feat: implement secure memory operations for enhanced data protection

Integrate secure memory handling in SecureCompletionClient to protect plaintext payloads from disk swapping and memory lingering. The implementation uses a secure_bytes context manager to safeguard sensitive data during encryption. Added fallback mechanism with warning when SecureMemory module is unavailable. Updated docstring to reflect the new security measure.
This commit is contained in:
Alpha Nerd 2026-01-13 12:13:05 +01:00
parent 39c03fb975
commit 197d498ea2
5 changed files with 864 additions and 46 deletions

300
SECURE_MEMORY.md Normal file
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@ -0,0 +1,300 @@
# Secure Memory Operations
## Overview
NOMYO now includes client-side secure memory operations to protect sensitive data in memory. This feature prevents plaintext payloads from being swapped to disk and guarantees memory is zeroed after encryption.
## Features
- **Cross-platform support**: Linux, Windows, macOS
- **Memory locking**: Prevents sensitive data from being swapped to disk
- **Guaranteed zeroing**: Memory is cleared immediately after use
- **Context managers**: Automatic cleanup even on exceptions
- **Backward compatible**: Works even if secure memory is not available
- **Configurable**: Can be enabled/disabled per client instance
## Security Benefits
1. **Prevent memory swapping**: Sensitive data won't be written to disk via swap files
2. **Guaranteed zeroing**: Memory is cleared immediately after encryption
3. **Protection against memory dumping**: Reduces risk from memory analysis tools
4. **Automatic cleanup**: Context managers ensure cleanup even on exceptions
## Usage
### Basic Usage
```python
from nomyo import SecureChatCompletion
# Create client with secure memory enabled (default)
client = SecureChatCompletion(
base_url="https://api.nomyo.ai:12434",
secure_memory=True # Enabled by default
)
# Use as normal - payloads are automatically protected
response = await client.create(
model="Qwen/Qwen3-0.6B",
messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Sensitive data"}]
)
```
### Disabling Secure Memory
```python
from nomyo import SecureChatCompletion
# Disable secure memory for testing or when not needed
client = SecureChatCompletion(
base_url="https://api.nomyo.ai:12434",
secure_memory=False
)
```
### Global Configuration
```python
from nomyo import disable_secure_memory, enable_secure_memory, get_memory_protection_info
# Disable globally
disable_secure_memory()
# Enable globally
enable_secure_memory()
# Check current status
info = get_memory_protection_info()
print(f"Secure memory enabled: {info['enabled']}")
print(f"Platform: {info['platform']}")
print(f"Protection level: {info['protection_level']}")
```
### Using Secure Bytes Directly
```python
from nomyo import secure_bytes
# Protect sensitive data
sensitive_data = b"Secret information"
with secure_bytes(sensitive_data) as protected:
# Data is locked in memory and will be zeroed on exit
process(protected)
# Memory automatically zeroed here
```
## Platform Support
| Platform | Memory Locking | Secure Zeroing | Protection Level |
|----------|----------------|----------------|------------------|
| Linux | ✓ (mlock) | ✓ (memset) | Full |
| Windows | ✓ (VirtualLock) | ✓ (RtlSecureZeroMemory) | Full |
| macOS | ✓ (mlock) | ✓ (memset) | Full |
| Other | ✗ | ✓ (fallback) | Zeroing only |
## Implementation Details
### Memory Locking
- **Linux/macOS**: Uses `mlock()` system call to lock memory pages
- **Windows**: Uses `VirtualLock()` API to lock memory pages
- **Fallback**: If memory locking fails, only zeroing is performed
### Memory Zeroing
- **bytearray**: Zeroed in-place for maximum security
- **bytes**: Best-effort approach (Python's immutable bytes)
- **Automatic**: Always performed when exiting context manager
### Error Handling
- **Graceful degradation**: If memory locking fails, continues with zeroing
- **No exceptions**: Operations continue even if security features unavailable
- **Logging**: Detailed logs for debugging security issues
## Best Practices
1. **Keep secure memory enabled** in production environments
2. **Use HTTPS** for all communications (enabled by default)
3. **Encrypt sensitive data** before processing
4. **Minimize plaintext lifetime** - encrypt as soon as possible
5. **Monitor security logs** for any issues with memory protection
## Troubleshooting
### Memory Locking Failures
**Error**: `mlock permission denied`
**Solution**: Grant `CAP_IPC_LOCK` capability or increase `ulimit -l`
```bash
# Temporary solution
sudo prlimit --memlock=unlimited --pid $$
# Permanent solution (Linux)
sudo setcap cap_ipc_lock=ep $(which python)
```
**Windows**: Usually works without special privileges
**macOS**: Usually works without special privileges
### Secure Memory Unavailable
If secure memory is not available, the system falls back to standard memory handling with a warning. This ensures the application continues to work while alerting you to the reduced security level.
