Key Management: Hardcoded Encryption Key

Hardcoded encryption keys can compromise security in a way that is not easy to remedy.

It is never a good idea to hardcode an encryption key because it allows all of the project's developers to view the encryption key, and makes fixing the problem extremely difficult. After the code is in production, a software patch is required to change the encryption key. If the account that is protected by the encryption key is compromised, the owners of the system must choose between security and availability.

Example 1: The following code uses a hardcoded encryption key:

...
encryptionKey = "lakdsljkalkjlksdfkl".
...

Anyone with access to the code has access to the encryption key. After the application has shipped, there is no way to change the encryption key unless the program is patched. An employee with access to this information can use it to break into the system. If attackers had access to the executable for the application, they could extract the encryption key value.

Hardcoded encryption keys can compromise security in a way that is not easy to remedy.

It is never a good idea to hardcode an encryption key because it allows all of the project's developers to view the encryption key, and makes fixing the problem extremely difficult. After the code is in production, a software patch is required to change the encryption key. If the account that is protected by the encryption key is compromised, the owners of the system must choose between security and availability.

Example 1: The following code uses a hardcoded encryption key:

    ...
    var encryptionKey:String = "lakdsljkalkjlksdfkl";
    var key:ByteArray = Hex.toArray(Hex.fromString(encryptionKey));
    ...
    var aes.ICipher = Crypto.getCipher("aes-cbc", key, padding);
    ...

Anyone with access to the code has access to the encryption key. After the application has shipped, there is no way to change the encryption key unless the program is patched. An employee with access to this information can use it to break into the system. If attackers had access to the executable for the application, they could extract the encryption key value.

Hardcoded encryption keys can compromise security in a way that is not easy to remedy.

Never hardcode an encryption key because it makes the encryption key visible to all of the project's developers, and makes fixing the problem extremely difficult. Changing the encryption key after the code is in production requires a software patch. If the account that the encryption key protects is compromised, the organization must choose between security and system availability.

Example 1: The following code performs AES encryption using a hardcoded encryption key:

...
Blob encKey = Blob.valueOf('YELLOW_SUBMARINE');
Blob encrypted = Crypto.encrypt('AES128', encKey, iv, input);
...

Anyone with access to the code can see the encryption key. After the application has shipped, there is no way to change the encryption key without a software patch. An employee with access to this information can use it to break into the system. Any attacker with access to the application executable can extract the encryption key value.

Hardcoded encryption keys can compromise security in a way that is not easy to remedy.

It is never a good idea to hardcode an encryption key because it allows all of the project's developers to view the encryption key, and makes fixing the problem extremely difficult. After the code is in production, a software patch is required to change the encryption key. If the account that is protected by the encryption key is compromised, the owners of the system must choose between security and availability.

Example 1: The following code uses a hardcoded encryption key:

...
using (SymmetricAlgorithm algorithm = SymmetricAlgorithm.Create("AES"))
{
  string encryptionKey = "lakdsljkalkjlksdfkl";
  byte[] keyBytes = Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes(encryptionKey);
  algorithm.Key = keyBytes;
  ...
}

Anyone with access to the code has access to the encryption key. After the application has shipped, there is no way to change the encryption key unless the program is patched. An employee with access to this information can use it to break into the system. If attackers had access to the executable for the application, they could extract the encryption key value.

Hardcoded encryption keys can compromise security in a way that cannot be easily remedied.

It is never a good idea to hardcode an encryption key. Not only does hardcoding an encryption key allow all of the project's developers to view the encryption key, it also makes fixing the problem extremely difficult. After the code is in production, a software patch is required to change the encryption key. If the account protected by the encryption key is compromised, the owners of the system must choose between security and availability.

Example: The following code uses a hardcoded encryption key:

...
char encryptionKey[] = "lakdsljkalkjlksdfkl";
...

Anyone with access to the code has access to the encryption key. After the program ships, there is no way to change the encryption key unless the program is patched. An employee with access to this information can use it to break into the system. If attackers have access to the executable for the application they can disassemble the code, which will contain the value of the encryption key used.

Hardcoded encryption keys can compromise security in a way that is not easy to remedy.

It is never a good idea to hardcode an encryption key because it allows all of the project's developers to view the encryption key, and makes fixing the problem extremely difficult. After the code is in production, a software patch is required to change the encryption key. If the account that is protected by the encryption key is compromised, the owners of the system must choose between security and availability.

Example 1: The following code uses a hardcoded encryption key:

	...
	<cfset encryptionKey = "lakdsljkalkjlksdfkl" />
	<cfset encryptedMsg = encrypt(msg, encryptionKey, 'AES', 'Hex') />
	...

Anyone with access to the code has access to the encryption key. After the application has shipped, there is no way to change the encryption key unless the program is patched. An employee with access to this information can use it to break into the system. If attackers had access to the executable for the application, they could extract the encryption key value.

Hardcoded encryption keys can compromise security in a way that is not easy to remedy.

