How to compare encrypted private keys?

Question

Is it possible to compare encrypted private keys if you do not have the passphrase?
E.g.:
openssl genrsa -out unencryptedprivkey.pem 2048
openssl rsa -in unencryptedprivkey.pem -aes128 -out aes128encprivkey.pem
openssl rsa -in unencryptedprivkey.pem -aes128 -out aes128encprivkey2.pem

cat aes128encprivkey2.pem

!-----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----
Proc-Type: 4,ENCRYPTED
DEK-Info: AES-128-CBC,0468AF97F2CA19C8C5860D1BA506B341
MwYCfvtLgYzjCnJNe0MNUKnkjnkzTRG6nQX1BbE9AQEdfEQO1FOJI7qjFNVihITB En0i2lcS7dZ7hswqHt0cPUzKU5tEyMfbDNeCl6mg9QlFeobWFczqAf3Ifq1vKwWr S4src/8POhJsvbK10bqHmlbaBK7wPcKSBvEGP8vt8FtqyE40q1uu9cxAcG4LkpF5 JZHy9svhQoPuz1bqPSTbUaLMxm2YEmdzuDyrC3IyN6dmEYzav93f07JvD7aSYgjV MJuBcVKMt8HbgAKlq9jgB2Ubwsi9RtWTd/e5SRw0x7C1ImdlXwubv724N9NBRV67 4iHgIdpDBit3+5wD400CNOBr4AItts4wpC6ydvLvGtoRrCPHRHk7JwYChT3al1yb 57MFK8chLAgPx2PdHeb6KUB4s7x6E1IJos7DIR2YljEvcCCt75tYufCiOpA1MNN5 b718bOTrmlz4Sh7DCxE4HKSyZdJdpMvEcubHVY9to1HIRUmMBpYV+Yc1q+UZMPJ5 2evRcoW9fVT2eZ33dlg5Cepo80dEbvvBuraAuAU/3AP6GLolh5C5H7VStm7YDPRZ bUAGDTfAfdDPz03xPJt7stv82YG/xFmCTn9cDX2BSUWFCvAaRMp3CIPH/FZXnWO6 uLrdJYjqRmQWTc05sBQ0OtO02I7u/N08qJVT3Qd1a/Cq1NvtnuBnCyL02xlvFpe9 HXf6twDOckCOfGGukVuTaVqAMqiuu2ueypnqX2n/oTI0YCXT+TkuGcSOgRyWt9/k IXio1pIBLw9vIixXd9R3GiMhG//krqROgO92gtW4biePzdaJhGQvQKtaNkaKQw+G x4skI4jsXK5FIllwHQ20D37XUbDcnclI/ukQ1jv9SfMgJ2sYsgvVKVoYJj9Og/cP yv80vAri1/8dIv8usMqWPS1H+V1CPzfI78HmmsHH8JgjZkUjkSrkVYtuW4Sr/ukt hemp0STKPcbdwaseszECw8J3np54fDBRnzCyeMUcHwCUYjhmg2CJcgTjyEEB14QO Egz6uE2d1+eegRf50y7W5upr9mdXxeTrkxk+migYYznN0IWaNZvJhB6qbEulBaBw vlE8/+gBI0CP1YRooUA0tFuOBfT5M3/2PGCOaaXWF+YdU7zAMnf+KRiU+jSUz1zl w3fnWKFTesEF2Sq3llCiY8PerFaR799PqBCUvTgiEZPXQiBBaUs44bkdqRK8U31y s/xFnb9kJs25tBPFU/IK28HuX4xCDK5HLPgBJCjeMsSNSqqxFE1OHC4rQnxjrbjB 0iSxGFbhLVPNTtHUDehNb7iR3NcT+t0DgDKSFuI7kv1uQaHFX6kQmA0s/AdYl2C/ L1low41t4vdXVSgCmJnKFO4Ng1L0M4ACTtnbhgvFWPUhJNR4ZtidqqwK32LDBND2 GPD3zDEGfHe9VNazDoV/htJVaCPfGXgTHzA1PjEgsLSrsR5fm54frHMv2CHdSQzn akOT8TOT5lg/IHSUH/+r2HLRL78TGzhtiWaxdyOuVdnBAPCkiMvCcrKgWg/b2r1i +q4HTUu30fw/PmeeN/+SRmkvYShaWOwH94WEfT2q1sIpWL5JZtkRm/pSqqPOY9+o
-----END RSA PRIVATE KEY-----