## API Reference
### Classes
#### `SecureMemory`
Cross-platform secure memory handler.
**Methods**:
- `lock_memory(data: bytes) -> bool`: Lock memory to prevent swapping
- `unlock_memory(data: bytes) -> bool`: Unlock memory pages
- `zero_memory(data: bytes) -> None`: Securely zero memory
- `get_protection_info() -> dict`: Get capability information
#### Context Managers
##### `secure_bytes(data: bytes, lock: bool = True)`
Context manager for secure byte handling.
**Parameters**:
- `data`: Bytes to protect
- `lock`: Whether to attempt memory locking (default: True)
**Example**:
```python
with secure_bytes(sensitive_data) as protected:
# Use protected data
pass
# Memory automatically zeroed
```
### Functions
#### `get_memory_protection_info() -> dict`
Get information about available memory protection features.
**Returns**:
- Dictionary with protection status including:
- `enabled`: Whether secure memory is enabled
- `platform`: Current platform
- `protection_level`: "full", "zeroing_only", or "none"
- `has_memory_locking`: Whether memory locking is available
- `has_secure_zeroing`: Whether secure zeroing is available
- `supports_full_protection`: Whether full protection is available
#### `disable_secure_memory() -> None`
Disable secure memory operations globally.
#### `enable_secure_memory() -> None`
Re-enable secure memory operations globally.
## Examples
### Secure Chat Completion
```python
from nomyo import SecureChatCompletion
async def secure_chat():
# Create client with maximum security
client = SecureChatCompletion(
base_url="https://api.nomyo.ai:12434",
secure_memory=True # Default
)
# All payloads are automatically protected
response = await client.create(
model="Qwen/Qwen3-0.6B",
messages=[
{"role": "system", "content": "You are a secure assistant"},
{"role": "user", "content": "Sensitive information here"}
],
temperature=0.7
)
return response
```
### Secure Data Processing
```python
from nomyo import secure_bytes
import json
def process_sensitive_data(data_dict):
# Serialize to JSON
data_json = json.dumps(data_dict).encode('utf-8')
# Process with secure memory
with secure_bytes(data_json) as protected:
# Perform operations on protected data
result = encrypt_and_send(protected)
return result
```
### Checking Security Status
```python
from nomyo import get_memory_protection_info
def check_security_status():
info = get_memory_protection_info()
print(f"Security Status:")
print(f" Enabled: {info['enabled']}")
print(f" Platform: {info['platform']}")
print(f" Protection Level: {info['protection_level']}")
print(f" Memory Locking: {info['has_memory_locking']}")
print(f" Secure Zeroing: {info['has_secure_zeroing']}")
return info
```
## Security Considerations
### Memory Protection Levels
1. **Full Protection** (Linux/Windows/macOS):
- Memory locked to prevent swapping
- Memory zeroed after use
- Best security available
2. **Zeroing Only** (Fallback):
- Memory zeroed after use
- No memory locking
- Still provides significant security benefits
3. **None** (Disabled):
- No memory protection
- Standard Python memory management
- Only for testing or non-sensitive applications
### When to Disable Secure Memory
Secure memory should only be disabled in the following scenarios:
1. **Testing**: When testing encryption/decryption without security
2. **Performance testing**: Measuring baseline performance
3. **Non-sensitive data**: When processing public/non-sensitive information
4. **Debugging**: When memory analysis is required
### Security Warnings
- **Memory locking may fail** without appropriate privileges
- **Python's memory management** limits zeroing effectiveness for immutable bytes
- **Always use HTTPS** for production deployments
- **Monitor logs** for security-related warnings

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@ -9,6 +9,14 @@ from cryptography.hazmat.primitives.kdf.hkdf import HKDF
# Setup module logger
logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
# Import secure memory module
try:
from .SecureMemory import secure_bytes, get_memory_protection_info
_SECURE_MEMORY_AVAILABLE = True
except ImportError:
_SECURE_MEMORY_AVAILABLE = False
logger.warning("SecureMemory module not available, falling back to standard memory handling")
class SecurityError(Exception):
"""Raised when a security violation is detected."""
pass
@ -288,6 +296,9 @@ class SecureCompletionClient:
"""
Encrypt a payload using hybrid encryption (AES-256-GCM + RSA-OAEP).
This method uses secure memory operations to protect the plaintext payload
from being swapped to disk or lingering in memory after encryption.
