19 KiB
Crypto
Stability: 2 - Unstable; API changes are being discussed for
future versions. Breaking changes will be minimized. See below.
Use require('crypto')
to access this module.
The crypto module offers a way of encapsulating secure credentials to be used as part of a secure HTTPS net or http connection.
It also offers a set of wrappers for OpenSSL's hash, hmac, cipher, decipher, sign and verify methods.
crypto.getCiphers()
Returns an array with the names of the supported ciphers.
Example:
var ciphers = crypto.getCiphers();
console.log(ciphers); // ['AES-128-CBC', 'AES-128-CBC-HMAC-SHA1', ...]
crypto.getHashes()
Returns an array with the names of the supported hash algorithms.
Example:
var hashes = crypto.getHashes();
console.log(hashes); // ['sha', 'sha1', 'sha1WithRSAEncryption', ...]
crypto.createCredentials(details)
Creates a credentials object, with the optional details being a dictionary with keys:
pfx
: A string or buffer holding the PFX or PKCS12 encoded private key, certificate and CA certificateskey
: A string holding the PEM encoded private keypassphrase
: A string of passphrase for the private key or pfxcert
: A string holding the PEM encoded certificateca
: Either a string or list of strings of PEM encoded CA certificates to trust.crl
: Either a string or list of strings of PEM encoded CRLs (Certificate Revocation List)ciphers
: A string describing the ciphers to use or exclude. Consult http://www.openssl.org/docs/apps/ciphers.html#CIPHER_LIST_FORMAT for details on the format.
If no 'ca' details are given, then node.js will use the default publicly trusted list of CAs as given in http://mxr.mozilla.org/mozilla/source/security/nss/lib/ckfw/builtins/certdata.txt.
crypto.createHash(algorithm)
Creates and returns a hash object, a cryptographic hash with the given algorithm which can be used to generate hash digests.
algorithm
is dependent on the available algorithms supported by the
version of OpenSSL on the platform. Examples are 'sha1'
, 'md5'
,
'sha256'
, 'sha512'
, etc. On recent releases, openssl list-message-digest-algorithms
will display the available digest
algorithms.
Example: this program that takes the sha1 sum of a file
var filename = process.argv[2];
var crypto = require('crypto');
var fs = require('fs');
var shasum = crypto.createHash('sha1');
var s = fs.ReadStream(filename);
s.on('data', function(d) {
shasum.update(d);
});
s.on('end', function() {
var d = shasum.digest('hex');
console.log(d + ' ' + filename);
});
Class: Hash
The class for creating hash digests of data.
It is a stream that is both readable and writable. The
written data is used to compute the hash. Once the writable side of
the stream is ended, use the read()
method to get the computed hash
digest. The legacy update
and digest
methods are also supported.
Returned by crypto.createHash
.
hash.update(data, [input_encoding])
Updates the hash content with the given data
, the encoding of which
is given in input_encoding
and can be 'utf8'
, 'ascii'
or
'binary'
. If no encoding is provided and the input is a string an
encoding of 'binary'
is enforced. If data
is a Buffer
then
input_encoding
is ignored.
This can be called many times with new data as it is streamed.
hash.digest([encoding])
Calculates the digest of all of the passed data to be hashed. The
encoding
can be 'hex'
, 'binary'
or 'base64'
. If no encoding
is provided, then a buffer is returned.
Note: hash
object can not be used after digest()
method has been
called.
crypto.createHmac(algorithm, key)
Creates and returns a hmac object, a cryptographic hmac with the given algorithm and key.
It is a stream that is both readable and writable. The
written data is used to compute the hmac. Once the writable side of
the stream is ended, use the read()
method to get the computed
digest. The legacy update
and digest
methods are also supported.
algorithm
is dependent on the available algorithms supported by
OpenSSL - see createHash above. key
is the hmac key to be used.
Class: Hmac
Class for creating cryptographic hmac content.
Returned by crypto.createHmac
.
hmac.update(data)
Update the hmac content with the given data
. This can be called
many times with new data as it is streamed.
hmac.digest([encoding])
Calculates the digest of all of the passed data to the hmac. The
encoding
can be 'hex'
, 'binary'
or 'base64'
. If no encoding
is provided, then a buffer is returned.