It is never a good idea to hardcode an encryption key because all of the project's developers can view the encryption key, and fixing the problem is extremely difficult. After the code is in production, changing the encryption key requires a software patch. If the account that is protected by the encryption key is compromised, the owners of the system must choose between security and availability.

Example 1: The following code uses a hardcoded encryption key:

...
key := []byte("lakdsljkalkjlksd");
block, err := aes.NewCipher(key)
...

Anyone with access to the code has access to the encryption key. After the application has shipped, there is no way to change the encryption key unless the program is patched. An employee with access to this information can use it to break into the system. If attackers had access to the executable for the application, they could extract the encryption key value.

Hardcoded encryption keys can compromise security in a way that is not easy to remedy.

It is never a good idea to hardcode an encryption key because it allows all of the project's developers to view the encryption key, and makes fixing the problem extremely difficult. After the code is in production, a software patch is required to change the encryption key. If the account that is protected by the encryption key is compromised, the owners of the system must choose between security and availability.

Example 1: The following code uses a hardcoded encryption key:

  ...
  var crypto = require('crypto');
  var encryptionKey = "lakdsljkalkjlksdfkl";
  var algorithm = 'aes-256-ctr';
  var cipher = crypto.createCipher(algorithm, encryptionKey);
  ...
  

Anyone with access to the code has access to the encryption key. After the application has shipped, there is no way to change the encryption key unless the program is patched. An employee with access to this information can use it to break into the system. If attackers had access to the executable for the application, they could extract the encryption key value.

Hardcoded passwords can compromise system security in a way that is difficult to remedy.

Never hardcode passwords. Not only does it expose the password to all of the project's developers, it also makes fixing the problem extremely difficult. After the code is in production, a program patch is probably the only way to change the password. If the account the password protects is compromised, the system owners must choose between security and availability.
Example: The following JSON uses a hardcoded password:

...
{
  "username":"scott"
  "password":"tiger"
}
...

This configuration may be valid, but anyone who has access to the configuration will have access to the password. After the program is released, changing the default user account "scott" with a password of "tiger" is difficult. Anyone with access to this information can use it to break into the system.

Hardcoded encryption keys can compromise security in a way that cannot be easily remedied.

It is never a good idea to hardcode an encryption key because it allows all of the project's developers to view the encryption key, and makes fixing the problem extremely difficult. After the code is in production, a software patch is required to change the encryption key. If the account that is protected by the encryption key is compromised, the owners of the system must choose between security and availability.

Example 1: The following code uses a hardcoded encryption key:

...
NSString encryptionKey = "lakdsljkalkjlksdfkl";
...

Anyone with access to the code has access to the encryption key. After the application has shipped, there is no way to change the encryption key unless the program is patched. An employee with access to this information can use it to break into the system. If attackers had access to the executable for the application, they could extract the encryption key value.

Hardcoded encryption keys could compromise system security in a way that cannot be easily remedied.

It is never a good idea to hardcode an encryption key. Not only does hardcoding an encryption key allow all of the project's developers to view the encryption key, it also makes fixing the problem extremely difficult. After the code is in production, a software patch is required to change the encryption key. If the account protected by the encryption key is compromised, the owners of the system must choose between security and availability.
Example: The following code uses a hardcoded encryption key to encrypt information:

...
$encryption_key = 'hardcoded_encryption_key';

//$filter = new Zend_Filter_Encrypt('hardcoded_encryption_key');
$filter = new Zend_Filter_Encrypt($encryption_key);

$filter->setVector('myIV');

$encrypted = $filter->filter('text_to_be_encrypted');
print $encrypted;
...

This code will run successfully, but anyone who has access to it will have access to the encryption key. After the program ships, there is likely no way to change the hardcoded encryption key ('hardcoded_encryption_key') unless the program is patched. A devious employee with access to this information can use it to compromise data encrypted by the system.

Hardcoded encryption keys can compromise security in a way that is not easy to remedy.

It is never a good idea to hardcode an encryption key because it allows all of the project's developers to view the encryption key, and makes fixing the problem extremely difficult. After the code is in production, a software patch is required to change the encryption key. If the account that is protected by the encryption key is compromised, the owners of the system must choose between security and availability.



Anyone with access to the code has access to the encryption key. After the application has shipped, there is no way to change the encryption key unless the program is patched. An employee with access to this information can use it to break into the system. If attackers had access to the executable for the application, they could extract the encryption key value.

Hardcoded encryption keys could compromise system security in a way that cannot be easily remedied.

It is never a good idea to hardcode an encryption key. Not only does hardcoding an encryption key allow all of the project's developers to view the encryption key, it also makes fixing the problem extremely difficult. After the code is in production, a software patch is required to change the encryption key. If the account protected by the encryption key is compromised, the owners of the system must choose between security and availability.
Example: The following code uses a hardcoded encryption key to encrypt information:

...
from Crypto.Ciphers import AES
encryption_key = b'_hardcoded__key_'
cipher = AES.new(encryption_key, AES.MODE_CFB, iv)
msg = iv + cipher.encrypt(b'Attack at dawn')
...

