Exploring different approaches to deniable encryption in Node.js/TypeScript.
🌐 pikayou.shakespeare.wtf - Web implementation (experimental)
npm install
npm run demo:layered # recommended for Nostr| Demo | Command | How it works | One password forever? | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| layered ⭐ | npm run demo:layered |
🏆 WINNER! NIP-44 outside, blockcrypt-style inside. Slot 0 = empty password (decoy), Slot 1 = secret password (hidden). | ✅ Yes | ✅ Works |
| nostr-bc | npm run demo:nostr-bc |
Blockcrypt-style + NIP-44 conversation key. Slot 1 = NIP-44 key, Slot 2 = password. | ✅ Yes | ✅ Works |
| blockcrypt | npm run demo:blockcrypt |
One block, multiple passphrases → different messages. Can't tell how many secrets exist. | ✅ Yes | ✅ Works |
| concat | npm run demo:concat |
Hidden msg encrypted with shared password, appended to decoy as metadata. | ✅ Yes | ✅ Works |
| stego | npm run demo:stego |
Hidden msg encoded as invisible zero-width Unicode chars inside decoy. | ✅ (no password) | ✅ Works |
| deniable | npm run demo:deniable |
RSA-based. Two separate ciphertexts, two keypairs. | ➖ Keypairs | ✅ Works |
| simple | npm run demo:simple |
XOR-based. One ciphertext, two keys → different messages. Educational. | ❌ Key per msg | ✅ Works |
| nostr | npm run demo:nostr |
XOR-based with NIP-44. Secret = hidden XOR decoy, shared separately. | ❌ Secret per msg | ✅ Works |
| false-bottom | npm run demo:false-bottom |
npm false-bottom library |
- | ❌ Broken |
The layered approach is the best solution for Nostr:
- Clean separation: NIP-44 handles transport, blockcrypt-style handles deniability
- Empty password for decoy = no friction for normal use
- Secret password for hidden = plausible deniability
- Same password works for ALL messages
- Cannot tell how many slots are used
For general (non-Nostr) use: blockcrypt
For understanding the concept: simple
┌─ NIP-44 (Nostr transport) ────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ ┌─ Inner Block (blockcrypt-style) ────────────────────┐ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ Slot 0: "" (empty pass) → "Meeting at 5pm" │ │
│ │ Slot 1: "secret" → "The treasure..." │ │
│ │ Slot 2: [random padding] │ │
│ │ Slot 3: [random padding] │ │
│ │ │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
- NIP-44 encrypts the inner block (standard Nostr DM)
- Anyone decrypting NIP-44 can use empty password → sees decoy
- Only those with secret password → see hidden message
- Can't tell how many slots are used (padding looks like real slots)
- You have two messages: decoy (safe to reveal) and hidden (secret)
- You encrypt them together
- If coerced: give up decoy password → they see decoy
- Claim "that's all I have" - they can't prove otherwise
- blockcrypt - Best for true plausible deniability
- deniable-encryption - RSA-based approach
- @noble/secp256k1 - For Nostr key operations
- @noble/ciphers - XChaCha20-Poly1305
- @noble/hashes - HKDF, SHA256
