SwiftSecurity

SwiftSecurity is a modern Swift API for Apple’s Security framework (Keychain API, SharedWebCredentials API, Cryptography, etc). Secure the data your app manages in a much easier way with compile-time checks.

Features

How does SwiftSecurity differ from other popular frameworks?

• Supports every Keychain item (Generic & Internet Password, Key, Certificate and Identity).
• Prevents usage of an incorrect set of attributes for Keychain items.
• Provides consistent behavior across platforms. Verified through apple-oss-distributions/Security.
• Follows recommendations from DTS Engineer. Excludes legacy from OS X.
• Compatible with CryptoKit, SwiftUI and apple/swift-certificates.

Installation

Requirements

• iOS 14.0+ / macOS 11.0+ / Mac Catalyst 14.0+ / watchOS 7.0+ / tvOS 14.0+ / visionOS 1.0+
• Swift 5.9

Swift Package Manager

To use the SwiftSecurity, add the following dependency in your Package.swift:

.package(url: "https://github.com/dm-zharov/swift-security.git", from: "2.0.0")

Finally, add import SwiftSecurity to your source code.

Quick Start

Basic

// Choose Keychain
let keychain = Keychain.default

// Store secret
try keychain.store("8e9c0a7f", query: .credential(for: "OpenAI"))

// Retrieve secret
let token: String? = try keychain.retrieve(.credential(for: "OpenAI"))

// Remove secret
try keychain.remove(.credential(for: "OpenAI"))

Basic (SwiftUI)

struct AuthView: View {
    @Credential("OpenAI") private var token: String?

    var body: some View {
        VStack {
            Button("Save") {
                // Store secret
                try? _token.store("8e9c0a7f")
            }
            Button("Delete") {
                // Remove secret
                try? _token.remove()
            }
        }
        .onChange(of: token) {
            if let token {
                // Use secret
            }
        }
    }
} 

Web Credential

A password for a website or an area on a server, that requires authentication.

// Store password for a website
try keychain.store(
    password, query: .credential(for: "username", space: .website("https://example.com"))
)

// Retrieve password for a website
let password: String? = try keychain.retrieve(
    .credential(for: "username", space: .website("https://example.com"))
)

For example, if you need to store distinct ports credentials for the same user working on the same server, you might further characterize the query by specifying protection space.

let space1 = WebProtectionSpace(host: "example.com", port: 443)
try keychain.store(password1, query: .credential(for: user, space: space1))

let space2 = WebProtectionSpace(host: "example.com", port: 8443)
try keychain.store(password2, query: .credential(for: user, space: space2))

Get Attributes

if let info = try keychain.info(for: .credential(for: "OpenAI")) {
    // Creation date
    print(info.creationDate)
    // Comment
    print(info.comment)
    ...
}

Error Handling

SwiftSecurityError offers values for the most common issues.

do {
    try keychain.store("8e9c0a7f", query: .credential(for: "OpenAI"))
} catch {
    switch error as? SwiftSecurityError {
    case .duplicateItem:
        // handle duplicate
    default:
        // unhandled
    }
}

If case of the rare issue, you’ll receive .underlyingSecurityError(error:) with an OSStatus code that can be matched with underlying Security Framework Result Codes.

Remove All

// Removes everything from a keychain
try keychain.removeAll()

// Removes everything from a keychain, including distributed to other devices credentials through iCloud
try keychain.removeAll(includingSynchronizableCredentials: true)

🛠️ Usage

Get Data & Persistent Reference

If you’re working with NEVPNProtocol, you likely need to access persistent reference to password or identity.

// Retrieve multiple values at once
if case let .dictionary(info) = try keychain.retrieve([.data, .persistentReference], query: .credential(for: "OpenAI")) {
    // Data
    info.data
    // Persistent Reference
    info.persistentReference
}

// Retrieve persistent reference right after storing the secret
if case let .persistentReference(data) = try keychain.store(
    "8e9c0a7f",
    returning: .persistentReference, /* OptionSet */
    query: .credential(for: "OpenAI")
) {
    // Persistent Reference
    data
}

CryptoKit

SwiftSecurity lets you natively store CryptoKit keys as native SecKey instances. Key types supporting such conversion, like P256/P384/P521, conform to SecKeyConvertible protocol.

