Test AES encryption for HLS streams from the Wowza Video REST API

Updated on 03/15/2023 10:25 am PDT

The Wowza Video™ service allows you to apply AES-128 encryption to HLS streams. This article describes how to test AES encryption by playing a media segment (.ts) file from an encrypted stream in VLC media player. If AES encryption is working correctly, VLC won't be able to play the media segment.

Before you start

You should complete the following tasks:

Create a live stream or a transcoder. You'll need the resulting live_stream_id or transcoder_id to schedule a broadcast. View our Connect a source topics to learn how to create a live stream or transcoder for RTMP, RTSP, IP camera, SRT encoder, UDP encoder, WebRTC, and Wowza Streaming Engine.
Configure AES-encryption. See Secure HLS streams with AES-128 external encryption using the Wowza Video REST API to learn more.

Live stream workflow

1. Fetch the playback URL

Fetch the HLS playback URL to test the encrypted stream by sending a GET request to the /live_streams/[live_stream_id] endpoint.

You can use the following sample request, making sure to:

Set live_stream_id to the id for the live stream.

Sample request

Endpoint Reference

curl 
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer ${WV_JWT}" \
-X "GET" \
"${WV_HOST}/api/${WV_VERSION}/live_streams/[live_stream_id]"

Sample response

The response includes:

A hls_playback_url you'll use to test a media segment file from an encrypted stream in step 3.

{
    "live_stream": {
        "id": "abcntjvl",
        "name": "MyLiveStream",
        "transcoder_type": "transcoded",
        "billing_mode": "pay_as_you_go",
        "broadcast_location": "us_west_california",
        "recording": false,
        "closed_caption_type": "none",
        "low_latency": false,
        "encoder": "other_rtmp",
        "delivery_method": "push",
        "target_delivery_protocol": "hls-https",
	...
        "player": {
            "id": "ly4rnpyt",
            "type": "wowza_player",
            "responsive": true,
            "countdown": false,
            "embed_code": "in_progress",
            "hls_playback_url": "https://[wowzasubdomain].wowza.com/1/abcdTnJwZEpwXYZa/aBcDeGd1/hls/live/playlist.m3u8",
	    ...
             }
    }
}

2. Start the live stream

Start your video source.

Start your live stream.

Endpoint Reference

curl -X PUT \
-H "Authorization: Bearer ${WV_JWT}" \
"${WV_HOST}/api/${WV_VERSION}/live_streams/[live_stream_id]/start"

Check the state to make sure the live stream started.

Endpoint Reference

curl -X GET \
-H "Authorization: Bearer ${WV_JWT}" \
"${WV_HOST}/api/${WV_VERSION}/live_streams/[live_stream_id]/state"

3. Test a media segment file from the encrypted stream

View the playlist file using the hls_playback_url from step 1.

Sample request

    curl https://[wowzasubdomain].wowza.com/1/Ni9vd3duZGRTOThB/WEtjTWpH/hls/live/playlist.m3u8

Sample response

    #EXTM3U
    #EXT-X-VERSION:3
    #EXT-X-KEY:METHOD=AES-128,URI="mykey"
    #EXT-X-STREAM-INF:BANDWIDTH=2761081,CODECS="avc1.100.31,mp4a.40.2",RESOLUTION=1280x720
    ../pldjp4q7/2728/chunklist.m3u8
    #EXT-X-STREAM-INF:BANDWIDTH=1900046,CODECS="avc1.77.40,mp4a.40.2",RESOLUTION=854x480
    ../pldjp4q7/1728/chunklist.m3u8
    #EXT-X-STREAM-INF:BANDWIDTH=1348954,CODECS="avc1.77.32,mp4a.40.2",RESOLUTION=640x360
    ../pldjp4q7/1152/chunklist.m3u8

Copy the file path for one of the chunklists and append it to the playback URL.

Sample request

    curl https://[wowzasubdomain].wowza.com/1/Ni9vd3duZGRTOThB/WEtjTWpH/hls/live/../pldjp4q7/1152/chunklist.m3u8

Sample response

    #EXTM3U
    #EXT-X-VERSION:3
    #EXT-X-TARGETDURATION:11
    #EXT-X-MEDIA-SEQUENCE:1
    #EXT-X-KEY:METHOD=AES-128,URI="mykey
    #EXT-X-PROGRAM-DATE-TIME:2020-03-05T17:13:06.546Z
    #EXTINF:10.166,
    0001lx7l/media_1.ts
    #EXTINF:10.133,
    0001lx7l/media_2.ts
    #EXTINF:10.133,
    0001lx7l/media_3.ts
    #EXTINF:10.2,

Copy the file path for one of the media segments and append it the chunklist path. Use the --output flag to download the file to your computer.

    curl https://[wowzasubdomain].wowza.com/1/Ni9vd3duZGRTOThB/WEtjTWpH/hls/live/../pldjp4q7/1152/0001lx7l/media_2.ts --output media_2.ts

Open the media segment file in VLC media player. If the file is encrypted correctly, VLC won't be able to play it.

Transcoder workflow

1. Fetch the playback URL

Fetch the HLS stream target associated with the transcoder to get the HLS playback URL by sending a GET request to the /fastly/[stream_target_id] endpoint.

You can use the following sample request, making sure to:

Set stream_target_id to the stream_target_id from the output_stream_target response.