Note: hmac
object can not be used after digest()
method has been
called.
crypto.createCipher(algorithm, password)
Creates and returns a cipher object, with the given algorithm and password.
algorithm
is dependent on OpenSSL, examples are 'aes192'
, etc. On
recent releases, openssl list-cipher-algorithms
will display the
available cipher algorithms. password
is used to derive key and IV,
which must be a 'binary'
encoded string or a buffer.
It is a stream that is both readable and writable. The
written data is used to compute the hash. Once the writable side of
the stream is ended, use the read()
method to get the enciphered
contents. The legacy update
and final
methods are also supported.
Note: createCipher
derives keys with the OpenSSL function EVP_BytesToKey
with the digest algorithm set to MD5, one iteration, and no salt. The lack of
salt allows dictionary attacks as the same password always creates the same key.
The low iteration count and non-cryptographically secure hash algorithm allow
passwords to be tested very rapidly.
In line with OpenSSL's recommendation to use pbkdf2 instead of EVP_BytesToKey it is recommended you derive a key and iv yourself with crypto.pbkdf2 and to then use createCipheriv() to create the cipher stream.
crypto.createCipheriv(algorithm, key, iv)
Creates and returns a cipher object, with the given algorithm, key and iv.
algorithm
is the same as the argument to createCipher()
. key
is
the raw key used by the algorithm. iv
is an initialization
vector.
key
and iv
must be 'binary'
encoded strings or
buffers.
Class: Cipher
Class for encrypting data.
Returned by crypto.createCipher
and crypto.createCipheriv
.
Cipher objects are streams that are both readable and
writable. The written plain text data is used to produce the
encrypted data on the readable side. The legacy update
and final
methods are also supported.
cipher.update(data, [input_encoding], [output_encoding])
Updates the cipher with data
, the encoding of which is given in
input_encoding
and can be 'utf8'
, 'ascii'
or 'binary'
. If no
encoding is provided, then a buffer is expected.
If data
is a Buffer
then input_encoding
is ignored.
The output_encoding
specifies the output format of the enciphered
data, and can be 'binary'
, 'base64'
or 'hex'
. If no encoding is
provided, then a buffer is returned.
Returns the enciphered contents, and can be called many times with new data as it is streamed.
cipher.final([output_encoding])
Returns any remaining enciphered contents, with output_encoding
being one of: 'binary'
, 'base64'
or 'hex'
. If no encoding is
provided, then a buffer is returned.
Note: cipher
object can not be used after final()
method has been
called.
cipher.setAutoPadding(auto_padding=true)
You can disable automatic padding of the input data to block size. If
auto_padding
is false, the length of the entire input data must be a
multiple of the cipher's block size or final
will fail. Useful for
non-standard padding, e.g. using 0x0
instead of PKCS padding. You
must call this before cipher.final
.
crypto.createDecipher(algorithm, password)
Creates and returns a decipher object, with the given algorithm and key. This is the mirror of the createCipher() above.
crypto.createDecipheriv(algorithm, key, iv)
Creates and returns a decipher object, with the given algorithm, key and iv. This is the mirror of the createCipheriv() above.
Class: Decipher
Class for decrypting data.
Returned by crypto.createDecipher
and crypto.createDecipheriv
.
Decipher objects are streams that are both readable and
writable. The written enciphered data is used to produce the
plain-text data on the the readable side. The legacy update
and
final
methods are also supported.
decipher.update(data, [input_encoding], [output_encoding])
Updates the decipher with data
, which is encoded in 'binary'
,
'base64'
or 'hex'
. If no encoding is provided, then a buffer is
expected.
If data
is a Buffer
then input_encoding
is ignored.
The output_decoding
specifies in what format to return the
deciphered plaintext: 'binary'
, 'ascii'
or 'utf8'
. If no
encoding is provided, then a buffer is returned.
decipher.final([output_encoding])
Returns any remaining plaintext which is deciphered, with
output_encoding
being one of: 'binary'
, 'ascii'
or 'utf8'
. If
no encoding is provided, then a buffer is returned.
