PFKEY
PFKEY, or Packet Filter Key Management Protocol, is an interface for managing Security Associations (SAs) used in IPsec. IPsec is a suite of protocols used to secure Internet Protocol (IP) communications by authenticating and encrypting each IP packet. PFKEY provides a standardized way for user-space applications to communicate with the IPsec kernel implementation. It allows for the dynamic negotiation and management of cryptographic keys and security parameters required for IPsec.
The protocol defines a set of messages that can be exchanged between a user-space process and the
PFKEY plays a crucial role in establishing and maintaining secure IPsec tunnels. For example, when a VPN