CertPathValidatorSpi (Java Platform SE 8 )
Keywords: java.security.cert.CertPathValidatorSpi class
Date: 2026-04-17

compact1, compact2, compact3
java.security.cert

## Class CertPathValidatorSpi

- java.lang.Object
- - java.security.cert.CertPathValidatorSpi

-     public abstract class CertPathValidatorSpi
      extends Object

  The Service Provider Interface (SPI) for the `CertPathValidator` class. All `CertPathValidator` implementations must include a class (the SPI class) that extends this class (`CertPathValidatorSpi`) and implements all of its methods. In general, instances of this class should only be accessed through the `CertPathValidator` class. For details, see the Java Cryptography Architecture.

  Concurrent Access

  Instances of this class need not be protected against concurrent access from multiple threads. Threads that need to access a single `CertPathValidatorSpi` instance concurrently should synchronize amongst themselves and provide the necessary locking before calling the wrapping `CertPathValidator` object.

  However, implementations of `CertPathValidatorSpi` may still encounter concurrency issues, since multiple threads each manipulating a different `CertPathValidatorSpi` instance need not synchronize.

  Since:
    1.4

- - ### Constructor Summary

    Constructors
    Constructor and Description
    `CertPathValidatorSpi()` The default constructor.

  - ### Method Summary

    All Methods Instance Methods Abstract Methods Concrete Methods
    Modifier and Type | Method and Description
    --- | ---
    `CertPathChecker` | `engineGetRevocationChecker()` Returns a `CertPathChecker` that this implementation uses to check the revocation status of certificates.
    `abstract CertPathValidatorResult` | `engineValidate(CertPath certPath, CertPathParameters params)` Validates the specified certification path using the specified algorithm parameter set.

    - ### Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

      `clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait`

- - ### Constructor Detail

    - #### CertPathValidatorSpi

          public CertPathValidatorSpi()

      The default constructor.

  - ### Method Detail

    - #### engineValidate

          public abstract CertPathValidatorResult engineValidate(CertPath certPath,
                                                                 CertPathParameters params)
                                                          throws CertPathValidatorException,
                                                                 InvalidAlgorithmParameterException

      Validates the specified certification path using the specified algorithm parameter set.

      The `CertPath` specified must be of a type that is supported by the validation algorithm, otherwise an `InvalidAlgorithmParameterException` will be thrown. For example, a `CertPathValidator` that implements the PKIX algorithm validates `CertPath` objects of type X.509.

      Parameters:
        `certPath` - the `CertPath` to be validated
        `params` - the algorithm parameters
      Returns:
        the result of the validation algorithm
      Throws:
        `CertPathValidatorException` - if the `CertPath` does not validate
        `InvalidAlgorithmParameterException` - if the specified parameters or the type of the specified `CertPath` are inappropriate for this `CertPathValidator`

    - #### engineGetRevocationChecker

          public CertPathChecker engineGetRevocationChecker()

      Returns a `CertPathChecker` that this implementation uses to check the revocation status of certificates. A PKIX implementation returns objects of type `PKIXRevocationChecker`.

      The primary purpose of this method is to allow callers to specify additional input parameters and options specific to revocation checking. See the class description of `CertPathValidator` for an example.

      This method was added to version 1.8 of the Java Platform Standard Edition. In order to maintain backwards compatibility with existing service providers, this method cannot be abstract and by default throws an `UnsupportedOperationException`.

      Returns:
        a `CertPathChecker` that this implementation uses to check the revocation status of certificates
      Throws:
        `UnsupportedOperationException` - if this method is not supported
      Since:
        1.8

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