cat aes128encprivkey.pem

!-----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----
Proc-Type: 4,ENCRYPTED
DEK-Info: AES-128-CBC,6263DD33306AA1F9CFD84FB304FACED9
N6LFCTguNSfeISBSvciYRuMIg/OER9hy8bjwPkoUaLTBoRbvFtku9KaXwje3Mgw0 e+JFtYfjF27ZtHYbk8HFG9z0C20NiwBiFH63U3+YZBJTSKZOHmA2H+d7pT1UV9w5 xXXuf7mPEUDLwKVINF8BIez63kay+fAu6Qu2Q9V8KcjITWf/Q+bTmy+LDzOPnnyG z99GE5Ue89z5UtzlMAvASmq403FzAk9xUfj2jc6hASULGrAwKr0qYcsRx5p0Xwcm wzGLYBq3hkZ5BDhdM8wCW0pyazex7M8gX8/CJHuNcUlFt4VzjKfouIw/hPCcvWfy PJ4NrZMNDrlYuVvL4IzP8EDjvqqPqMRXmWmOzmRf3I74E+UKT9ryxiC2qgxyPThR r0Mr0ORv+vUDA4iYN12ERo7hHmCajmgLPI0Muj8HveH7mgYWO8BeM+Z/PGOaKmEE DhGFPg8YLU+74guiuCy4q4Vu8vdFCGnS9mUk+jARnIqGfv6wAoTyWHBGa0oLKz1/ xSJhgP5PkppSiekeFBHa496RG7os+usV4xWhOxP/6mupU2WW04hxUgxk/IBqzHB5 ZHm+loBbDWuY9H1ZTlUsT3xkriedYBm1nzK3VHLSuPjkcj6sMzCGlZmXKWPfBPw7 Q+zkkbapzl6RVdas35C/f1ojsrGuziOZWKimlvL2+Tde9dhjYHu3sKOIrTKLaCWe DkyX7D/zVpCCg3gur+GgG/d8Y/KiwWYV6XjIt1Y1vym/67ZItjrSdgdAadQXUpOG 0y70sHxmtaY9lxTZasQnmv9MnZX/33im3gAI2PO4SYmQv2y3ZoQAl5soE7qFWYVO wz4tJgtDW0sQDpGMnzQ7ncnuzCJzx0VbJRDUAAeTUby/m3NtArJ2XR9P21iZ929g T7uxAzO9HBfK2lmtRZQ6+Ab+sDvIJgW6to4VL3TjqfjDe1rffOQrPPGJck13P9/9 mhWmZ4pLed0+HcYtfnJ+7ofMUITKdy/e08FgYY76+eoWwkIeAM/O+1ZesDMY4VI5 DGbhs+WUwmLVwepjSu61yNgjanL8CPZIJeAiY2vx/LalzmZogoJzrDhUqp/UbYi9 wHZsP+0dQgXPkVzNNGuEeJ6a/cTAtbHCjdTL1V3OSRuD19tshoBjxezIgfjF6h7m MivovQe9SLjAvmskoo8lznr7SgQrQgZxtSL/n+90akGdYs529yRgKtmCiR4YrFNd L9dAPQyyT5R0Dky9lkGmbregRxRUFmU/nDlf30cOxs7PJ7BZyqAwYSjRzavLGE+V stzOVgI9dKplQGMev0f/vXTvFLOrmZnK0+6iUoHb9EL2PwOBiD0dD0V2MxQv7Bjj scAis5aopQgpe93E5go0/vPnfVanHgyfnI6FZSKI3A+Ty8s560cDrPNSJBZ4VxHY DQ3/XQu9N38J/JUv14KoGi1ti+Pa4Xan+iq6YW92pP3GGAJnVdVFuYdwZGLP1oPk fH1V5DxvYHn2FH9Ey4fIv7ibbNp3e4eJyT13LLsWWhNkyX1wYmZdgctuGZmlsbBB HjfXgW7Id/TFK6YsVkv2x2veVGd/xU0XtRkOsq/eS1skqLVuxxuUKpG9n1P2X1w3
-----END RSA PRIVATE KEY-----

