pyhpke
A Python implementation of HPKE.
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you need RFC 9180 HPKE for non-critical applications or prototyping. The library is actively maintained, has low install friction, carries no known vulnerabilities, and uses a permissive MIT license. However, note that it has not been formally audited—do not use it for high-security applications without independent security review.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python 3.10 or later; recipient must have corresponding private key to decrypt.
- Low install friction: pure Python wheel with a single runtime dependency on cryptography.
- Active maintenance with a release 29 days ago and commits through August 2026.
License · maintenance · safety
MIT (permissive) — MIT license (permissive) allows free use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions, suitable for both open-source and proprietary projects.
last release 2026-07-16 (29 days) · last repo commit 2026-08-11 · 13 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 309,516 downloads/mo, #7,754 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
from pyhpke import AEADId, CipherSuite, KDFId, KEMId, KEMKey
suite = CipherSuite.new(
KEMId.DHKEM_P256_HKDF_SHA256, KDFId.HKDF_SHA256, AEADId.AES128_GCM
)
enc, sender = suite.create_sender_context(public_key)
ct = sender.seal(b"message")- Whether formal security audit has been completed since the unaudited status noted in the description.
- Real-world performance characteristics compared to alternative HPKE implementations.
What it is and what it does
PyHPKE is a Python library implementing the HPKE standard from RFC 9180, enabling secure message encryption between a sender and recipient using hybrid public-key cryptography. It supports all four HPKE modes (Base, PSK, Auth, AuthPSK) and provides multiple cipher suite combinations across key encapsulation mechanisms (DHKEM variants for P-256, P-384, P-521, X25519, X448), key derivation functions (HKDF-SHA256/384/512), and authenticated encryption algorithms (AES-GCM, ChaCha20Poly1305, Export Only).
The library wraps cryptographic operations from the cryptography package and exposes a straightforward API: create a cipher suite, load or derive keys from JWK or PEM formats, establish sender and recipient contexts, and seal or open messages. It has been tested against RFC 9180 official test vectors but has not undergone formal security audit, making it suitable for non-critical applications or as a reference implementation rather than as a drop-in replacement for audited production cryptography libraries.
Use it for
- Encrypt messages for a known recipient when you have their public key and need authenticated encryption.
- Implement end-to-end encryption in protocols or applications requiring RFC 9180 compliance.
- Derive cryptographic keys from seed material using standardized key encapsulation and derivation functions.
- Test HPKE cipher suite combinations and modes without external dependencies beyond cryptography.
- Build multi-recipient encryption systems using HPKE's authenticated modes with pre-shared keys.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you need RFC 9180 HPKE for non-critical applications or prototyping.
The library is actively maintained, has low install friction, carries no known vulnerabilities, and uses a permissive MIT license. However, note that it has not been formally audited—do not use it for high-security applications without independent security review.
Install
pyhpke on PyPI
Before you install
Low install friction: pure Python wheel with a single runtime dependency on cryptography. Active maintenance with a release 29 days ago and commits through August 2026.
Requires Python 3.10 or later; recipient must have corresponding private key to decrypt.
License in practice
MIT license (permissive) allows free use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions, suitable for both open-source and proprietary projects.
Quickstart
from pyhpke import AEADId, CipherSuite, KDFId, KEMId, KEMKey
suite = CipherSuite.new(
KEMId.DHKEM_P256_HKDF_SHA256, KDFId.HKDF_SHA256, AEADId.AES128_GCM
)
enc, sender = suite.create_sender_context(public_key)
ct = sender.seal(b"message")Verify before relying
- Whether formal security audit has been completed since the unaudited status noted in the description.
- Real-world performance characteristics compared to alternative HPKE implementations.
Package facts
| License | MIT permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release <4.0,>=3.10 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 1 packagecryptography |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 29 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 309,516 / month, #7,754 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | License :: OSI Approved :: MIT LicenseProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3 :: OnlyProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.14Typing :: Typed |
Evidence: pyhpke-0.6.5-py3-none-any.whl
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