A Secure Communications Library For Sharing Credentials
# Using npm
npm install @idpass/smartshare-react-native
# Using yarn
yarn add @idpass/smartshare-react-nativeImport in main app:
import IdpassSmartshare from '@idpass/smartshare-react-native';The use of Java version 1.8 is recommended and has been tested to be smoothly compatible for this project. This project was generated using create-react-native-library to bootstrap the project structure and settings.
git clone https://github.com/idpass/smartshare-react-native
cd smartshare-react-native
yarn
yarn example start
# In a separate terminal window:
cd smartshare-react-native
yarn example androidFirst, a connection code or params needs to be communicated out-of-band and not via this library. This connection code specifies the intended peer to connect to. The mechanism to communicate the params connection code is up to the application. Such mechanism would include, but is not limited to, through a QR code for example.
The app that displays the QR code shall generate the ephemeral connection parameters:
import IdpassSmartshare from '@idpass/smartshare-react-native';
const params = IdpassSmartshare.getConnectionParameters();
console.log(params);
// Use any out-of-band mechanism to communicate the value of params to the peer device.
// For example, you can use a QR code generator library to visually display params.The connection code or params looks like:
{
"cid": "1ejpu",
"pk": "819176777955C098B78BAF949084A4484AEC5A769CED2307D59E46DC85A0F758"
}The app that scans the QR code shall set its connection parameters:
// Use any out-of-band mechanism to get the value of params from the peer device.
// For example, you can use a QR code scanning library to get params.
IdpassSmartshare.setConnectionParameters(params);Both apps create the connection:
IdpassSmartshare.createConnection('dual', () => {
// A secure Bluetooth connection is created
// Anytime, either app may call IdpassSmartshare.send()
});Once the connection is created, either app can send a string message.
IdpassSmartshare.send(message, () => {
// message sent
});The app can intentionally destroy the connection.
IdpassSmartshare.destroyConnection();The app must handle Nearby events in order to receive messages, to monitor transfer status of incoming/outgoing messages, or to monitor connection related events:
IdpassSmartshare.handleNearbyEvents((event) => {
switch (event.type) {
case 'msg':
console.log(event.data);
break;
case 'onDisconnected':
console.log('onDisconnected: ' + event.data);
break;
case 'transferupdate':
console.log('transferupdate: ' + event.data);
break;
default:
break;
}
});The React Native app can print native debug logs for debugging, by:
IdpassSmartshare.handleLogEvents(event => {
console.log(event.log);
});The above example snippets illustrated the use of the dual Bluetooth connection creation mode, wherein both devices will actively attempt to connect to each other and depending on who does it first, a connection is thereby created. The dual mode is a more robust mechanism to create a connection. However, an application may opt to configure one device as the advertiser and the other as the discoverer. For example, the first app that displays the QR code will advertise its presence and waits for a connection by:
IdpassSmartshare.createConnection('advertiser', () => {
// A secure Bluetooth connection is created
// Anytime, either app may call IdpassSmartshare.send()
});and the other app that scans the QR code will attempt to discover the first app by:
IdpassSmartshare.createConnection('discoverer', () => {
// A secure Bluetooth connection is created
// Anytime, either app may call IdpassSmartshare.send()
});This secure Bluetooth communication library needs to be used with another mechanism, for example a QR code, for the exchange of a connection parameters (params). This library uses asymmetric cryptography with ephemeral keys to secure the payload with Authenticated Encryption.