cat unencryptedprivkey.pem

!-----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY----- MIIEogIBAAKCAQEAxF0WL8w0fk1dlxibAZKNplzIzHx/cM+VO3D4gRahPBPB1nNW YJ+WGuVDI+U6KN10MLePMsWqDtIDsS4YxWPqqNtYd2OfT6kUBkJE9FcWwMqHkRB2 upEPhbi6RGTkKpGxn+tDLMIqizXJkTvDBWrEMsuI882EQgiWVylZ5ElbjnlfU2fs ZRVpr3FsbwI81W4lv9hm+kKe/zsdHK8zUcyaN11aZXiZDHARpzENGlSRg/19J6MD TuJR/om4IPITpvByOSG9LIUwXr8ixbo4AQ5+ejFd1ARYMD0/4HCWA2gwcz8gClJA pS7O4OG0wcQ3LCtFNDAH5oPgIqYutAcG2bny8wIDAQABAoIBAGztgnhDXD9QJYHC 6YHGzYMi51TgH0XyMUOHGKNrbUfJYfbXhmwVOwxyb3tDFq9CocjAmtQ8aGjOQbQQ 8TbWhX7kJsAb6G0lSvFp45xzjzClaOyk6Gf4PlccsV9tZFDk/1bKCDqU/0q4LLe/ IiEoJ+xRkghE0oBbCSMS0kXcF8kBOm9ZqsVE2AnI0MZvHwMn8IFPuIV8NLrLVSZO NvtT20aSf6vAqnUgaEIJD3I1WduI/QwU1GQLE0lXM8++9Q9K07TkV1xqQfuySZp1 qBiHCgNBzMxbK9nZIxh6szZNz/xPsLV8WXSSXaqVP3Dnerjpi6YDn1+aqBtcLE8M LxnUQuECgYEA/1saPId7iF4aKU+/jJgw9MzPEUgD1T7tV7EAEsIu73MPyCd8/Y3t Wx4CHAZr5ySL+yS4FgxAE1NRAdGawTelFckuBTjZ8tW2V0KzWvOjSOe0EYIzG36i KTjL7LlwxkZVW1kFo/B5vRtYDqde23I5B3vSq9sDgS/T/PTKyZJp7YMCgYEAxNvj vLP7APczkjD4lfUukzie5N2489p0xLKpXXXqOEmN3fdsRAC7stX8Ebwy/zf/PRDe PABMRUyVxhkEJ3jEJ2iQoicMMcFAzzJHMweqL6mEXEvKNUH0AQvyPAmQKu7tdw6Q 2KqRjK8zvYIw1H7NJg5kEUn3yR2eTnuGsmx52dECgYAUs40H9S/VmVNjn/x2aGwn nGb5Dq6I3iYdotLPsoBdlyVjY5glchkY9vDS1s5uma7jeFGYL/wN1QZPMG/sVBeF EZ8yey5oGl1C67xgljnZkjct6DE+fGCnGNynX00+Nbt7wVbMuJUV+J6F6ZmuDq+C 5M3qcsHw+jCkZDAAcWc3AwKBgGXfkTQnQ77VLof59brMvgSL6ZZws3TmWUUtW/40 tjfYwKTclNeANaIvoJmg9hcjaF+2qfsNAGtgXaW9bmvq0D/AmhB/+oyJALv4veXH kqfFpuyIgCUdc2NTRlERddzx9kuFaynk4xuV00W/6Psef5WxHtHfoG4geLsOq78L 6ebxAoGAPPfuY4cHq8PBYcf6++29RUM/n+aCeh+SzO8GpGo+PMaf+6Ax9pCuCZlx DDJ4uGmNcIYOr4fih4+33b2+bfmP95HP77WCYht+5Z6anzyMaliFFoyuE6Z3+FQF ubnsimYRxjDkJyYgyOebDDwwswEg2YQNVDMjTjn6F688ayv18VA=
-----END RSA PRIVATE KEY-----

Passphrase: pass

Answer 1

No, you can't.

Generally, speaking, you can only compare two cyphertext together if they share the same IV and key (at least with any modern encryption algorithm).

Answer 2

If you could compare the two encrypted keys together, then this would be suggestive of a deep and large weakness of the encryption algorithm. This would be bad news; pray that it does not happen.

Note that even if both files use the same passphrase, they would still differ in IV (or salt for passphrase derivation), and they again should evade attempts at comparisons. If you have two files which use distinct IV, then you should not be able to detect whether they use the same key, or same contents, or both.

Only if you know the passphrase(s) can you compare the files, by decrypting both and comparing the clear contents (here, RSA private keys, but what I say applies to any kind of contents).

---

All of the above is about noticing that the two RSA private keys are identical in general. There are particular cases which allow you to conclude:

• If your two files are byte-to-byte identical, then, of course, they are identical, and thus contain the same RSA private key encrypted with the same passphrase and IV.

• If the two files differ in length (length of the Base64-encoded element) then the RSA keys are distinct. You may observe a slight difference in size if both files work over the same key but with distinct encryption algorithms (e.g. one uses AES-CBC while the other uses 3DES-CBC). If the same encryption algorithm is used (including mode of operation and padding), then a difference in size implies a difference in size of the contents. Since RSA private keys are ASN.1 objets with DER encoding, the cleartext encoded size of a RSA private key is fixed for a given key; therefore, distinct content sizes (even by a single byte) imply distinct keys.