CCR File

What are CCR files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening a CCR file or are you simply curious about its contents? We're here to explain the properties of these files and provide you with software that can open or handle your CCR files.

What is a CCR file?

CCR files have multiple uses, and Codecrypt ASCII-Armored Format is one of them. Read more about the other uses further down the page.

Codecrypt ASCII-Armored Format

These CCR files are ASCII file formats used in Quantum cryptography, algorithms used to build protocols, and computer security. CCR files are used in quantum computer-safe cryptography, a form of encryption. Quantum computers are computers that make use of quantum physics.

How to open CCR files

Important: Different programs may use files with the CCR file extension for different purposes, so unless you are sure which format your CCR file is, you may need to try a few different programs.

While we have not verified the apps ourselves yet, our users have suggested eight different CCR openers which you will find listed below.

Last updated: August 31, 2026

All known file formats using extension .CCR

While Codecrypt ASCII-Armored Format is a popular type of CCR-file, we know of 2 different uses of the .CCR file extension. Different software may use files with the same extension for different types of data.

Codecrypt Encrypted Data

Codecrypt Encrypted Data is a post-quantum encryption and digital signature format created by the Codecrypt program. It stores messages, files, or data blobs that have been encrypted, signed, or both using quantum-resistant algorithms such as variants of McEliece for encryption and FMTSeq-based or hash-based signature schemes. Its purpose is to protect confidential data with security that aims to withstand attacks even by quantum computers.

Codecrypt Encrypted Data is produced by the command-line tool named "ccr" (short for Codecrypt). When a user issues ccr with options such as -e (encrypt), -s (sign), -se (sign then encrypt), or -dv (decrypt and verify), ccr reads the input data (from a file or stdin), applies the cryptographic operations with selected algorithms, and writes the output as a Codecrypt message file. Recipients holding the appropriate private key(s) and signatures use ccr to decrypt or verify the file content. The format supports symmetric encryption, public key encryption, signature verification, password-derived keys, and can export public or private keys.

Files in this format begin with specific binary signatures that allow identifying them automatically. The first byte (offset 0) is 0x73; at offset 3 there is the ASCII sequence ":CCR-". The file also contains the string "CCR-" somewhere in its content. These markers distinguish encrypted Codecrypt data from other formats.

Various apps that use files with this extension

These apps are known to open certain types of CCR files. Remember, different programs may use CCR files for different purposes, so you may need to try out a few of them to be able to open your specific file.

Help us help others

File.org helps thousands of users every day, and we would love to hear from you if you have additional information about CCR file formats, example files, or compatible programs. Please use the links below or email us at submit@file.org to discuss further.