Crypt::Blowfish - Perl Blowfish encryption module

  use Crypt::Blowfish;
  my $cipher = new Crypt::Blowfish $key; 
  my $ciphertext = $cipher->encrypt($plaintext);
  my $plaintext  = $cipher->decrypt($ciphertext);

Blowfish is capable of strong encryption and can use key sizes up to 56 bytes (a 448 bit key). You're encouraged to take advantage of the full key size to ensure the strongest encryption possible from this module.

Crypt::Blowfish has the following methods:

 blocksize()
 keysize()
 encrypt()
 decrypt()

blocksize

Returns the size (in bytes) of the block cipher. Crypt::Blowfish doesn't return a key size due to its ability to use variable-length keys. (well, more accurately, it won't as of 2.09 .. for now, it does. expect that to change)

new

        my $cipher = new Crypt::Blowfish $key;

This creates a new Crypt::Blowfish BlockCipher object, using CW$key, where CW$key is a key of CWkeysize() bytes (minimum of eight bytes).

encrypt

        my $cipher = new Crypt::Blowfish $key;
        my $ciphertext = $cipher->encrypt($plaintext);

This function encrypts CW$plaintext and returns the CW$ciphertext where CW$plaintext and CW$ciphertext must be of CWblocksize() bytes. (hint: Blowfish is an 8 byte block cipher)

decrypt

        my $cipher = new Crypt::Blowfish $key;
        my $plaintext = $cipher->decrypt($ciphertext);

This function decrypts CW$ciphertext and returns the CW$plaintext where CW$plaintext and CW$ciphertext must be of CWblocksize() bytes. (hint: see previous hint)

        my $key = pack("H16", "0123456789ABCDEF");  # min. 8 bytes
        my $cipher = new Crypt::Blowfish $key;
        my $ciphertext = $cipher->encrypt("plaintex");  # SEE NOTES 
        print unpack("H16", $ciphertext), "\n";

        Please see the README document for platforms and performance
        tests.

The module is capable of being used with Crypt::CBC. You're encouraged to read the perldoc for Crypt::CBC if you intend to use this module for Cipher Block Chaining modes. In fact, if you have any intentions of encrypting more than eight bytes of data with this, or any other block cipher, you're going to need some type of block chaining help. Crypt::CBC tends to be very good at this. If you're not going to encrypt more than eight bytes, your data must be exactly eight bytes long. If need be, do your own padding. \0 as a null byte is perfectly valid to use for this. Additionally, the current maintainer for Crypt::Blowfish may or may not release Crypt::CBC_R which replaces the default 'RandomIV' initialization vector in Crypt::CBC with a random initialization vector. (to the limits of /dev/urandom and associates) In either case, please email amused@pobox.com for Crypt::CBC_R.

Crypt::CBC, Crypt::DES, Crypt::IDEA

Bruce Schneier, Applied Cryptography, 1995, Second Edition, published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

The implementation of the Blowfish algorithm was developed by, and is copyright of, A.M. Kuchling.

Other parts of the perl extension and module are copyright of Systemics Ltd ( http://www.systemics.com/ ).

Code revisions, updates, and standalone release are copyright 1999-2001 W3Works, LLC.

Original algorithm, Bruce Shneier. Original implementation, A.M. Kuchling. Original Perl implementation, Systemics Ltd. Current maintenance by W3Works, LLC.

Current revision and maintainer: Dave Paris <amused@pobox.com>