// Store private key
let privateKey = P256.KeyAgreement.PrivateKey()
try keychain.store(privateKey, query: .key(for: "Alice"))

// Retrieve private key (+ public key)
let privateKey: P256.KeyAgreement.PrivateKey? = try keychain.retrieve(.key(for: "Alice"))
let publicKey = privateKey.publicKey /* Recommended */

// Store public key. Not recommended, as you can generate it
try keychain.store(
    publicKey,
    query: .key(for: "Alice", descriptor: .ecPublicKey)
)

Other key types, like SymmetricKey, Curve25519, SecureEnclave.P256, have no direct keychain corollary. In particular, SecureEnclave.P256.PrivateKey is an encrypted block that only the same Secure Enclave can later use to restore the key. These types conform to SecDataConvertible, so store them as follows:

// Store symmetric key
let symmetricKey = SymmetricKey(size: .bits256)
try keychain.store(symmetricKey, query: .credential(for: "Chat"))

[!NOTE]
SecKey supports only P-256, P-384, P-521 Elliptic Curve and RSA keys. For more details, see On Cryptographic Key Formats.

Certificate

DER-Encoded X.509 Certificate.

// Prepare certificate
let certificateData: Data // Content of file, often with `cer`/`der` extension 
certificate = try Certificate(derRepresentation: certificateData)

// Store certificate
try keychain.store(certificate, query: .certificate(for: "Root CA"))

You could use SwiftSecurity simultaneously with X509 package from apple/swift-certificates. In case of Swift Package Manager dependency resolve issues, copy SecCertificateConvertible conformance directly to your project.

Digital Identity

A digital identity is the combination of a certificate and the private key that matches the public key within certificate.

// Import digital identity from `PKCS #12` data
let pkcs12Data: Data /* Contents of PKCS #12 file (also known as PKCS12, PFX, .p12, and .pfx) */
for importItem in try PKCS12.import(pkcs12Data, passphrase: "8e9c0a7f") {
    if let identity = importItem.identity {
        // Store digital identity
        try keychain.store(identity, query: .identity(for: "Apple Development"))
    }
}

// Retrieve digital identity
if let identity = try keychain.retrieve(.identity(for: "Apple Development")) {
    // Certificate
    identity.certificate
    // Private Key Data
    identity.privateKey
    // Underlying SecIdentity
    identity.secIdentity
}

The system stores certificate and private key separately.

Custom Query

// Create query
var query = SecItemQuery<GenericPassword>()

// Customize query
query.synchronizable = true
query.service = "OpenAI"
query.label = "OpenAI Access Token"

// Perform query
try keychain.store(secret, query: query, accessPolicy: AccessPolicy(.whenUnlocked, options: .biometryAny))
_ = try keychain.retrieve(query, authenticationContext: LAContext())
try keychain.remove(query)

Query prevents the creation of an incorrect set of attributes for item:

var query = SecItemQuery<InternetPassword>()
query.synchronizable = true  // ✅ Common
query.server = "example.com" // ✅ Only for `InternetPassword`
query.service = "OpenAI"     // ❌ Only for `GenericPassword`, so not accessible
query.keySizeInBits = 2048   // ❌ Only for `SecKey`, so not accessible

Possible queries:

SecItemQuery<GenericPassword>  // kSecClassGenericPassword
SecItemQuery<InternetPassword> // kSecClassInternetPassword
SecItemQuery<SecKey>           // kSecClassSecKey
SecItemQuery<SecCertificate>   // kSecClassSecCertificate
SecItemQuery<SecIdentity>      // kSecClassSecIdentity

Debug

// Print Keychain (or use LLDB `po` command)
print(keychain.debugDescription)

// Print Query
print(query.debugDescription)

// Output -> ["Class: GenericPassword", ..., "Service: OpenAI"]

🔑 How to Choose Keychain

Default

let keychain = Keychain.default

The system considers the first item in the list of keychain access groups to be the app’s default access group, evaluated in this order:

• The optional Keychain Access Groups Entitlement holds an array of strings, each of which names an access group.
• Application identifier, formed as the team identifier (team ID) plus the bundle identifier (bundle ID). For example, J42EP42PB2.com.example.app.

If the Keychain Sharing capability is not enabled, the default access group is app ID.

[!NOTE]
To enable macOS support, make sure to include the Keychain Sharing (macOS) capability and create a group ${TeamIdentifierPrefix}com.example.app, to prevent errors in operations. This sharing group is automatically generated for other platforms and accessible without capability. You could refer to TestHost for information regarding project configuration.

Sharing within Keychain Group

If you prefer not to rely on the automatic behavior of default storage selection, you have the option to explicitly specify a keychain sharing group.

let keychain = Keychain(accessGroup: .keychainGroup(teamID: "J42EP42PB2", nameID: "com.example.app"))

Sharing within App Group

Sharing could also be achieved by using App Groups capability. Unlike a keychain sharing group, the app group can’t automatically became the default storage for keychain items. You might already be using an app group, so it’s probably would be the most convenient choice.

let keychain = Keychain(accessGroup: .appGroupID("group.com.example.app"))

[!NOTE]
Use Sharing within Keychain Group for sharing on macOS, as the described behavior is not present on this platform. There’s no issue with using one sharing solution on one platform and a different one on another.

