Encryption Class - Decrypting: authentication failed

[Jack-Dane]

I have used the Encryption class to encrypt some data, setting the key in the config file, but when I try to decrypt i receive an error message:

CodeIgniter\Encryption\Exceptions\EncryptionException
Decrypting: authentication failed.
SYSTEMPATH\Encryption\Exceptions\EncryptionException.php at line 34

I believe to be following the documentation provided correctly:
https://codeigniter.com/user_guide/libraries/encryption.html#configuration

Here is my code to encrypt:

$encrypter = \Config\Services::encrypter();
$userAccount["Email"] = $encrypter->encrypt($accountData["email"]);

Here is my code to decrypt:

$encrypter = \Config\Services::encrypter();
$result->Email = $encrypter->decrypt($result->Email);

The same error has been asked here on StackOverflow

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/62781769/decrypt-showing-error-authentication-failed

Thanks

[tangix]

Just a thought: are you properly handling text encoding of the encrypted string? Encrypt generates binary data and using bin2hex() and hex2bin() may be recommended.

[Jack-Dane]

I have changed the current code to store the data in hexadecimal, using the bin2hex function. And then when trying to decrypt the message I still receive the same issue. I convert the hexadecimal to binary using the function and then try to decrypt the message.

New code to encrypt:

$encrypter = \Config\Services::encrypter();
$userAccount["Email"] = bin2hex($encrypter->encrypt($accountData["email"]));

New code to decrypt:

$encrypter = \Config\Services::encrypter();
echo $encrypter->decrypt(hex2bin($result->Email));

If I have misunderstood something, please let me know, thanks.

[tangix]

Have you tried a simple example just to see that all is well in your installation?
I tried this in 4.0.3 and all is well. Running macOS 10.15.5 with PHP 7.3.19:

$encrypter = \Config\Services::encrypter();
$data = 'joe.doe@example.com';
$enc = $encrypter->encrypt($data);

$encrypter = \Config\Services::encrypter();
$result = $encrypter->decrypt($enc);

if ($result === $data) {
	echo "OK\n";
}
else {
	echo "NOT OK!\n";
}

[Jack-Dane]

Thank you for getting back to me, I tested what you suggested and it worked.

I realised after this, the place where I am storing the data is too small to store all the bits. The error message threw me off.

Thanks again.