---
id: pyhpke
version: "0.6.5"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# pyhpke — A Python implementation of HPKE.

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 309.5K/mo

## 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 above — verify before relying.

PyHPKE implements HPKE (Hybrid Public Key Encryption) as defined in RFC 9180, providing authenticated encryption with public-key cryptography for sender-recipient message exchange.

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

pip install pyhpke
uv add pyhpke
poetry add pyhpke

## Installing pyhpke

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.

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")

Requires Python 3.10 or later; recipient must have corresponding private key to decrypt.

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_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 309.5K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

HPKE hybrid public key encryption, RFC 9180 implementation, authenticated encryption python, public key encryption library, elliptic curve key encapsulation, AEAD cipher suite, key derivation function, cryptography, public-key-encryption, rfc-9180

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