SecureStringExtensions.NetStandard 1.0.0

Secure string extensions

These methods help converting SecureString into character array or string or the other way around, from string or character arrays into SecureString.

It is recommended to avoid strings if possible and stick to only using character arrays (or pointer to these arrays) as strings are inherently unsafe. Using SecureString in tandem with string beats much of the purpose of SecureString, which is kept in encrypted unmanaged memory and strings, which are kept possibly multiple places in managed memory and memory allocated values are in plaintext.

This library is compiled with .NET Standard so it can be used with and .NET, .NET Framework and .NET Core which supports .NET Standard 2.0.

To use the methods add this using to your source code:

using SecureStringExtensions;

The methods will then show up as extension methods on char[] and string instances.

The following tests shows how to use the lib.

using NUnit.Framework;
using System;
using SecureStringExtensions;
using System.Security;

namespace SecureStringExtensions.Test
{
    [TestFixture]
    public class SecureStringExtensionsTest
    {
        [Test]
        [TestCase(new char[] { 'G', 'O', 'A', 'T', '1', '2', '3' })]
        public void CopyCharArrayToSecureStringAndCopyBackToCharArrayReturnsExpected(char[] inputChars)
        {
            SecureString sec = inputChars.ToSecureString();
            var copiedFromSec = sec.FromSecureStringToCharArray();
            CollectionAssert.AreEqual(copiedFromSec, inputChars);                
        }

        [Test]
        [TestCase("GOAT456")]
        public void CopyStringToSecureStringAndCopyBackToUnsafeStringReturnsExpected(string inputString)
        {
            SecureString sec = inputString.ToSecureString();
            var copiedFromSec = sec.FromSecureStringToUnsafeString();
            Assert.AreEqual(copiedFromSec, inputString);
        }
    }
}