macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install yubico-piv-toollocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install yubico-piv-toolMacPorts ports tree · security/yubico-piv-tool/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install yubico-piv-tool with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, scoop, winget, zypper
Command-line tool for the YubiKey PIV application. Version 2.7.3 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-25.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add yubico-piv-toolAlpine Linux edge package indexes · yubico-piv-tool · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install libykpiv-devDebian stable package indexes · libykpiv-dev · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install yubico-piv-toolFedora Rawhide package metadata · yubico-piv-tool · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#yubico-piv-toolnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/yu/yubico-piv-tool/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S yubico-piv-toolArch Linux sync databases · yubico-piv-tool · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install libykcs11-2openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · libykcs11-2 · source: download.opensuse.org
Windows
Scoopverified · 92%
scoop install main/yubico-piv-toolScoop official bucket manifest trees · bucket/yubico-piv-tool.json · source: api.github.com
Windows Package Managerverified · 92%
winget install --id Yubico.PIVTool -eWindows Package Manager source index · Yubico.PIVTool · source: cdn.winget.microsoft.com
overview
Package summary
Command-line tool for the YubiKey PIV application
Project links
Commands and aliases
- yubico-piv-tool
history
Project history and usage
Yubico PIV Tool is the command-line, library, and PKCS#11 toolchain for the YubiKey PIV application, packaged because it turns hardware-backed smart-card identity into scriptable Unix tooling.
Project history
Yubico’s PIV tooling grew from the YubiKey NEO/YubiKey 4 era when YubiKeys exposed a Personal Identity Verification smart-card interface compatible with NIST SP 800-73 concepts. The developer documentation describes PIV as enabling RSA or ECC signing and decryption with private keys stored on the smart card, exposed through interfaces such as PKCS#11.
The project bundles several layers: the `yubico-piv-tool` command, the libykpiv library, and the YKCS11 PKCS#11 module. That combination made it useful both for direct provisioning tasks and for applications that already know how to talk PKCS#11.
Over time, release notes show the project tracking newer YubiKey capabilities and platform integration needs: improved YKCS11 behavior, Windows/minidriver integration, firmware 5.7-era RSA3072/RSA4096, ED25519 and X25519 support, key deletion and movement, and expanded error handling.
Adoption history
Adoption followed enterprise and developer uses of YubiKeys as smart-card-like credentials: client certificates, SSH through PKCS#11, code signing, certificate requests, and hardware-backed private-key operations. Distribution packages often split the command-line tool, development library, and PKCS#11 module, reflecting its use both by humans and by other applications.
Yubico’s own guides for SSH with PIV and PKCS#11 helped make the package a standard dependency in hardware-backed SSH setups before OpenSSH’s newer FIDO2 key types became widespread. Even with FIDO2 available, PIV remains relevant where certificate, PKCS#11, or smart-card interoperability is required.
How it is used
Users use `yubico-piv-tool` to generate keys on a YubiKey, import keys or certificates, create certificate signing requests, read and write PIV objects, inspect status, verify PINs, and test signatures. Applications can use YKCS11 when they need a PKCS#11 provider for the YubiKey PIV applet.
For package users, the practical pattern is often: install the tool, initialize or inspect the PIV applet, provision slots such as 9a for authentication, and point OpenSSH, OpenSSL, Firefox, Java keytool, or another PKCS#11-aware consumer at the YKCS11 module.
Why package nerds care
This package is a bridge between hardware security tokens and the Unix package ecosystem. It is small on the surface, but it explains why smart-card support pulls in PC/SC, PKCS#11, OpenSSL, and vendor-specific libraries in real deployments.
It also documents the hardware reality ponytail code usually cannot ignore: firmware capabilities matter, slots matter, PIN/PUK/management-key state matters, and package upgrades may unlock algorithms only when the physical YubiKey supports them.
Timeline
- 2014: Yubico copyright notices and forum activity show the PIV tool emerging in the YubiKey NEO/PIV era.
- 2016: yubico-piv-tool 2.0.0 is discussed as a major YKCS11 release with a more complete PKCS#11 implementation.
- 2017-2020: Linux distributions package yubico-piv-tool and YKCS11 for command-line and PKCS#11 use.
- 2024-01-31: Version 2.5.0 adds firmware 5.7-era support for RSA3072/RSA4096, ED25519, X25519, key deletion, and key movement.
- 2026-01-20: Version 2.7.3 release notes include X25519 ECDH work and Windows/minidriver usability improvements.
Related projects
- Related projects include YubiKey Manager, YKCS11, libykpiv, OpenSC, OpenSSH, OpenSSL, p11-kit, PC/SC Lite, piv-go, yubikey-agent, PIV standards, and NIST SP 800-73.
Sources
- https://developers.yubico.com/PIV/Guides/SSH_with_PIV_and_PKCS11.html
- https://developers.yubico.com/yubico-piv-tool/
- https://developers.yubico.com/yubico-piv-tool/Release_Notes.html
- https://developers.yubico.com/yubico-piv-tool/YKCS11/
- https://developers.yubico.com/yubico-piv-tool/YubiKey_PIV_introduction.html
- https://docs.yubico.com/software/yubikey/tools/pivtool/Introduction.html
- https://packages.debian.org/sid/i386/ykcs11
- https://packages.debian.org/sid/utils/yubico-piv-tool
security posture
Risk level: green
narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.
Risk classifier
green risk · low confidence · appliance
Why
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals
Signals
- metadata:no-higher-risk-signals
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
- Installs with 1 runtime dependencies.