Note: decipher
object can not be used after final()
method has been
called.
decipher.setAutoPadding(auto_padding=true)
You can disable auto padding if the data has been encrypted without
standard block padding to prevent decipher.final
from checking and
removing it. Can only work if the input data's length is a multiple of
the ciphers block size. You must call this before streaming data to
decipher.update
.
crypto.createSign(algorithm)
Creates and returns a signing object, with the given algorithm. On
recent OpenSSL releases, openssl list-public-key-algorithms
will
display the available signing algorithms. Examples are 'RSA-SHA256'
.
Class: Sign
Class for generating signatures.
Returned by crypto.createSign
.
Sign objects are writable streams. The written data is
used to generate the signature. Once all of the data has been
written, the sign
method will return the signature. The legacy
update
method is also supported.
sign.update(data)
Updates the sign object with data. This can be called many times with new data as it is streamed.
sign.sign(private_key, [output_format])
Calculates the signature on all the updated data passed through the
sign. private_key
is a string containing the PEM encoded private
key for signing.
Returns the signature in output_format
which can be 'binary'
,
'hex'
or 'base64'
. If no encoding is provided, then a buffer is
returned.
Note: sign
object can not be used after sign()
method has been
called.
crypto.createVerify(algorithm)
Creates and returns a verification object, with the given algorithm. This is the mirror of the signing object above.
Class: Verify
Class for verifying signatures.
Returned by crypto.createVerify
.
Verify objects are writable streams. The written data
is used to validate against the supplied signature. Once all of the
data has been written, the verify
method will return true if the
supplied signature is valid. The legacy update
method is also
supported.
verifier.update(data)
Updates the verifier object with data. This can be called many times with new data as it is streamed.
verifier.verify(object, signature, [signature_format])
Verifies the signed data by using the object
and signature
.
object
is a string containing a PEM encoded object, which can be
one of RSA public key, DSA public key, or X.509 certificate.
signature
is the previously calculated signature for the data, in
the signature_format
which can be 'binary'
, 'hex'
or 'base64'
.
If no encoding is specified, then a buffer is expected.
Returns true or false depending on the validity of the signature for the data and public key.
Note: verifier
object can not be used after verify()
method has been
called.
crypto.createDiffieHellman(prime_length)
Creates a Diffie-Hellman key exchange object and generates a prime of
the given bit length. The generator used is 2
.
crypto.createDiffieHellman(prime, [encoding])
Creates a Diffie-Hellman key exchange object using the supplied prime.
The generator used is 2
. Encoding can be 'binary'
, 'hex'
, or
'base64'
. If no encoding is specified, then a buffer is expected.
Class: DiffieHellman
The class for creating Diffie-Hellman key exchanges.
Returned by crypto.createDiffieHellman
.
diffieHellman.generateKeys([encoding])
Generates private and public Diffie-Hellman key values, and returns
the public key in the specified encoding. This key should be
transferred to the other party. Encoding can be 'binary'
, 'hex'
,
or 'base64'
. If no encoding is provided, then a buffer is returned.
diffieHellman.computeSecret(other_public_key, [input_encoding], [output_encoding])
Computes the shared secret using other_public_key
as the other
party's public key and returns the computed shared secret. Supplied
key is interpreted using specified input_encoding
, and secret is
encoded using specified output_encoding
. Encodings can be
'binary'
, 'hex'
, or 'base64'
. If the input encoding is not
provided, then a buffer is expected.
If no output encoding is given, then a buffer is returned.
diffieHellman.getPrime([encoding])
Returns the Diffie-Hellman prime in the specified encoding, which can
be 'binary'
, 'hex'
, or 'base64'
. If no encoding is provided,
then a buffer is returned.
diffieHellman.getGenerator([encoding])
Returns the Diffie-Hellman generator in the specified encoding, which can
be 'binary'
, 'hex'
, or 'base64'
. If no encoding is provided,
then a buffer is returned.
diffieHellman.getPublicKey([encoding])
Returns the Diffie-Hellman public key in the specified encoding, which
can be 'binary'
, 'hex'
, or 'base64'
. If no encoding is provided,
then a buffer is returned.
diffieHellman.getPrivateKey([encoding])
Returns the Diffie-Hellman private key in the specified encoding,
which can be 'binary'
, 'hex'
, or 'base64'
. If no encoding is
provided, then a buffer is returned.
