Kai

Posted on Feb 17, 2021 • Edited on May 15, 2021 • Originally published at kais.blog

How to Generate a Secure Random Number in Node.js

#javascript #node #tutorial #security

This post was originally published at kais.blog.

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While you are working on your JavaScript apps, the moment will come when you need a secure random number. Generating it has been quite tricky in the past. Some people use Math.random whenever the need for a random number arises. Please don't do this if there is any chance for an attacker.

If you are generating random numbers for security reasons (e.g. verification codes), you should use a cryptographically secure random number. Fortunately, the crypto module has been extended in recent Node.js versions. So, now there's an easy way to do it in JavaScript.

Prerequisites

Node.js (v14.10.0+ / v12.19.0+)

Generate a Secure Random Number Between `min` and `max` in JavaScript

Without further ado, let's generate our secure random number. First, import the crypto module:

const crypto = require("crypto");

Now, you have access to the randomInt function. randomInt takes up to three arguments.

Probably, you want to generate a random number in a given range. Therefore, you can specify the minimum (min) and maximum (max). Note that the minimum is inclusive and the maximum is exclusive. So, if you want to generate a number between 0 and 999,999 you'll have to pass 0 and 1000000.

// Synchronous
const n = crypto.randomInt(0, 1000000);
console.log(n);

The third argument is optional. You can provide a callback function. Then, the random integer is generated asynchronously:

// Asynchronous
crypto.randomInt(0, 1000000, (err, n) => {
  if (err) throw err;
  console.log(n);
});

Good! Now, n is a secure random integer between 0 and 999999. For example, this could be used as a 6-digit verification code:

const verificationCode = n.toString().padStart(6, "0");

Conclusion

The changes in recent Node.js versions made generating secure random numbers easy. So, if you are generating random numbers to use as verification codes or for a secure random shuffle, you now know how to do it.

Let's move your learning forward together! Follow me on Twitter for your daily dose of developer tips. Thanks for reading my content!

This post was originally published at kais.blog.