Sample request

Endpoint Reference

    curl -X GET \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer ${WV_JWT}" \
    "${WV_HOST}/api/${WV_VERSION}/stream_targets/fastly/[stream_target_id]"

Sample response

The response includes:

A HLS playback url in playback_urls you'll use to test a media segment file from an encrypted stream in step 3.

{
    "stream_target_fastly": {
	"id": "abc45lfyz",
        "name": "My Wowza CDN on Fastly Stream Target",
        "state": "activated",
        "stream_name": "9a00105a",
        "playback_urls": {
          "hls": [
            {
	      "name": "default",
              "url": "https://[wowzasubdomain].wowza.com/1/TWhoL3BiZnJXMFhmNzZVN3JrZDAwUT09/ZmYxSXRrTERrUlk9/hls/live/playlist.m3u8"
            }
          ]
        },
        "token_auth_enabled": false,
        "token_auth_playlist_only": false,
        "geoblock_enabled": true,
        "geoblock_by_location": "allow",
        "geoblock_country_codes": "DE, US",
        "geoblock_ip_override": "deny",
        "geblock_ip_addresses": "77.12.34.567, 78.23.45.678",
        "force_ssl_playback": false,
        "created_at": "2020-03-02T20:38:31.560Z",
        "updated_at": "2020-03-05T11:41:38.560Z"
    }
}

2. Start the transcoder

Start your video source.

Start the transcoder.

Sample request

Endpoint Reference

    curl -X PUT \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer ${WV_JWT}" \
    "${WV_HOST}/api/${WV_VERSION}/transcoders/[transcoder_id]/start"

Fetch the state of the transcoder to confirm that it’s started.

Sample request

Endpoint Reference

    curl -X GET \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer ${WV_JWT}" \
    "https://api.video.wowza.com/api/[version]/transcoders/[transcoder_id]/state"

3. Test a media segment file from the encrypted stream

View the playlist file using the hls_playback_url from step 1.

Sample request

    curl https://[wowzasubdomain].wowza.com/1/Ni9vd3duZGRTOThB/WEtjTWpH/hls/live/playlist.m3u8

Sample response

    #EXTM3U
    #EXT-X-VERSION:3
    #EXT-X-KEY:METHOD=AES-128,URI="mykey"
    #EXT-X-STREAM-INF:BANDWIDTH=2761081,CODECS="avc1.100.31,mp4a.40.2",RESOLUTION=1280x720
    ../pldjp4q7/2728/chunklist.m3u8
    #EXT-X-STREAM-INF:BANDWIDTH=1900046,CODECS="avc1.77.40,mp4a.40.2",RESOLUTION=854x480
    ../pldjp4q7/1728/chunklist.m3u8
    #EXT-X-STREAM-INF:BANDWIDTH=1348954,CODECS="avc1.77.32,mp4a.40.2",RESOLUTION=640x360
    ../pldjp4q7/1152/chunklist.m3u8

Copy the file path for one of the chunklists and append it to the playback URL.

Sample request

    curl https://[wowzasubdomain].wowza.com/1/Ni9vd3duZGRTOThB/WEtjTWpH/hls/live/../pldjp4q7/1152/chunklist.m3u8

Sample response

    #EXTM3U
    #EXT-X-VERSION:3
    #EXT-X-TARGETDURATION:11
    #EXT-X-MEDIA-SEQUENCE:1
    #EXT-X-KEY:METHOD=AES-128,URI="mykey
    #EXT-X-PROGRAM-DATE-TIME:2020-03-05T17:13:06.546Z
    #EXTINF:10.166,
    0001lx7l/media_1.ts
    #EXTINF:10.133,
    0001lx7l/media_2.ts
    #EXTINF:10.133,
    0001lx7l/media_3.ts
    #EXTINF:10.2,

Copy the file path for one of the media segments and append it the chunklist path. Use the --output flag to download the file to your computer.

    curl https://[wowzasubdomain].wowza.com/1/Ni9vd3duZGRTOThB/WEtjTWpH/hls/live/../pldjp4q7/1152/0001lx7l/media_2.ts --output media_2.ts

Open the media segment file in VLC media player. If the file is encrypted correctly, VLC won't be able to play it.

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Test AES encryption for HLS streams from the Wowza Video REST API

Before you start

Live stream workflow

1. Fetch the playback URL

Sample request

Sample response

2. Start the live stream

3. Test a media segment file from the encrypted stream

Sample request

Sample response

Sample request

Sample response

Transcoder workflow

1. Fetch the playback URL

Sample request

Sample response

2. Start the transcoder

Sample request

Sample request

3. Test a media segment file from the encrypted stream

Sample request

Sample response

Sample request

Sample response

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Before you start

Live stream workflow

1. Fetch the playback URL

Sample request

Sample response

2. Start the live stream

3. Test a media segment file from the encrypted stream

Sample request

Sample response

Sample request

Sample response

Transcoder workflow

1. Fetch the playback URL

Sample request

Sample response

2. Start the transcoder

Sample request

Sample request

3. Test a media segment file from the encrypted stream

Sample request

Sample response

Sample request

Sample response

Popular Video Topics

Video Resources

Partners

Company

Stay Connected

Stay Up to Date with the Blog

Test AES encryption for HLS streams from the Wowza Video REST API