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GeezerVison is showing github.com — doc: use secure key length for HMAC generateKey by tniessen · Pull Request #48052 · nodejs/node

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@tniessen

@tniessen tniessen commented May 17, 2023

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The examples for generateKey() and generateKeySync() generate 64-bit HMAC keys. That is inadequate for virtually any HMAC instance. As per common NIST recommendations, the minimum should be roughly 112 bits, or more commonly 128 bits.

Due to the design of HMAC itself, it is not unreasonable to choose the underlying hash function's block size as the key length. For many popular hash functions (SHA-256, SHA-224, SHA-1, MD5, ...) this happens to be 64 bytes (bytes, not bits!). This is consistent with the HMAC implementation in .NET, for example, even though it provides virtually no benefit over a 256-bit key.

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@tniessen
doc: use secure key length for HMAC generateKey
d0479cc 
The examples for generateKey() and generateKeySync() generate 64-bit
HMAC keys. That is inadequate for virtually any HMAC instance. As per
common NIST recommendations, the minimum should be roughly 112 bits, or
more commonly 128 bits.

Due to the design of HMAC itself, it is not unreasonable to choose the
underlying hash function's block size as the key length. For many
popular hash functions (SHA-256, SHA-224, SHA-1, MD5, ...) this happens
to be 64 bytes (bytes, not bits!). This is consistent with the HMAC
implementation in .NET, for example, even though it provides virtually
no benefit over a 256-bit key.
@tniessen tniessen added crypto Issues and PRs related to the crypto subsystem. doc Issues and PRs related to Node.js documentation. security Issues and PRs related to security. labels May 17, 2023
@tniessen
tniessen requested a review from jasnell May 18, 2023 00:29
panva
panva approved these changes May 18, 2023
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@panva panva added the author ready PRs with CI started, the required approvals, and no outstanding review comments. label May 18, 2023
lpinca
lpinca approved these changes May 18, 2023
View reviewed changes
@tniessen tniessen added the commit-queue PRs queued for automated landing through the Commit Queue. label May 18, 2023
@nodejs-github-bot nodejs-github-bot removed the commit-queue PRs queued for automated landing through the Commit Queue. label May 19, 2023
@nodejs-github-bot
nodejs-github-bot merged commit 85ac915 into nodejs:main May 19, 2023
@nodejs-github-bot

nodejs-github-bot commented May 19, 2023

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tniessen added a commit to tniessen/node that referenced this pull request May 22, 2023
@tniessen
doc: improve HMAC key recommendations
96feae2 
Add a reference to potential problems with using strings as HMAC keys.
Also advise against exceeding the underlying hash function's block size
when generating HMAC keys from a cryptographically secure source of
entropy.

Refs: nodejs#48052
Refs: nodejs#37248
@tniessen tniessen mentioned this pull request May 22, 2023
doc: improve HMAC key recommendations #48121
Merged
nodejs-github-bot pushed a commit that referenced this pull request May 24, 2023
@tniessen
doc: improve HMAC key recommendations
a0e11d7 
Add a reference to potential problems with using strings as HMAC keys.
Also advise against exceeding the underlying hash function's block size
when generating HMAC keys from a cryptographically secure source of
entropy.

Refs: #48052
Refs: #37248
PR-URL: #48121
Reviewed-By: Marco Ippolito <[email protected]>
Reviewed-By: Filip Skokan <[email protected]>
Reviewed-By: Luigi Pinca <[email protected]>
targos pushed a commit that referenced this pull request May 30, 2023
@tniessen @targos
doc: use secure key length for HMAC generateKey
13f163e 
The examples for generateKey() and generateKeySync() generate 64-bit
HMAC keys. That is inadequate for virtually any HMAC instance. As per
common NIST recommendations, the minimum should be roughly 112 bits, or
more commonly 128 bits.

Due to the design of HMAC itself, it is not unreasonable to choose the
underlying hash function's block size as the key length. For many
popular hash functions (SHA-256, SHA-224, SHA-1, MD5, ...) this happens
to be 64 bytes (bytes, not bits!). This is consistent with the HMAC
implementation in .NET, for example, even though it provides virtually
no benefit over a 256-bit key.

PR-URL: #48052
Reviewed-By: Filip Skokan <[email protected]>
Reviewed-By: Luigi Pinca <[email protected]>
targos pushed a commit that referenced this pull request May 30, 2023
@tniessen @targos
doc: improve HMAC key recommendations
281dfaf 
Add a reference to potential problems with using strings as HMAC keys.
Also advise against exceeding the underlying hash function's block size
when generating HMAC keys from a cryptographically secure source of
entropy.

