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* docs: clarify security semantics of safeStorage Co-authored-by: Samuel Attard <marshallofsound@electronjs.org> * Apply suggestions from code review Co-authored-by: Erick Zhao <erick@hotmail.ca> Co-authored-by: Samuel Attard <sam@electronjs.org> * Update safe-storage.md Co-authored-by: Samuel Attard <sam@electronjs.org> * Update safe-storage.md Co-authored-by: Samuel Attard <sam@electronjs.org> --------- Co-authored-by: trop[bot] <37223003+trop[bot]@users.noreply.github.com> Co-authored-by: Samuel Attard <marshallofsound@electronjs.org> Co-authored-by: Samuel Attard <sam@electronjs.org>
77 lines
4.1 KiB
Markdown
77 lines
4.1 KiB
Markdown
# safeStorage
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> Allows access to simple encryption and decryption of strings for storage on the local machine.
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Process: [Main](../glossary.md#main-process)
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This module adds extra protection to data being stored on disk by using OS-provided cryptography systems. Current
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security semantics for each platform are outlined below.
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* **macOS**: Encryption keys are stored for your app in [Keychain Access](https://support.apple.com/en-ca/guide/keychain-access/kyca1083/mac) in a way that prevents
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other applications from loading them without user override. Therefore, content is protected from other users and other apps running in the same userspace.
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* **Windows**: Encryption keys are generated via [DPAPI](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/dpapi/nf-dpapi-cryptprotectdata).
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As per the Windows documentation: "Typically, only a user with the same logon credential as the user who encrypted the data can typically
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decrypt the data". Therefore, content is protected from other users on the same machine, but not from other apps running in the
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same userspace.
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* **Linux**: Encryption keys are generated and stored in a secret store that varies depending on your window manager and system setup. Options currently supported are `kwallet`, `kwallet5`, `kwallet6` and `gnome-libsecret`, but more may be available in future versions of Electron. As such, the
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security semantics of content protected via the `safeStorage` API vary between window managers and secret stores.
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* Note that not all Linux setups have an available secret store. If no secret store is available, items stored in using the `safeStorage` API will be unprotected
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as they are encrypted via hardcoded plaintext password. You can detect when this happens when `safeStorage.getSelectedStorageBackend()` returns `basic_text`.
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Note that on Mac, access to the system Keychain is required and
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these calls can block the current thread to collect user input.
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The same is true for Linux, if a password management tool is available.
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## Methods
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The `safeStorage` module has the following methods:
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### `safeStorage.isEncryptionAvailable()`
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Returns `boolean` - Whether encryption is available.
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On Linux, returns true if the app has emitted the `ready` event and the secret key is available.
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On MacOS, returns true if Keychain is available.
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On Windows, returns true once the app has emitted the `ready` event.
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### `safeStorage.encryptString(plainText)`
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* `plainText` string
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Returns `Buffer` - An array of bytes representing the encrypted string.
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This function will throw an error if encryption fails.
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### `safeStorage.decryptString(encrypted)`
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* `encrypted` Buffer
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Returns `string` - the decrypted string. Decrypts the encrypted buffer
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obtained with `safeStorage.encryptString` back into a string.
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This function will throw an error if decryption fails.
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### `safeStorage.setUsePlainTextEncryption(usePlainText)`
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* `usePlainText` boolean
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This function on Linux will force the module to use an in memory password for creating
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symmetric key that is used for encrypt/decrypt functions when a valid OS password
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manager cannot be determined for the current active desktop environment. This function
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is a no-op on Windows and MacOS.
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### `safeStorage.getSelectedStorageBackend()` _Linux_
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Returns `string` - User friendly name of the password manager selected on Linux.
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This function will return one of the following values:
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* `basic_text` - When the desktop environment is not recognised or if the following
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command line flag is provided `--password-store="basic"`.
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* `gnome_libsecret` - When the desktop environment is `X-Cinnamon`, `Deepin`, `GNOME`, `Pantheon`, `XFCE`, `UKUI`, `unity` or if the following command line flag is provided `--password-store="gnome-libsecret"`.
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* `kwallet` - When the desktop session is `kde4` or if the following command line flag
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is provided `--password-store="kwallet"`.
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* `kwallet5` - When the desktop session is `kde5` or if the following command line flag
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is provided `--password-store="kwallet5"`.
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* `kwallet6` - When the desktop session is `kde6`.
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* `unknown` - When the function is called before app has emitted the `ready` event.
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