Question

I am using ColdFusion 9, and MySQL 5.1. I am trying to align the ColdFusion encrypt/decrypt functions and mySQL AES_ENCRYPT/AES_DECRYPT so I can use them interchangeably depending on the situation. Not having much luck with that.

First I created an AES string with ColdFusion:

    <cfset theKey = generateSecretKey("AES") />
    <cfoutput>#theKey#</cfoutput>

Example key: 4OFWUiuqFEkGrSRFm8sLlg==

I use this key to encrypt with MySQL. Note, encrypt_test is an existing table, and fld is a varchar column.

    INSERT INTO encrypt_test 
    SET fld = aes_encrypt('the text to encrypt', '4OFWUiuqFEkGrSRFm8sLlg==')

Next I try to decrypt with ColdFusion:

    <cfset theKey = "4OFWUiuqFEkGrSRFm8sLlg=="
    <cfset theAlgorithm  = "AES" />

Then run a cfquery to get the data (Only 1 record in the table),

    <cfquery name="testDecrypt">
        SELECT fld FROM encrypt_test
    </cfquery`

And finally decrypt

    <cfoutput>#Decrypt(testDecrypt.fld, theKey, theAlgorithm)#</cfoutput>

This results in a Null. I suspect its a padding issue or some other mismatch, anyone have an idea what I am doing wrong, or how to make this work?

Answer 1

I would stick with just using CF’s functions. That way you can add all kinds of layers of security processes, to include things like iterations and multiple keys, to build a custom solution with ease. THe amount of overhead it adds is not much at all for that as well.