>]

DESCRIPTION
       Imports one or more already-identified keys into a keyring. The key
       type (NVMe TLS PSK or KX-HMAC-CHAP host secret) is auto-detected from
       the key's prefix (NVMeTLSkey-1: or DHHC-1:).

       Without --identity, keys are read in bulk. Key data is read in the form

       <description> <key>

       where <description> is the key description -- the TLS PSK identity for
       a TLS PSK -- and <key> is either a TLS PSK in interchange format
       NVMeTLSkey-1:<hmac>:<base64 encoded data>: or a KX-HMAC-CHAP secret in
       the form DHHC-1:<hmac>:<base64 encoded data>:, one key per line, and
       imported into the kernel keyring. This is the format produced by nvme-
       keys-export(1).

       With --identity, a single key is imported instead: the key is read from
       --keydata (or, if not given, from stdin) and stored under the given
       identity. This is the way to insert a single KX-HMAC-CHAP secret, or a
       previously derived TLS PSK, directly by identity, without needing a
       keyfile.

       Note that this command does not derive a TLS PSK from a configured PSK,
       nor compute the identity to store it under from a host/subsystem NQN
       pair; use nvme-keys-insert-tls-psk(1) for that.

OPTIONS
       -k <name>, --keyring=<name>
           Name of the keyring to import the keys into. Default is .nvme.

       -f <file>, --keyfile=<file>
           File to read the keys from instead of stdin. Only used in bulk mode
           (i.e. when --identity is not given).

       -d <key>, --keydata=<key>
           Key to be inserted when --identity is given. If not given, the key
           is read from stdin.

       -i <identity>, --identity=<identity>
           Identity to store a single key under. If given, --keydata (or
           stdin) is read as a single key instead of a bulk <description>
           <key> list.

GLOBAL OPTIONS
       The following options are defined at the top-level nvme command and are
       available to this subcommand:

       --dry-run
           Print the command that would be executed, but do not actually
           execute it.

       --no-ioctl-probing
           Disable probing for 64-bit IOCTL support.

       --no-retries
           Disable retry logic on transient errors.

       -o <fmt>, --output-format=<fmt>
           Set the reporting format to normal, tabular, 'json, or binary. Only
           one output format may be used at a time.

       --output-format-version=<version>
           Select the output format version. Version 1 uses the original field
           naming, while version 2 (default) provides more consistent and
           script-friendly field names.

       --timeout=<ms>
           Set the timeout for the command in milliseconds.

       -v, --verbose
           Increase the level of detail in the output. May be specified
           multiple times to further increase verbosity.

       These options can also be set as machine-wide defaults in
       nvme-cli.conf(5). A command-line flag always overrides the file.

EXAMPLES
       o   Import previously exported keys from a file and verify with keyctl

               # nvme keys import -f nvme-tls-keys.txt

               # keyctl show
               Session Keyring
                573249525 --alswrv      0     0  keyring: _ses
                353599402 --alswrv      0 65534   \_ keyring: _uid.0
                475911922 ---lswrv      0     0   \_ keyring: .nvme
                734343968 --als-rv      0     0       \_ psk: NVMe0R01 hostnqn0 subsys0

       o   Import a single KX-HMAC-CHAP secret under an explicit identity

               # nvme keys import -i host2 -d DHHC-1:00:ia6zGodOr4SEG0Zzaw398rpY0wqipUWj4jWjUh4HWUz6aQ2n:

NVME
       Part of the nvme-user suite

NVMe                              09/07/2026               NVME-KEYS-IMPORT(1)