Node.js v26.9.0 documentation

Web Crypto API#

Node.js provides an implementation of the Web Crypto API standard.

Use globalThis.crypto or require('node:crypto').webcrypto to access this module.

const { subtle } = globalThis.crypto;

(async function() {

  const key = await subtle.generateKey({
    name: 'HMAC',
    hash: 'SHA-256',
    length: 256,
  }, true, ['sign', 'verify']);

  const enc = new TextEncoder();
  const message = enc.encode('I love cupcakes');

  const digest = await subtle.sign({
    name: 'HMAC',
  }, key, message);

})();
jscopy

Modern Algorithms in the Web Cryptography API#

Node.js provides an implementation of the following features from the Modern Algorithms in the Web Cryptography API WICG proposal:

Algorithms:

• 'AES-OCB'¹
• 'Argon2d'²
• 'Argon2i'²
• 'Argon2id'²
• 'ChaCha20-Poly1305'
• 'cSHAKE128'
• 'cSHAKE256'
• 'KMAC128'¹
• 'KMAC256'¹
• 'KT128'
• 'KT256'
• 'ML-DSA-44'³
• 'ML-DSA-65'³
• 'ML-DSA-87'³
• 'ML-KEM-512'³
• 'ML-KEM-768'³
• 'ML-KEM-1024'³
• 'SHA3-256'
• 'SHA3-384'
• 'SHA3-512'
• 'TurboSHAKE128'
• 'TurboSHAKE256'

Key Formats:

• 'raw-public'
• 'raw-secret'
• 'raw-seed'

Methods:

• subtle.decapsulateBits()
• subtle.decapsulateKey()
• subtle.encapsulateBits()
• subtle.encapsulateKey()
• subtle.getPublicKey()
• SubtleCrypto.supports()

Secure Curves in the Web Cryptography API#

Node.js provides an implementation of the following features from the Secure Curves in the Web Cryptography API WICG proposal:

Algorithms:

• 'Ed448'
• 'X448'

Examples#

Generating keys#

The <SubtleCrypto> class can be used to generate symmetric (secret) keys or asymmetric key pairs (public key and private key).

AES keys#

const { subtle } = globalThis.crypto;

async function generateAesKey(length = 256) {
  const key = await subtle.generateKey({
    name: 'AES-CBC',
    length,
  }, true, ['encrypt', 'decrypt']);

  return key;
}
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ECDSA key pairs#

const { subtle } = globalThis.crypto;

async function generateEcKey(namedCurve = 'P-521') {
  const {
    publicKey,
    privateKey,
  } = await subtle.generateKey({
    name: 'ECDSA',
    namedCurve,
  }, true, ['sign', 'verify']);

  return { publicKey, privateKey };
}
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Ed25519/X25519 key pairs#

const { subtle } = globalThis.crypto;

async function generateEd25519Key() {
  return subtle.generateKey({
    name: 'Ed25519',
  }, true, ['sign', 'verify']);
}

async function generateX25519Key() {
  return subtle.generateKey({
    name: 'X25519',
  }, true, ['deriveKey']);
}
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HMAC keys#

const { subtle } = globalThis.crypto;

async function generateHmacKey(hash = 'SHA-256') {
  const key = await subtle.generateKey({
    name: 'HMAC',
    hash,
  }, true, ['sign', 'verify']);

  return key;
}
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RSA key pairs#

const { subtle } = globalThis.crypto;
const publicExponent = new Uint8Array([1, 0, 1]);

async function generateRsaKey(modulusLength = 2048, hash = 'SHA-256') {
  const {
    publicKey,
    privateKey,
  } = await subtle.generateKey({
    name: 'RSASSA-PKCS1-v1_5',
    modulusLength,
    publicExponent,
    hash,
  }, true, ['sign', 'verify']);

  return { publicKey, privateKey };
}
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Encryption and decryption#

const crypto = globalThis.crypto;

async function aesEncrypt(plaintext) {
  const ec = new TextEncoder();
  const key = await generateAesKey();
  const iv = crypto.getRandomValues(new Uint8Array(16));

  const ciphertext = await crypto.subtle.encrypt({
    name: 'AES-CBC',
    iv,
  }, key, ec.encode(plaintext));

  return {
    key,
    iv,
    ciphertext,
  };
}

async function aesDecrypt(ciphertext, key, iv) {
  const dec = new TextDecoder();
  const plaintext = await crypto.subtle.decrypt({
    name: 'AES-CBC',
    iv,
  }, key, ciphertext);

  return dec.decode(plaintext);
}
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Exporting and importing keys#

const { subtle } = globalThis.crypto;

async function generateAndExportHmacKey(format = 'jwk', hash = 'SHA-512') {