Symmetric Encryption ==================== .. testsetup:: import binascii key = binascii.unhexlify(b"0" * 32) iv = binascii.unhexlify(b"0" * 32) Symmetric encryption is a way to encrypt (hide the plaintext value) material where the encrypter and decrypter both use the same key. .. class:: cryptography.primitives.block.BlockCipher(cipher, mode) Block ciphers work by encrypting content in chunks, often 64- or 128-bits. They combine an underlying algorithm (such as AES), with a mode (such as CBC, CTR, or GCM). A simple example of encrypting content with AES is: .. doctest:: >>> from cryptography.primitives.block import BlockCipher, ciphers, modes >>> cipher = BlockCipher(ciphers.AES(key), modes.CBC(iv)) >>> cipher.encrypt(b"a secret message") + cipher.finalize() '...' :param cipher: One of the ciphers described below. :param mode: One of the modes described below. ``encrypt()`` should be called repeatedly with new plaintext, and once the full plaintext is fed in, ``finalize()`` should be called. .. method:: encrypt(plaintext) :param bytes plaintext: The text you wish to encrypt. :return bytes: Returns the ciphertext that was added. .. method:: finalize() :return bytes: Returns the remainder of the ciphertext. Ciphers ~~~~~~~ .. class:: cryptography.primitives.block.ciphers.AES(key) AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) is a block cipher standardized by NIST. AES is both fast, and cryptographically strong. It is a good default choice for encryption. :param bytes key: The secret key, either ``128``, ``192``, or ``256`` bits. This must be kept secret. .. class:: cryptography.primitives.block.ciphers.Camellia(key) Camellia is a block cipher approved for use by CRYPTREC and ISO/IEC. It is considered to have comparable security and performance to AES, but is not as widely studied or deployed. :param bytes key: The secret key, either ``128``, ``192``, or ``256`` bits. This must be kept secret. Modes ~~~~~ .. class:: cryptography.primitives.block.modes.CBC(initialization_vector) CBC (Cipher block chaining) is a mode of operation for block ciphers. It is considered cryptographically strong. :param bytes initialization_vector: Must be random bytes. They do not need to be kept secret (they can be included in a transmitted message). Must be the same number of bytes as the ``block_size`` of the cipher. Do not reuse an ``initialization_vector`` with a given ``key``. .. class:: cryptography.primitives.block.modes.CTR(nonce) .. warning:: Counter mode is not recommended for use with block ciphers that have a block size of less than 128-bits. CTR (Counter) is a mode of operation for block ciphers. It is considered cryptographically strong. :param bytes nonce: Should be random bytes. It is critical to never reuse a ``nonce`` with a given key. Any reuse of a nonce with the same key compromises the security of every message encrypted with that key. Must be the same number of bytes as the ``block_size`` of the cipher with a given key. The nonce does not need to be kept secret and may be included alongside the ciphertext. .. class:: cryptography.primitives.block.modes.OFB(initialization_vector) OFB (Output Feedback) is a mode of operation for block ciphers. It transforms a block cipher into a stream cipher. :param bytes initialization_vector: Must be random bytes. They do not need to be kept secret (they can be included in a transmitted message). Must be the same number of bytes as the ``block_size`` of the cipher. Do not reuse an ``initialization_vector`` with a given ``key``. .. class:: cryptography.primitives.block.modes.CFB(initialization_vector) CFB (Cipher Feedback) is a mode of operation for block ciphers. It transforms a block cipher into a stream cipher. :param bytes initialization_vector: Must be random bytes. They do not need to be kept secret (they can be included in a transmitted message). Must be the same number of bytes as the ``block_size`` of the cipher. Do not reuse an ``initialization_vector`` with a given ``key``. Insecure Modes -------------- .. warning:: These modes are insecure. New applications should never make use of them, and existing applications should strongly consider migrating away. .. class:: cryptography.primitives.block.modes.ECB() ECB (Electronic Code Book) is the simplest mode of operation for block ciphers. Each block of data is encrypted in the same way. This means identical plaintext blocks will always result in identical ciphertext blocks, and thus result in information leakage