@hapi/iron

What is @hapi/iron?

The @hapi/iron package is designed for encapsulated tokens (Sealed objects) creation and management. It provides a robust suite of tools for encrypting and decrypting data, creating tamper-proof, time-limited tokens that can securely transmit information between parties. This is particularly useful for creating authentication tokens, secure cookies, and other forms of secure data exchange in web applications.

What are @hapi/iron's main functionalities?

Data Sealing

This feature allows you to encrypt an object, turning it into a sealed string. This string can then be safely transmitted or stored, with the assurance that it cannot be tampered with without detection.

const Iron = require('@hapi/iron');

async function sealData() {
  const object = { a: 1, b: 2, c: 3 };
  const password = 'some-not-very-secret-password';
  const sealed = await Iron.seal(object, password, Iron.defaults);
  console.log(sealed);
}

sealData();

Data Unsealing

This feature allows you to decrypt a previously sealed string, returning it to its original object form. This is crucial for accessing the data in a secure manner after it has been transmitted or stored.

const Iron = require('@hapi/iron');

async function unsealData(sealed) {
  const password = 'some-not-very-secret-password';
  const unsealed = await Iron.unseal(sealed, password, Iron.defaults);
  console.log(unsealed);
}

// Assume 'sealed' is obtained from the sealData function
// unsealData(sealed);

Other packages similar to @hapi/iron

jsonwebtoken

jsonwebtoken (or JWT) is a package for handling JSON Web Tokens. It is similar to @hapi/iron in that it can be used for creating secure tokens for authentication and information exchange. However, JWT is specifically designed around the JSON Web Token standard, offering a different set of features focused on the structure and validation of tokens according to this standard.

node-jose

node-jose is a library for JavaScript Object Signing and Encryption (JOSE). It provides functionalities for creating and handling JWTs, JWEs (JSON Web Encryption), JWSs (JSON Web Signature), and JWKs (JSON Web Key). While it overlaps with @hapi/iron in terms of creating secure tokens, node-jose offers a broader suite of tools for working with the JOSE standards, making it more versatile for applications needing to adhere to these specifications.

README

@hapi/iron

Encapsulated tokens (encrypted and mac'ed objects).

iron is part of the hapi ecosystem and was designed to work seamlessly with the hapi web framework and its other components (but works great on its own or with other frameworks). If you are using a different web framework and find this module useful, check out hapi – they work even better together.

Visit the hapi.dev Developer Portal for tutorials, documentation, and support

Useful resources

• Documentation and API
• Versions status (builds, dependencies, node versions, licenses, eol)
• Changelog
• Project policies
• Free and commercial support options