This code will run successfully, but anyone who has access to it will have access to the encryption key. After the program ships, there is likely no way to change the hardcoded encryption key _hardcoded__key_ unless the program is patched. A devious employee with access to this information can use it to compromise data encrypted by the system.

Hardcoded encryption keys could compromise system security in a way that cannot be easily remedied.

It is never a good idea to hardcode an encryption key. Not only does hardcoding an encryption key allow all of the project's developers to view the encryption key, it also makes fixing the problem extremely difficult. After the code is in production, a software patch is required to change the encryption key. If the account protected by the encryption key is compromised, the owners of the system must choose between security and availability.
Example 1: The following code uses a hardcoded encryption key:

require 'openssl'
...
encryption_key = 'hardcoded_encryption_key'
...
cipher = OpenSSL::Cipher::AES.new(256, 'GCM')
cipher.encrypt
...
cipher.key=encryption_key
...

This code will run successfully, but anyone who has access to it will have access to the encryption key. After the program ships, there is likely no way to change the hardcoded encryption key "hardcoded_encryption_key" unless the program is patched. A devious employee with access to this information can use it to compromise data encrypted by the system.

Hardcoded encryption keys can compromise security in a way that cannot be easily remedied.

It is never a good idea to hardcode an encryption key. Not only does hardcoding an encryption key allow all of the project's developers to view the encryption key, it also makes fixing the problem extremely difficult. After the code is in production, a software patch is required to change the encryption key. If the account protected by the encryption key is compromised, the owners of the system must choose between security and availability.

Example 1: The following code uses a hardcoded encryption key:

...
let encryptionKey = "YELLOW_SUBMARINE"
...

Example 2: The following code performs AES encryption using a hardcoded encryption key:

...
CCCrypt(UInt32(kCCEncrypt),
UInt32(kCCAlgorithmAES128),
UInt32(kCCOptionPKCS7Padding),
"YELLOW_SUBMARINE",
16,
iv,
plaintext,
plaintext.length,
ciphertext.mutableBytes,
ciphertext.length,
&numBytesEncrypted)
...

Anyone with access to the code has access to the encryption key. After the program ships, there is no way to change the encryption key unless the program is patched. An employee with access to this information can use it to break into the system. If attackers had access to the executable for the application they could extract the encryption key value.

Hardcoded encryption keys can compromise security in a way that is not easy to remedy.

Never hardcode an encryption key because it makes the encryption key visible to all of the project's developers, and makes fixing the problem extremely difficult. Changing the encryption key after the code is in production requires a software patch. If the account that the encryption key protects is compromised, the organization must choose between security and system availability.
Example 1:
The Public-Key Cryptography Standards #12 KeyStore is a common cryptographic bundle file format, which commonly contains SSL/TLS certificates and corresponding private keys. It uses file name extensions .pkcs12, .p12, and pfx.

Anyone with access to the code can see the encryption key. After the application has shipped, there is no way to change the encryption key unless the program is patched. An employee with access to this information can use it to break into the system. Any attacker with access to the application executable can extract the encryption key value.

Hardcoded encryption keys can compromise security in a way that is not easy to remedy.

It is never a good idea to hardcode an encryption key because it allows all of the project's developers to view the encryption key, and makes fixing the problem extremely difficult. After the code is in production, a software patch is required to change the encryption key. If the account that is protected by the encryption key is compromised, the owners of the system must choose between security and availability.

Example 1: The following code uses a hardcoded encryption key:

...
Dim encryptionKey As String
Set encryptionKey = "lakdsljkalkjlksdfkl"
Dim AES As New System.Security.Cryptography.RijndaelManaged
On Error GoTo ErrorHandler
  AES.Key = System.Text.Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes(encryptionKey)
  ...
Exit Sub
...

Anyone with access to the code has access to the encryption key. After the application has shipped, there is no way to change the encryption key unless the program is patched. An employee with access to this information can use it to break into the system. If attackers had access to the executable for the application, they could extract the encryption key value.

Hardcoded encryption keys can compromise security in a way that is not easy to remedy.

Never hardcode an encryption key because it makes the encryption key visible to all of the project's developers, and makes fixing the problem extremely difficult. Changing the encryption key after the code is in production requires a software patch. If the account that the encryption key protects is compromised, the organization must choose between security and system availability.

Example 1: The following example shows an encryption key inside the secrets.yml file of a Ruby on Rails configuration:

...
production:
  secret_key_base: 0ab25e26286c4fb9f7335947994d83f19861354f19702b7bbb84e85310b287ba3cdc348f1f19c8cdc08a7c6c5ad2c20ad31ecda177d2c74aa2d48ec4a346c40e
...

Anyone with access to the code can see the encryption key. After the application has shipped, there is no way to change the encryption key unless the program is patched. An employee with access to this information can use it to break into the system. Any attacker with access to the application executable can extract the encryption key value.