API Keys Simplified

A secure, Rust library for generating and validating API keys with built-in security best practices.

What It Does

• Generate cryptographically secure API keys (192-bit entropy default)
• Hash keys using Argon2id (memory-hard, OWASP recommended)
• Checksum keys with BLAKE3 for fast DoS protection (2900x speedup)
• Verify keys with constant-time comparison (prevents timing attacks)
• Protect sensitive data with automatic memory zeroing
• Expire keys automatically based on embedded timestamps
• Revoke keys instantly by marking hashes as invalid

Quick Start

Basic Usage

use api_keys_simplified::{ApiKeyManagerV0, Environment, ExposeSecret, KeyStatus, SecureString};

fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
    // 1. Initialize with checksum (out of the box DoS protection)
    let manager = ApiKeyManagerV0::init_default_config("gpmcp_sk")?;

    // 2. Generate a new API key
    let api_key = manager.generate(Environment::production())?;

    // 3. Show key to user ONCE (they must save it)
    println!("API Key: {}", api_key.key().expose_secret());

    // 4. Store only the hash in your database
    database::save_user_key_hash(user_id, api_key.hash())?;

    // 5. Later: verify an incoming key (checksum validated first!)
    let provided_key_str = request.headers().get("Authorization")?.replace("Bearer ", "");
    let provided_key = SecureString::from(provided_key_str);
    let stored_hash = database::get_user_key_hash(user_id)?;

    match manager.verify(&provided_key, &stored_hash)? {
        KeyStatus::Valid => {
            // Key is valid - grant access
            handle_request(request)
        }
        KeyStatus::Invalid => {
            // Key is invalid, expired, or revoked
            Err("Invalid API key")
        }
    }
}

Key Format

prefix[-version]-environment-random_data[.expiry][.checksum]
     │     │           │            │       │         │
     │     │           │            │       │         └─ BLAKE3 (recommended, 16 hex chars)
     │     │           │            │       └─────────── Optional: 11-char base64url timestamp
     │     │           │            └─────────────────── Base64URL (192 bits default)
     │     │           └──────────────────────────────── dev/test/staging/live
     │     └──────────────────────────────────────────── Optional: vN (v1, v2, etc.)
     └────────────────────────────────────────────────── User-defined (e.g., acme_sk, stripe_pk)

Examples:

• Unversioned (default): gpmcp_sk-live-Xf8kP2qW9zLmN4vC8aH5tJw1bQmK3rN9.a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8
• With version: gpmcp_sk-v1-live-Xf8kP2qW9zLmN4vC8aH5tJw1bQmK3rN9.a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8
• With expiry: acme_api-dev-Rt7jK3pV8wNmQ2uD4fG6hLk8nPqS2uW5.AAAAAGldxGE.9f8e7d6c5b4a3210
• Full format: api-v2-live-Rt7jK3pV8wNmQ2uD4fG6hLk8nPqS2uW5.AAAAAGldxGE.9f8e7d6c5b4a3210

Checksum provides:

• 2900x faster rejection of invalid keys
• DoS protection against malformed requests
• Integrity verification before expensive Argon2

Expiration provides:

• Time-based access control (trial keys, temporary access)
• Stateless expiry (no database cleanup needed)
• Automatic rejection after timestamp

Versioning provides:

• Gradual migration between key formats
• Clear identification of key format version
• Backward compatibility (version 0 = unversioned)
• Future-proof format evolution

Why Use This?

Common API key security mistakes:

❌ Weak random number generators → Predictable keys
❌ Plaintext storage → Database breach = total compromise
❌ Vulnerable hashing (MD5, SHA1) → Easy to crack
❌ Timing-vulnerable comparisons → Leaks key information
❌ Keys lingering in memory → Core dumps expose secrets

This library solves all of these with secure defaults and minimal code.

Security Features

🔒 Cryptographic Strength

• RNG: OS-level CSPRNG via getrandom crate
• Hashing: Argon2id (Password Hashing Competition winner)
• Entropy: 192 bits default (NIST compliant through 2030+)
• Memory-Hard: Prevents GPU/ASIC brute force attacks

🛡️ Side-Channel Protection

• Constant-Time Comparison: Via subtle crate (timing-attack resistant)
• No Early Returns: Same verification time regardless of key differences
• Memory Hardness: Argon2 prevents cache-timing attacks

🔐 Memory Safety

• Auto-Zeroing: SecureString clears memory on drop via zeroize crate
• No Accidental Logging: Custom Debug impl redacts keys
• Explicit Access: No Deref trait (prevents silent leaks)

📊 DoS Protection

• BLAKE3 Checksums: Invalid keys rejected in ~20μs (vs ~300ms Argon2)
• 2900x Speedup: Dramatically reduces DoS attack surface
• Input Validation: 512-byte max key length
• Resource Limits: Prevents hash complexity attacks

Performance Comparison (10 invalid keys):

• ✅ With checksum: 0ms (fast rejection)
• ❌ Without checksum: 2907ms (all Argon2)

🔍 Threat Model

Protected Against: ✅ Brute force • ✅ Timing attacks • ✅ Rainbow tables • ✅ Memory disclosure • ✅ Database breaches • ✅ GPU/ASIC attacks

NOT Protected Against: ❌ Compromised app server • ❌ User negligence • ❌ Network interception (use HTTPS) • ❌ Quantum computers

Best Practices

use api_keys_simplified::{
    ApiKeyManagerV0, Environment, ExposeSecret, 
    KeyStatus, SecureString, ApiKey, Hash
};
use chrono::{Duration, Utc};

// ✅ Checksums enabled by default (DoS protection - use .disable_checksum() to turn off)
let manager = ApiKeyManagerV0::init_default_config("myapp_sk")?;

// ✅ Never log keys (auto-redacted)
let key = manager.generate(Environment::production())?;
println!("{:?}", key);  // Prints: ApiKey { key: "[REDACTED]", ... }

// ✅ Show keys only once
display_to_user_once(key.key().expose_secret());
db.save(key.hash());  // Store hash only

// ✅ Always use HTTPS
let response = client.get("https://api.example.com")
    .header("Authorization", format!("Bearer {}", key.key().expose_secret()))
    .send()?;

// ✅ Implement key rotation
fn rotate_key(manager: &ApiKeyManagerV0, user_id: u64) -> Result<ApiKey<Hash>, Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
    let new_key = manager.generate(Environment::production())?;
    db.revoke_old_keys(user_id)?;
    db.save_new_hash(user_id, new_key.hash())?;
    Ok(new_key)
}

// ✅ Use expiration for temporary access (trials, partners)
let trial_expiry = Utc::now() + Duration::days(7);
let trial_key = manager.generate_with_expiry(Environment::production(), trial_expiry)?;
db.save(user_id, trial_key.hash())?;

// ✅ Implement key revocation for compromised keys
fn revoke_key(user_id: u64, key_hash: &str) -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
    // Mark hash as revoked in database
    db.mark_revoked(user_id, key_hash)?;
    Ok(())
}

// ✅ Check revocation status during verification
fn verify_with_revocation(
    manager: &ApiKeyManagerV0, 
    key: &SecureString, 
    user_id: u64
) -> Result<bool, Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
    let stored_hash = db.get_user_key_hash(user_id)?;

    // Check if key is revoked first (fast database check)
    if db.is_revoked(user_id, &stored_hash)? {
        return Ok(false);
    }

    // Then verify key status
    match manager.verify(key, &stored_hash)? {
        KeyStatus::Valid => Ok(true),
        KeyStatus::Invalid => Ok(false),
    }
}

// ✅ Rate limit verification (still important with checksums)
if rate_limiter.check(ip_address).is_err() {
    return Err("Too many failed attempts");
}
// Convert incoming string to SecureString
let incoming_key = SecureString::from(request_key_string.to_string());
manager.verify(&incoming_key, &stored_hash)?;

Performance

Note: Slow verification is intentional—it prevents brute force attacks.

Testing

cargo test                              # All tests
cargo test --features expensive_tests  # Include timing analysis

Error Handling

use api_keys_simplified::{ApiKeyManagerV0, Environment, Error, ExposeSecret};

match ApiKeyManagerV0::init_default_config("sk") {
    Ok(manager) => {
        match manager.generate(Environment::production()) {
            Ok(key) => println!("Success: {}", key.key().expose_secret()),
            Err(Error::OperationFailed(op_err)) => {
                // Operation errors contain details (use {:?} in logs for debugging)
                eprintln!("Operation error: {}", op_err);
            }
            Err(e) => eprintln!("Generation error: {}", e),
        }
    }
    Err(e) => eprintln!("Init error: {}", e),
}

Error messages are intentionally generic to prevent information leakage.

Comparison

License

Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0.

Dependencies

All cryptographic implementations use well-audited crates:

• argon2 - Official Argon2 implementation
• subtle - Constant-time primitives
• zeroize - Secure memory zeroing
• getrandom - OS-level CSPRNG

References

• OWASP Authentication Cheat Sheet
• NIST SP 800-63B - Digital Identity Guidelines
• RFC 9106 - Argon2 Specification

Reporting Vulnerabilities

Email security issues to: sandip@ssdd.dev

Progress

• Key expiration support
• Key versioning
• Key rotation
• Fix timing attack in dummy_load
• Zero all intermediate string allocations
• Switch to ZII or a hybrid (ZII + RAII) approach for easier memory management.
• Write e2e tests to ensure memory zeroization
• Write e2e tests to verify prevention of side-channel attacks

Contributions welcome!