Encryption scope

Passwork uses a two-level protection model. Not all data is encrypted on the client — some fields are protected only by server-side encryption to enable functionality (search, sorting, display).

Encryption levels overview

Level	Where it runs	When active	Key	Algorithm
Client-side encryption	In browser	When CSE is enabled	User, vault, record keys	AES-256-CBC
Server-side encryption	On server	Always	Server key	AES-256-CFB

Record data

Field	Client-side encryption	Server-side encryption	Reason
Record name	—	✓	Search, list display
Login	—	✓	Search, autofill
Password	✓	✓	Critical data
URL	—	✓	Search, autofill, browser extension
Description	—	✓	Search
Tags	—	✓	Filtering, grouping
Color	—	✓	Display

Custom fields

Attribute	Client-side encryption	Server-side encryption	Reason
Field name	✓	✓	May contain sensitive information
Field value	✓	✓	Critical data
Field type	✓	✓	Field metadata

TOTP (two-factor authentication)

Attribute	Client-side encryption	Server-side encryption	Reason
TOTP secret	✓	✓	Critical 2FA data

Attachments

Attribute	Client-side encryption	Server-side encryption	Reason
File name	—	✓	Display, search
File contents	✓	✓	Critical data
Attachment key	Yes (with record key)	✓	Key material

Record revisions

Attribute	Client-side encryption	Server-side encryption	Reason
Previous password values	✓	✓	Historical secrets
Previous custom fields	✓	✓	Historical secrets
Change metadata	—	✓	Audit, logging

Vault data

Attribute	Client-side encryption	Server-side encryption	Reason
Vault name	—	✓	Navigation, display
Vault description	—	✓	Information
Vault key	Yes (with user RSA key)	✓	Key material
Access rights	—	✓	Access control
Vault settings	—	✓	Configuration

User data

Attribute	Client-side encryption	Server-side encryption	Reason
Username	—	—	Identification
Email	—	—	Identification
Public RSA key	—	—	Public by definition
Private RSA key	Yes (with master key)	✓	Critical data
Master key hash	—	✓	For password verification
PBKDF2 salt	—	✓	Cryptographic parameters
Local Storage Secret Code	—	✓	For "Remember" feature

External link data

Attribute	Client-side encryption	Server-side encryption	Reason
Link token	—	—	URL identifier
Record data copy	Yes (with link key)	✓	Secret data
Link key (encrypted)	✓	✓	Key material
Link key hash	—	✓	For access verification
Link settings	—	✓	TTL, one-time use

Service data

Data	Client-side encryption	Server-side encryption	Reason
Object IDs	—	—	Identification
Timestamps	—	—	Sorting, audit
Access/Refresh tokens	—	—	Sessions (in memory/cookies)
LDAP passwords (integration)	—	✓	Server integration
SMTP passwords	—	✓	Server integration

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Encryption keys by data type

Data	Client-side encryption key	Server-side encryption key
Password field	Record key (AES-256-CBC)	Server key (AES-256-CFB)
Custom fields	Record key	Server key
TOTP secret	Record key	Server key
File contents	Attachment key (AES-256-CBC)	Server key
Attachment key	Record key	Server key
Record key	Vault key (AES-256-CBC)	Server key
Vault key	User RSA key (RSA-OAEP)	Server key
Private RSA key	Master key (AES-256-CBC)	Server key

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Why is not everything encrypted on the client?

Functional reasons

1. Search — to search by name, login, URL, description, and tags, the server must be able to index these fields
2. Sorting — sorting records by name requires access to this field
3. Filtering — tag filtering works on the server side
4. Autofill — browser extension matches URLs without decryption
5. List display — showing record names without decrypting the entire record

Metadata security

Although some fields are not encrypted on the client, they are protected by:

• Server-side encryption (AES-256-CFB) before database write
• TLS/HTTPS during transmission between client and server
• Access control at the application level

Threat model

Threat	Protection
Database leak	Server-side encryption protects all data
Server compromise	Client-side encryption protects critical data
Traffic interception	TLS protects data in transit
Administrator access	Zero-Knowledge for passwords and secrets

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Security recommendations

With CSE enabled

With client-side encryption, critical data (passwords, secrets, files) is protected by the Zero-Knowledge principle. The server cannot decrypt them.

What remains visible to the server:

• Vault and folder structure
• Record names
• Logins and URLs
• Tags and descriptions
• Number and names of attachments

Minimizing metadata

If you need to hide metadata:

• Use generic/non-informative record names
• Avoid sensitive information in descriptions
• Don't specify exact URLs for critical systems

LLM version