[ VAULT ]

HSM-backed secrets for AI agents

1Claw Vault stores your API keys, tokens, and credentials with envelope encryption and Google Cloud KMS. Every secret gets its own unique Data Encryption Key — wrapped by an org-level KEK backed by hardware security modules.

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Envelope encryptionGoogle Cloud KMSHSM-backed keysPer-secret DEKsPolicy-based accessSecret versioningServer-side rotationCustomer-managed keysMulti-party computationAudit hash chainEnvelope encryptionGoogle Cloud KMSHSM-backed keysPer-secret DEKsPolicy-based accessSecret versioningServer-side rotationCustomer-managed keysMulti-party computationAudit hash chain

[ FEATURES ]

Six layers of protection for every secret

Envelope encryption, policy enforcement, versioning, customer-managed keys, multi-party computation, and a tamper-proof audit chain.

Envelope encryption

Each secret encrypted with a unique DEK, wrapped by an org-level KEK in Google Cloud KMS. HSM-backed for paid tiers — software keys for free tier. No two secrets share a data key.

Policy-based access

Agents only access paths explicitly granted by humans. Glob patterns, IP restrictions, time windows — all enforced server-side before a secret is ever decrypted.

Secret versioning & rotation

Every PUT creates a new version. Server-side rotation generates cryptographically random values. Disable old versions without deleting — full history preserved for audit.

Customer-managed keys (CMEK)

Business/Enterprise: add your own AES-256-GCM layer on top of HSM envelope encryption. Your key never touches the server — only its SHA-256 fingerprint is stored.

Multi-party computation (MPC)

Split DEKs across GCP, AWS, and Azure KMS. 2-of-2 XOR client custody or 2-of-3 Shamir — no single provider holds the complete key.

Audit hash chain

Every event is SHA-256 chained (prev_hash | event_id | actor | action | resource | timestamp) for tamper detection. Full compliance trail, from day one.

[ ENCRYPTION ]

Envelope encryption in detail

Your secrets are never stored in plaintext. Each one gets a unique DEK, wrapped by a KEK that lives in the HSM.

envelope encryption — write path

Write (encrypt)

  1. 1Generate a unique 256-bit DEK for this secret
  2. 2Encrypt the plaintext with the DEK (AES-256-GCM)
  3. 3Wrap the DEK with the org KEK via Google Cloud KMS
  4. 4Store ciphertext + wrapped DEK. Discard plaintext DEK.

Read (decrypt)

  1. 1Unwrap the DEK via KMS (requires org KEK access)
  2. 2Decrypt the ciphertext with the unwrapped DEK
  3. 3Return plaintext to the caller. DEK cached briefly (5 min TTL).
  4. 4Audit event chained and logged.

[ HOW IT WORKS ]

From request to plaintext in four steps

Every secret read follows the same path: authenticate, authorize, decrypt, audit. No shortcuts, no bypasses.

01

Agent authenticates

JWT (short-lived, scoped) or API key. Auth middleware resolves the caller identity including org, scopes, and vault bindings.

02

Policy engine checks access

Path glob matching, read/write permissions, IP restrictions, time windows. No matching policy and no vault ownership → 403.

03

Secret decrypted via KEK → DEK

Wrapped DEK unwrapped by the org KEK in Google Cloud KMS. DEK decrypts the ciphertext. Plaintext returned to the caller.

04

Audit event chained and logged

SHA-256 hash chain: prev_hash | event_id | actor | action | resource | timestamp. Every read, write, and rotation is recorded.

[ SDK ]

Store and retrieve secrets in three lines

The TypeScript SDK, CLI, and MCP server all use the same API. Store a secret, retrieve it, rotate it — every operation is audited and policy-checked.

store a secret
await client.secrets.put(vaultId, {
  path: "providers/openai/api-key",
  value: "sk-proj-...",
  type: "api_key",
});

// ✓ Encrypted with unique DEK
// ✓ Wrapped by org KEK in KMS
// ✓ Audit event hash-chained
agent reads at runtime
const secret = await client.secrets.get(
  vaultId,
  "providers/openai/api-key"
);

// Policy engine checked: path, permissions, IP
// DEK unwrapped via KMS → plaintext returned
// Agent never stores the key — fetches on demand
0layers of encryption
0MPC providers
0day KEK rotation

[ MPC ]

No single provider holds the complete key

Enable MPC on any vault. DEKs are split across multiple cloud KMS providers using XOR or Shamir secret sharing. Even if one provider is compromised, your secrets stay encrypted.

2-of-2 XOR client custody

One share on the server (GCP KMS), one returned to the client. Reconstructs with X-Client-Share header on read. You hold the second key.

2-of-3 Shamir multi-HSM

Shamir 2-of-3 across GCP KMS, AWS KMS, and Azure Key Vault. No client share needed — any two providers reconstruct the DEK.

2-of-3 Shamir client custody

Two shares on separate HSMs, one returned to the client. Requires X-Client-Share on read. Maximum control.

Tier-aware custody: Pro/Team vaults default to XOR 2-of-2 client custody. Business/Enterprise default to Shamir 2-of-3 multi-HSM — no client share management needed.

[ POLICIES ]

Humans grant. Agents obey.

Agents have zero access by default. A human must create an access policy — specifying path patterns, permissions, and optional conditions — before an agent can read a single secret.

  • Glob path patterns — grant access to providers/openai/* without exposing providers/stripe/*
  • IP restrictions — only allow reads from specific CIDR ranges
  • Time windows — policies can expire or only be active during certain hours
  • Read / write / rotate — fine-grained permission control per policy
  • Token revocation on change — when a policy is created, updated, or deleted, all active agent JWTs are revoked
policy example
await client.access.create(vaultId, {
  principal_type: "agent",
  principal_id: agentId,
  secret_path_pattern: "providers/openai/*",
  permissions: ["read"],
  conditions: {
    ip_allowlist: ["10.0.0.0/8"],
    time_window: {
      start: "09:00",
      end: "17:00",
      timezone: "America/New_York"
    }
  }
});

Start storing secrets securely

Your agents deserve better than environment variables

Free tier includes 3 vaults, 50 secrets, and 1,000 API requests per month. Upgrade for MPC, CMEK, and unlimited secrets.

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