🔓 Protection with Face ID (Touch ID) and Passcode

Store protected item

// Store with specified `AccessPolicy`
try keychain.store(
    secret,
    query: .credential(for: "FBI"),
    accessPolicy: AccessPolicy(.whenUnlocked, options: .userPresence) // Requires biometry/passcode authentication
)

Retrieve protected item

If you request the protected item, an authentication screen will automatically appear.

// Retrieve value
try keychain.retrieve(.credential(for: "FBI"))

If you want to manually authenticate before making a request or customize authentication screen, provide LAContext to the retrieval method.

// Create an LAContext
var context = LAContext()

// Authenticate
do {
    let success = try await context.evaluatePolicy(
        .deviceOwnerAuthentication,
        localizedReason: "Authenticate to proceed." // Authentication prompt
    )
} else {
    // Handle LAError error
}

// Check authentication result 
if success {
    // Retrieve value
    try keychain.retrieve(.credential(for: "FBI"), authenticationContext: context)
}

[!WARNING]
Include the NSFaceIDUsageDescription key in your app’s Info.plist file. Otherwise, authentication request may fail.

ℹ️ Data Types

You can store, retrieve, and remove various types of values.

Foundation:
    - Data /* GenericPassword, InternetPassword */
    - String /* GenericPassword, InternetPassword */
CryptoKit:
    - SymmetricKey /* GenericPassword */
    - Curve25519 -> PrivateKey /* GenericPassword */
    - SecureEnclave.P256 -> PrivateKey /* GenericPassword (SE's Key Data is Persistent Reference) */
    - P256, P384, P521 -> PrivateKey /* SecKey (ANSI x9.63 Elliptic Curves) */
X509 (external package `apple/swift-certificates`):
    - Certificate /* SecCertificate */
SwiftSecurity:
    - Certificate /* SecCertificate */
    - DigitalIdentity /* SecIdentity (The Pair of SecCertificate and SecKey) */

To add support for custom types, you can extend them by conforming to the following protocols.

// Store as Data (GenericPassword, InternetPassword)
extension CustomType: SecDataConvertible {}

// Store as Key (ANSI x9.63 Elliptic Curves or RSA Keys)
extension CustomType: SecKeyConvertible {}

// Store as Certificate (X.509)
extension CustomType: SecCertificateConvertible {}

// Store as Identity (The Pair of Certificate and Private Key)
extension CustomType: SecIdentityConvertible {}

These protocols are inspired by Apple’s sample code from the Storing CryptoKit Keys in the Keychain article.

🔑 Shared Web Credential

[!TIP]
SharedWebCredentials API makes it possible to share credentials with the website counterpart. For example, a user may log in to a website in Safari and save credentials to the iCloud Keychain. Later, the user may run an app from the same developer, and instead of asking the user to reenter a username and password, it could access the existing credentials. The user can create new accounts, update passwords, or delete account from within the app. These changes should be saved from the app to be used by Safari.

// Store
SharedWebCredential.store("https://example.com", account: "username", password: "secret") { result in
    switch result {
    case .failure(let error):
        // Handle error
    case .success:
        // Handle success
    }
}

// Remove
SharedWebCredential.remove("https://example.com", account: "username") { result in
    switch result {
    case .failure(let error):
        // Handle error
    case .success:
        // Handle success
    }
}

// Retrieve
// - Use `ASAuthorizationController` to make an `ASAuthorizationPasswordRequest`.

🔒 Secure Data Generator

// Data with 20 uniformly distributed random bytes
let randomData = try SecureRandomDataGenerator(count: 20).next()

Security

The framework’s default behavior provides a reasonable balance between convenience and accessibility.

• kSecUseDataProtectionKeychain: true helps to achieve consistent behavior across platforms, so it shouldn’t and cannot be changed.
• kSecAttrAccessibleAfterFirstUnlock makes keychain items accessible from background state, yet changeable by using AccessPolicy.

Communication

• If you found a bug, open an issue.
• If you have a feature request, open an issue.
• If you want to contribute, submit a pull request.

Knowledge

• Sharing access to keychain items among a collection of apps
• Storing CryptoKit Keys in the Keychain
• TN3137: On Mac keychain APIs and implementations
• On Cryptographic Key Formats
• SecItem: Fundamentals
• SecItem: Pitfalls and Best Practices

Author

Dmitriy Zharov, [email protected]

License

SwiftSecurity is available under the MIT license. See the LICENSE file for more info.