(node:16163) Warning: Use Cipheriv for counter mode of aes-256-ctr Error After Upgrading To Node v8.9.0

[ronovar]

Today upgraded node to v8.9.0 and after runing my application.js i get this from node:

(node:16163) Warning: Use Cipheriv for counter mode of aes-256-ctr
(node:16163) Warning: Use Cipheriv for counter mode of aes-256-ctr
(node:16163) Warning: Use Cipheriv for counter mode of aes-256-ctr

it gets warning every seconds so on octa core cpu all threads go up to 100% i can't kill it and need to do in terminal killall -9 node

this code i have in application.js and is working in previus version of node:

var crypto = require('crypto'),
algorithm = 'aes-256-ctr',

So i think i need to change aes-256-ctr to some other algorithm name so please write me how can i fix this so that i can use my application.js in new node version...i need minor change in code so that my code changes untouched...so what is fix for this?

[bnoordhuis]

It's in the warning: use crypto.createCipheriv(), not crypto.createCipher().

[ronovar]

Thanks...your solution works.

[cuongnv-ibl]

@ronovar How you get rid it ? pls help

[renatoargh]

@bnoordhuis I wonder replacing crypto.createCipher() with crypto.createCipheriv() may cause any problems like preventing me from decrpting previously encrypted data with crypto.createCipher()... is it 100% safe in this sense? Thanks a lot. (btw not a crypto expert here haha)

[bnoordhuis]

I uploaded a script to make migrating to crypto.createCipheriv() easier:

Usage:
  node bytestokey.js CIPHER PASSPHRASE

Example:
  node bytestokey.js aes-128-cbc secret

Prints:
  key: 5ebe2294ecd0e0f08eab7690d2a6ee69
  iv:  26ae5cc854e36b6bdfca366848dea6bb

Now update your code and replace this:

  const cipher = crypto.createCipher('aes-128-cbc', 'secret');

With this:

  const key = Buffer.from('5ebe2294ecd0e0f08eab7690d2a6ee69', 'hex');
  const iv  = Buffer.from('26ae5cc854e36b6bdfca366848dea6bb', 'hex');
  const cipher = crypto.createCipheriv('aes-128-cbc', key, iv);

Get it here: https://gist.github.com/bnoordhuis/2de2766d3d3a47ebe41aaaec7e8b14df

For counter modes it prints a big fat warning that you should take very seriously.

[mscheffer]

they should correct the warning, should say "createCipheriv" and be more informative

[bnoordhuis]

@mscheffer createCipheriv() is a wrapper around Cipheriv so one or the other doesn't really matter.

As to "more informative", that's too vague to be actionable, you'll have to be more concrete (dare I say: more informative?)

[anstill]

Hi @bnoordhuis, Thank a lot for your script. It helped me in some cases.

But looks like this script doesn't work with PASSPHRASE containing: #$-_ charsets.

For example: N7bz2FTM$UHc#rPmveVEQ-ZnXSYqaD6uWgAxsLjdCwJ_Bfyt54

[RezaRahmati]

key: 5ebe2294ecd0e0f08eab7690d2a6ee69 iv: 26ae5cc854e36b6bdfca366848dea6bb

Thanks for your code, a question how we should generate key and iv?