(mozilla-projects-nss-cert-findcertbydercert)=

# CERT_FindCertByDERCert

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Find a certificate in the database that matches a DER-encoded certificate.
:::

## Syntax

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```{code}
#include <cert.h>
CERTCertificate *CERT_FindCertByDERCert(

    CERTCertDBHandle *handle,
    SECItem          *derCert          );
```

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## Parameters

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```{eval-rst}
+-------------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| ``handle``  | *in* pointer to a `CERTCertDBHandle </en-US/NSS/CERTCertDBHandle>`__ representing the certificate database to look in                                |
|             |                                                                                                                                                      |
+-------------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| ``derCert`` | *in* pointer to an `SECItem </en-US/NSS/SECItem>`__ whose ``type`` must be ``siDERCertBuffer`` and whose ``data`` contains a DER-encoded certificate |
|             |                                                                                                                                                      |
+-------------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
```

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## Description

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This function looks in the ?NSSCryptoContext? and the ?NSSTrustDomain? to find the certificate
that matches the DER-encoded certificate. A match is found when the issuer and serial number of
the DER-encoded certificate are found on a certificate in the certificate database.
:::

## Returns

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A pointer to a [CERTCertificate](/en-US/NSS/CERTCertificate) representing the certificate in
the database that matched the `derCert`, or `NULL` if none was found. The certificate is a
shallow copy, use [CERT_DestroyCertificate](/en-US/NSS/CERT_DestroyCertificate) to decrement
the reference count on the certificate instance.
:::

## See Also

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Occurrences of
`` `CERT_FindCertByDERCert `` \<<http://lxr.mozilla.org/security/ident?i=CERT_FindCertByDERCert>>\`\_\_
in the current NSS source code (generated by [LXR](http://lxr.mozilla.org/security/)).
:::
