key - looking for simple PHP multi way encryption method

Question

I need to decrypt encrypted POST value strings with the aid of a secret static key.

I have had a look into crypt() (but it's only one-way) and Mcrypt, GnuPG,... but I'm not happy with them. I think they are to complex for my simple issue. What should I use? I don't need IV shapes or super safe algorithms. Is there any basic PHP function, that I don't know yet?

I just need to hide image pathes from users like that: ImageJPEG(ImageCreateFromJPEG( decode($_REQUEST['encryptedImage'],'secret Key') ));

Answer 1

Update (27/09/17):

Since mcrypt_encrypt is DEPRECATED as of PHP 7.1.0. Ive added a simple encrypt/decrypt using openssl.

function encrypt($string, $key = 'PrivateKey', $secret = 'SecretKey', $method = 'AES-256-CBC') {
    // hash
    $key = hash('sha256', $key);
    // create iv - encrypt method AES-256-CBC expects 16 bytes
    $iv = substr(hash('sha256', $secret), 0, 16);
    // encrypt
    $output = openssl_encrypt($string, $method, $key, 0, $iv);
    // encode
    return base64_encode($output);
}

function decrypt($string, $key = 'PrivateKey', $secret = 'SecretKey', $method = 'AES-256-CBC') {
    // hash
    $key = hash('sha256', $key);
    // create iv - encrypt method AES-256-CBC expects 16 bytes
    $iv = substr(hash('sha256', $secret), 0, 16);
    // decode
    $string = base64_decode($string);
    // decrypt
    return openssl_decrypt($string, $method, $key, 0, $iv);
}

$str = 'Encrypt this text';
echo "Plain: " .$str. "
";

// encrypt
$encrypted_str = encrypt($str);
echo "Encrypted: " .$encrypted_str. "
";

// decrypt
$decrypted_str = decrypt($encrypted_str);
echo "Decrypted: " .$decrypted_str. "
";

Original Answer:

Cant get simpler then this: (PHP < 7.1.0):

<?php 
define('SECRET',md5('Some secret key'));

function encrypt($value){
    $iv_size = mcrypt_get_iv_size(MCRYPT_RIJNDAEL_256, MCRYPT_MODE_ECB);
    $iv = mcrypt_create_iv($iv_size, MCRYPT_RAND);
    return mcrypt_encrypt(MCRYPT_RIJNDAEL_256, SECRET, $value, MCRYPT_MODE_ECB, $iv);
}

function decrypt($value){
    $iv_size = mcrypt_get_iv_size(MCRYPT_RIJNDAEL_256, MCRYPT_MODE_ECB);
    $iv = mcrypt_create_iv($iv_size, MCRYPT_RAND);
    return trim(mcrypt_decrypt(MCRYPT_RIJNDAEL_256, SECRET, $value, MCRYPT_MODE_ECB, $iv));
}

?>