diffieHellman.setPublicKey(public_key, [encoding])
Sets the Diffie-Hellman public key. Key encoding can be 'binary'
,
'hex'
or 'base64'
. If no encoding is provided, then a buffer is
expected.
diffieHellman.setPrivateKey(private_key, [encoding])
Sets the Diffie-Hellman private key. Key encoding can be 'binary'
,
'hex'
or 'base64'
. If no encoding is provided, then a buffer is
expected.
crypto.getDiffieHellman(group_name)
Creates a predefined Diffie-Hellman key exchange object. The
supported groups are: 'modp1'
, 'modp2'
, 'modp5'
(defined in RFC
2412) and 'modp14'
, 'modp15'
, 'modp16'
, 'modp17'
,
'modp18'
(defined in RFC 3526). The returned object mimics the
interface of objects created by crypto.createDiffieHellman()
above, but will not allow to change the keys (with
diffieHellman.setPublicKey() for example). The advantage of using
this routine is that the parties don't have to generate nor exchange
group modulus beforehand, saving both processor and communication
time.
Example (obtaining a shared secret):
var crypto = require('crypto');
var alice = crypto.getDiffieHellman('modp5');
var bob = crypto.getDiffieHellman('modp5');
alice.generateKeys();
bob.generateKeys();
var alice_secret = alice.computeSecret(bob.getPublicKey(), null, 'hex');
var bob_secret = bob.computeSecret(alice.getPublicKey(), null, 'hex');
/* alice_secret and bob_secret should be the same */
console.log(alice_secret == bob_secret);
crypto.pbkdf2(password, salt, iterations, keylen, callback)
Asynchronous PBKDF2 applies pseudorandom function HMAC-SHA1 to derive
a key of given length from the given password, salt and iterations.
The callback gets two arguments (err, derivedKey)
.
crypto.pbkdf2Sync(password, salt, iterations, keylen)
Synchronous PBKDF2 function. Returns derivedKey or throws error.
crypto.randomBytes(size, [callback])
Generates cryptographically strong pseudo-random data. Usage:
// async
crypto.randomBytes(256, function(ex, buf) {
if (ex) throw ex;
console.log('Have %d bytes of random data: %s', buf.length, buf);
});
// sync
try {
var buf = crypto.randomBytes(256);
console.log('Have %d bytes of random data: %s', buf.length, buf);
} catch (ex) {
// handle error
// most likely, entropy sources are drained
}
NOTE: Will throw error or invoke callback with error, if there is not enough
accumulated entropy to generate cryptographically strong data. In other words,
crypto.randomBytes
without callback will not block even if all entropy sources
are drained.
crypto.pseudoRandomBytes(size, [callback])
Generates non-cryptographically strong pseudo-random data. The data returned will be unique if it is sufficiently long, but is not necessarily unpredictable. For this reason, the output of this function should never be used where unpredictability is important, such as in the generation of encryption keys.
Usage is otherwise identical to crypto.randomBytes
.
crypto.DEFAULT_ENCODING
The default encoding to use for functions that can take either strings
or buffers. The default value is 'buffer'
, which makes it default
to using Buffer objects. This is here to make the crypto module more
easily compatible with legacy programs that expected 'binary'
to be
the default encoding.
Note that new programs will probably expect buffers, so only use this as a temporary measure.
Recent API Changes
The Crypto module was added to Node before there was the concept of a unified Stream API, and before there were Buffer objects for handling binary data.
As such, the streaming classes don't have the typical methods found on other Node classes, and many methods accepted and returned Binary-encoded strings by default rather than Buffers. This was changed to use Buffers by default instead.
This is a breaking change for some use cases, but not all.
For example, if you currently use the default arguments to the Sign class, and then pass the results to the Verify class, without ever inspecting the data, then it will continue to work as before. Where you once got a binary string and then presented the binary string to the Verify object, you'll now get a Buffer, and present the Buffer to the Verify object.
However, if you were doing things with the string data that will not
work properly on Buffers (such as, concatenating them, storing in
databases, etc.), or you are passing binary strings to the crypto
functions without an encoding argument, then you will need to start
providing encoding arguments to specify which encoding you'd like to
use. To switch to the previous style of using binary strings by
default, set the crypto.DEFAULT_ENCODING
field to 'binary'. Note
that new programs will probably expect buffers, so only use this as a
temporary measure.