Refs: #48052
Refs: #37248
PR-URL: #48121
Reviewed-By: Marco Ippolito <[email protected]>
Reviewed-By: Filip Skokan <[email protected]>
Reviewed-By: Luigi Pinca <[email protected]>
@targos targos mentioned this pull request Jun 4, 2023
v20.3.0 release proposal #48332
Merged
danielleadams pushed a commit that referenced this pull request Jul 6, 2023
@tniessen @danielleadams
doc: use secure key length for HMAC generateKey
d4e9b8b 
The examples for generateKey() and generateKeySync() generate 64-bit
HMAC keys. That is inadequate for virtually any HMAC instance. As per
common NIST recommendations, the minimum should be roughly 112 bits, or
more commonly 128 bits.

Due to the design of HMAC itself, it is not unreasonable to choose the
underlying hash function's block size as the key length. For many
popular hash functions (SHA-256, SHA-224, SHA-1, MD5, ...) this happens
to be 64 bytes (bytes, not bits!). This is consistent with the HMAC
implementation in .NET, for example, even though it provides virtually
no benefit over a 256-bit key.

PR-URL: #48052
Reviewed-By: Filip Skokan <[email protected]>
Reviewed-By: Luigi Pinca <[email protected]>
danielleadams pushed a commit that referenced this pull request Jul 6, 2023
@tniessen @danielleadams
doc: improve HMAC key recommendations
5146a73 
Add a reference to potential problems with using strings as HMAC keys.
Also advise against exceeding the underlying hash function's block size
when generating HMAC keys from a cryptographically secure source of
entropy.

Refs: #48052
Refs: #37248
PR-URL: #48121
Reviewed-By: Marco Ippolito <[email protected]>
Reviewed-By: Filip Skokan <[email protected]>
Reviewed-By: Luigi Pinca <[email protected]>
MoLow pushed a commit to MoLow/node that referenced this pull request Jul 6, 2023
@tniessen @MoLow
doc: use secure key length for HMAC generateKey
98c6e4b 
The examples for generateKey() and generateKeySync() generate 64-bit
HMAC keys. That is inadequate for virtually any HMAC instance. As per
common NIST recommendations, the minimum should be roughly 112 bits, or
more commonly 128 bits.

Due to the design of HMAC itself, it is not unreasonable to choose the
underlying hash function's block size as the key length. For many
popular hash functions (SHA-256, SHA-224, SHA-1, MD5, ...) this happens
to be 64 bytes (bytes, not bits!). This is consistent with the HMAC
implementation in .NET, for example, even though it provides virtually
no benefit over a 256-bit key.

PR-URL: nodejs#48052
Reviewed-By: Filip Skokan <[email protected]>
Reviewed-By: Luigi Pinca <[email protected]>
MoLow pushed a commit to MoLow/node that referenced this pull request Jul 6, 2023
@tniessen @MoLow
doc: improve HMAC key recommendations
d14018e 
Add a reference to potential problems with using strings as HMAC keys.
Also advise against exceeding the underlying hash function's block size
when generating HMAC keys from a cryptographically secure source of
entropy.

Refs: nodejs#48052
Refs: nodejs#37248
PR-URL: nodejs#48121
Reviewed-By: Marco Ippolito <[email protected]>
Reviewed-By: Filip Skokan <[email protected]>
Reviewed-By: Luigi Pinca <[email protected]>
@danielleadams danielleadams mentioned this pull request Jul 10, 2023
v18.17.0 release proposal #48694
Merged
Ceres6 pushed a commit to Ceres6/node that referenced this pull request Aug 14, 2023
@tniessen @Ceres6
doc: improve HMAC key recommendations
d4838d7 
Add a reference to potential problems with using strings as HMAC keys.
Also advise against exceeding the underlying hash function's block size
when generating HMAC keys from a cryptographically secure source of
entropy.

Refs: nodejs#48052
Refs: nodejs#37248
PR-URL: nodejs#48121
Reviewed-By: Marco Ippolito <[email protected]>
Reviewed-By: Filip Skokan <[email protected]>
Reviewed-By: Luigi Pinca <[email protected]>
Ceres6 pushed a commit to Ceres6/node that referenced this pull request Aug 14, 2023
@tniessen @Ceres6
doc: improve HMAC key recommendations
e18d0e7 
Add a reference to potential problems with using strings as HMAC keys.
Also advise against exceeding the underlying hash function's block size
when generating HMAC keys from a cryptographically secure source of
entropy.

Refs: nodejs#48052
Refs: nodejs#37248
PR-URL: nodejs#48121
Reviewed-By: Marco Ippolito <[email protected]>
Reviewed-By: Filip Skokan <[email protected]>
Reviewed-By: Luigi Pinca <[email protected]>
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@panva panva panva approved these changes
@lpinca lpinca lpinca approved these changes
@jasnell jasnell Awaiting requested review from jasnell

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@tniessen @nodejs-github-bot @panva @lpinca
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