WebCrypto.getRandomValues vs crypto.randomBytes

[daviddias]

crypto.randomBytes

https://nodejs.org/api/crypto.html#crypto_crypto_randombytes_size_callback

returns a Buffer with random bytes given the size

WebCrypto.getRandomValues(arr)

https://developer.mozilla.org/en/docs/Web/API/RandomSource/getRandomValues

overwrites an array with randomBytes

Why didn't WebCrypto do the same thing that Node.js was doing, when it came after?

[dignifiedquire]

are you trying to collect all strange behavior of webcrypto here? ;)

[daviddias]

@dignifiedquire exactly, hopefully it will be useful to enumerate issues in the future

[dignifiedquire]

As a side note, the webcrypto api is much more sensible when trying to optimize for speed and allocations. You can manage your own array and fill it with random values, whereas the node api is actually much worse, as it forces allocation of a new buffer when generating random values.

[daviddias]

Still a WAT

[daviddahl]

See: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=440046#c39

and

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=673432#c5