Encrypt Files in Laravel with AES-256-GCM and Memory-Efficient Streaming

Encrypting large files in Laravel typically requires loading the entire file into memory, which can exceed PHP's memory limits for files larger than a few hundred megabytes. Laravel File Encryption, created by ercsctt, processes files in configurable chunks using AES-256-GCM authenticated encryption, allowing you to encrypt files of any size without memory constraints.

The package works for applications handling sensitive data like medical records, financial documents, user-uploaded files, database backups, and SaaS customer data.

Main Features

Laravel File Encryption includes several features for secure file handling:

AES-256-GCM authenticated encryption providing both confidentiality and integrity verification
Memory-efficient streaming with configurable chunk sizes (64KB default)
Progress callbacks for tracking encryption/decryption operations
Key rotation support with automatic fallback to previous keys during decryption
Artisan commands for CLI-based file encryption and decryption
Helper functions and facade for convenient access in your application
Binary file format with tamper detection via GCM authentication tags

Basic Encryption and Decryption

Use the FileEncrypter facade to encrypt and decrypt files:

use Ercsctt\FileEncryption\Facades\FileEncrypter;

// Encrypt a file
FileEncrypter::encryptFile(
    '/storage/documents/contract.pdf',
    '/storage/encrypted/contract.enc'
);

// Decrypt a file
FileEncrypter::decryptFile(
    '/storage/encrypted/contract.enc',
    '/storage/documents/contract.pdf'
);

// Get decrypted contents without writing to disk
$contents = FileEncrypter::decryptedContents('/storage/encrypted/contract.enc');

The package also includes a decrypt_file() helper function for retrieving decrypted file contents.

Streaming Support for Large Files

The package processes files in 64KB chunks by default, preventing memory exhaustion when encrypting large files. Configure the chunk size in your published configuration file or via environment variable:

FILE_ENCRYPTION_CHUNK_SIZE=65536

For files larger than available PHP memory, streaming allows encryption and decryption operations that would otherwise fail:

// Encrypt a 2GB video file using 8MB chunks
FileEncrypter::encryptFile(
    '/storage/videos/presentation.mp4',
    '/storage/encrypted/presentation.enc'
);

// Process decrypted chunks without loading the entire file
FileEncrypter::decryptedStream('/storage/encrypted/large-file.enc', function ($chunk) {
    // Process each decrypted chunk as it's read
    echo $chunk;
});