CipherCLI - AES Encryption CLI Tool

ciphercli is a command-line tool for securely encrypting and decrypting text using AES encryption in CFB mode. The tool loads a secret key from an environment variable, ensuring secure handling of sensitive data. Encrypted output is base64-encoded, making it suitable for storage or transmission.

Features

• AES encryption in CFB mode with a random IV for enhanced security.
• Base64 encoding for safe storage of encrypted data.
• Command-line interface with simple, clear subcommands for encryption and decryption.
• Ideal for integration into scripts or standalone use in the terminal.

Prerequisites

• Go version 1.23 or higher.
• .env file containing the secret key (see setup instructions below).

Installation

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/thorntoncloud/ciphercli-go.git
cd ciphercli-go

2. Set Up the .env File

Create a .env file in the project’s root directory and add your secret key (16, 24, or 32 bytes long):

SECRET_SAUCE=your-secret-key-here

Replace your-secret-key-here with your actual key.

3. Build the Executable

To build the CLI tool, run:

go build -o ciphercli

This will create a ciphercli executable (or ciphercli.exe on Windows) in the project directory.

Usage

CipherCLI uses spf13/cobra for a clear, structured command interface. You can choose encrypt or decrypt subcommands with a specified text to encrypt or decrypt.

Encrypt Text

To encrypt text, use the encrypt command:

./ciphercli encrypt "your secret message"

Example:

./ciphercli encrypt "This is a top secret message."

The CLI will return the base64-encoded encrypted text:

Encrypted Text: C2FuZG... (base64 output)

Decrypt Text

To decrypt encrypted text, use the decrypt command:

./ciphercli decrypt "base64-encoded-encrypted-text"

Example:

./ciphercli decrypt "C2FuZG..."

The CLI will return the original decrypted text:

Decrypted Text: This is a top secret message

Command-Line Options

• encrypt: Encrypts the specified text.
• decrypt: Decrypts the specified base64-encoded encrypted text.

Example commands:

ciphercli encrypt "Text to encrypt"
ciphercli decrypt "EncryptedTextHere"

Adding the Tool to Your PATH

You can add ciphercli to your PATH for easier access.

On Linux / macOS

Move the binary to /usr/local/bin:

sudo mv ciphercli /usr/local/bin

Verify it’s accessible:

ciphercli encrypt "test message"

On Windows

Move ciphercli.exe to your preferred directory, e.g., C:\tools\ciphercli.

Add the directory to your system’s PATH:

1. Open Control Panel → System → Advanced System Settings.
2. Go to Environment Variables.
3. Under System Variables, find the Path variable, select it, and click Edit.
4. Add the path to the directory containing ciphercli.exe (e.g., C:\tools\ciphercli).
5. Click OK to save.

Verify it’s accessible:

ciphercli encrypt "text"

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Feel free to fork this repository, open pull requests, or file issues for bug reports or feature requests.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.