- Build metadata lists 5 build dependencies.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
yubico-piv-tool | cli | global executable |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-07-08
manager version2.7.3
manager updated2026-06-25
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://developers.yubico.com/yubico-piv-tool/
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://developers.yubico.com/yubico-piv-tool/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:yubico-piv-tool |
|---|---|
| Version | 2.7.3 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/yubico-piv-tool |
| Homepage | https://developers.yubico.com/yubico-piv-tool/ |
| Repository | https://github.com/Yubico/yubico-piv-tool |
| Upstream docs | https://developers.yubico.com/PIV |
| License | BSD-2-Clause |
| Source archive | https://developers.yubico.com/yubico-piv-tool/Releases/yubico-piv-tool-2.7.3.tar.gz |
| Last updated | 2026-06-25T13:38:13+02:00 |
| Pulse | updated |
| Dependencies | openssl@3 |
| Build dependencies | check, cmake, gengetopt, help2man, pkgconf |
| Uses from macOS | pcsc-lite |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | yubico-piv-tool |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
source database matches
Other package-manager records
Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.
Debian apt95%
libykpiv-dev 2.7.1-1
Development files for the YubiKey PIV Library
https://developers.yubico.com/yubico-piv-tool/
sudo apt install libykpiv-dev- Section: libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: yubico-piv-tool
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Yubico Piv Tool
Debian apt95%
libykpiv2 2.7.1-1
Library for communication with the YubiKey PIV smartcard
https://developers.yubico.com/yubico-piv-tool/
sudo apt install libykpiv2- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: yubico-piv-tool
- 4 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Yubico Piv Tool
Debian apt95%
ykcs11 2.7.1-1
PKCS#11 module for the YubiKey PIV applet
https://developers.yubico.com/yubico-piv-tool/
sudo apt install ykcs11- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: yubico-piv-tool
- 3 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Yubico Piv Tool
Debian apt95%
yubico-piv-tool 2.7.1-1
Command line tool for the YubiKey PIV applet
https://developers.yubico.com/yubico-piv-tool/
sudo apt install yubico-piv-tool- Section: utils
- Architecture: amd64
- 4 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Yubico Piv Tool
Nix95%
yubico-piv-tool
nix profile install nixpkgs#yubico-piv-tool- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Yubico Piv Tool
Ubuntu apt95%
libykpiv-dev 2.2.0-1.1build2
Development files for the YubiKey PIV Library
https://developers.yubico.com/yubico-piv-tool/
sudo apt install libykpiv-dev- Section: universe/libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: yubico-piv-tool
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Yubico Piv Tool
Ubuntu apt95%
libykpiv2 2.2.0-1.1build2
Library for communication with the YubiKey PIV smartcard
https://developers.yubico.com/yubico-piv-tool/
sudo apt install libykpiv2- Section: universe/libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: yubico-piv-tool
- 3 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Yubico Piv Tool
Ubuntu apt95%
ykcs11 2.2.0-1.1build2
PKCS#11 module for the YubiKey PIV applet
https://developers.yubico.com/yubico-piv-tool/
sudo apt install ykcs11- Section: universe/libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: yubico-piv-tool
- 3 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Yubico Piv Tool
Ubuntu apt95%
yubico-piv-tool 2.2.0-1.1build2
Command line tool for the YubiKey PIV applet
https://developers.yubico.com/yubico-piv-tool/
sudo apt install yubico-piv-tool- Section: universe/utils
- Architecture: amd64
- 3 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Yubico Piv Tool
apk95%
yubico-piv-tool 2.7.3-r0
PIV Tools for yubikey
https://developers.yubico.com/yubico-piv-tool
sudo apk add yubico-piv-tool- License: BSD-2-Clause
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: yubico-piv-tool
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Yubico Piv Tool
apk95%
yubico-piv-tool-dev 2.7.3-r0
PIV Tools for yubikey (development files)
https://developers.yubico.com/yubico-piv-tool
sudo apk add yubico-piv-tool-dev- License: BSD-2-Clause
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: yubico-piv-tool
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Yubico Piv Tool
apk95%
yubico-piv-tool-doc 2.7.3-r0
PIV Tools for yubikey (documentation)
https://developers.yubico.com/yubico-piv-tool
sudo apk add yubico-piv-tool-doc- License: BSD-2-Clause
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: yubico-piv-tool
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Yubico Piv Tool
apk95%
yubico-piv-tool-libs 2.7.3-r0
PIV Tools for yubikey (libraries)
https://developers.yubico.com/yubico-piv-tool
sudo apk add yubico-piv-tool-libs- License: BSD-2-Clause
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: yubico-piv-tool
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Yubico Piv Tool
apk95%
yubico-piv-tool-static 2.7.3-r0
PIV Tools for yubikey (static library)
https://developers.yubico.com/yubico-piv-tool
sudo apk add yubico-piv-tool-static- License: BSD-2-Clause
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: yubico-piv-tool
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Yubico Piv Tool
dnf95%
yubico-piv-tool 2.7.3-1.fc44
Tool for interacting with the PIV applet on a YubiKey
https://developers.yubico.com/yubico-piv-tool/
sudo dnf install yubico-piv-tool- License: BSD-2-Clause
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: i686
- Source Package: yubico-piv-tool
- 6 dependencies
- 3 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Yubico Piv Tool
dnf95%
yubico-piv-tool-devel 2.7.3-1.fc44
Tool for interacting with the PIV applet on a YubiKey
https://developers.yubico.com/yubico-piv-tool/
sudo dnf install yubico-piv-tool-devel- License: BSD-2-Clause
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: i686
- Source Package: yubico-piv-tool
- 5 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Yubico Piv Tool
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- av.db category and tag curation
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment