README.md

Modular Crypt Format

This modules reads (deserialize) and writes (serialize) password fields in databases following the Modular Crypt Format (MCF).

The modular crypt format (MCF) is a standard for encoding password hash strings in order to defend a database against attacks (dictionary attacks, pre-computed rainbow table attacks, etc.).

The Modular Crypt Format is described in detail in http://pythonhosted.org/passlib/modular_crypt_format.html

Format

A password field in the Modular Crypt Format is of the following form:

$identifier$cost$salt$derived_key

Install

npm install mcf

API

deserialize(mcf_field)

serialize(identifier, cost, salt, derived_key)

Usage

Reading the format from the database:

var mcf = require('mcf');

var mcf_field = user.get('password');
try {
    var obj = mcf.deserialize(mcf_field);
    var identifier = obj.identifier;
    var cost = obj.cost;
    var salt = obj.salt;
    var derived_key = obj.derived_key;
} catch(err) {
    if (err instanceof mcf.McfError) {
        console.log("Format error in the database", err);
    } else {
        console.log("Unexpected fail");
    }
}

Creating the format to write in the database:

var mcf = require('mcf');

var mcf_field = mcf.serialize('pbkdf2', cost, salt, derived_key);

Contributions

Pull Requests and contributions in general are welcome as long as they follow the Node aesthetic.