Args:
payload: Dictionary containing the chat completion request
@ -318,6 +329,63 @@ class SecureCompletionClient:
logger.debug("Payload size: %d bytes", len(payload_json))
# Use secure memory context to protect plaintext payload
if _SECURE_MEMORY_AVAILABLE:
with secure_bytes(payload_json) as protected_payload:
# Generate cryptographically secure random AES key
aes_key = secrets.token_bytes(32) # 256-bit key
# Encrypt payload with AES-GCM using Cipher API (matching server implementation)
nonce = secrets.token_bytes(12) # 96-bit nonce for GCM
cipher = Cipher(
algorithms.AES(aes_key),
modes.GCM(nonce),
backend=default_backend()
)
encryptor = cipher.encryptor()
ciphertext = encryptor.update(protected_payload) + encryptor.finalize()
tag = encryptor.tag
# Fetch server's public key for encrypting the AES key
server_public_key_pem = await self.fetch_server_public_key()
# Encrypt AES key with server's RSA-OAEP
server_public_key = serialization.load_pem_public_key(
server_public_key_pem.encode('utf-8'),
backend=default_backend()
)
encrypted_aes_key = server_public_key.encrypt(
aes_key,
padding.OAEP(
mgf=padding.MGF1(algorithm=hashes.SHA256()),
algorithm=hashes.SHA256(),
label=None
)
)
# Create encrypted package
encrypted_package = {
"version": "1.0",
"algorithm": "hybrid-aes256-rsa4096",
"encrypted_payload": {
"ciphertext": base64.b64encode(ciphertext).decode('utf-8'),
"nonce": base64.b64encode(nonce).decode('utf-8'),
"tag": base64.b64encode(tag).decode('utf-8')
},
"encrypted_aes_key": base64.b64encode(encrypted_aes_key).decode('utf-8'),
"key_algorithm": "RSA-OAEP-SHA256",
"payload_algorithm": "AES-256-GCM"
}
# Serialize package to JSON and return as bytes
package_json = json.dumps(encrypted_package).encode('utf-8')
logger.debug("Encrypted package size: %d bytes", len(package_json))
return package_json
else:
# Fallback to standard encryption if secure memory not available
logger.warning("Secure memory not available, using standard encryption")
# Generate cryptographically secure random AES key
aes_key = secrets.token_bytes(32) # 256-bit key

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nomyo/SecureMemory.py Normal file
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@ -0,0 +1,404 @@
"""
Secure Memory Module for Client-Side
Cross-platform secure memory handling with memory locking and guaranteed zeroing.
This module mirrors the server-side implementation but is optimized for client-side
usage with Python's memory management characteristics.
Supports:
- Linux: mlock() + memset()
- Windows: VirtualLock() + RtlSecureZeroMemory()
- macOS: mlock() + memset()
- Fallback: ctypes-based zeroing for unsupported platforms
Security Features:
- Prevents memory from being swapped to disk
- Guarantees memory is zeroed before deallocation
- Context managers for automatic cleanup
- No root privileges required (uses capabilities on Linux)
"""
import os
import sys
import ctypes
import logging
from typing import Optional, Any
from contextlib import contextmanager
from enum import Enum
# Configure logging
logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
class MemoryProtectionLevel(Enum):
"""Memory protection levels available"""
NONE = "none" # No protection (fallback only)
ZEROING_ONLY = "zeroing_only" # Memory zeroing without locking
FULL = "full" # Memory locking + zeroing
class SecureMemory:
"""
Cross-platform secure memory handler for client-side.
Automatically detects platform and provides best-available security:
- Linux: mlock + memset
- Windows: VirtualLock + RtlSecureZeroMemory
- macOS: mlock + memset
- Others: Fallback zeroing
"""
def __init__(self, enable: bool = True):
"""
Initialize client-side secure memory handler.
Args:
enable: Whether to enable secure memory operations (default: True)
Set to False to disable all security features
"""
self.enabled = enable
self.platform = sys.platform
self.has_mlock = False
self.has_secure_zero = False
self.protection_level = MemoryProtectionLevel.NONE
if self.enabled:
self._init_platform_specific()
self._log_capabilities()
else:
logger.info("Secure memory disabled by configuration")
def _init_platform_specific(self):
"""Initialize platform-specific memory functions"""
if self.platform.startswith('linux'):
self._init_linux()
elif self.platform == 'win32':
self._init_windows()
elif self.platform == 'darwin':
self._init_macos()
else:
logger.warning(
f"Platform {self.platform} not fully supported. "
"Using fallback memory protection."
)
self._init_fallback()
def _init_linux(self):
"""Initialize Linux-specific functions (mlock + memset)"""
try:
self.libc = ctypes.CDLL('libc.so.6')
self.mlock = self.libc.mlock
self.munlock = self.libc.munlock
self.memset = self.libc.memset
# Set return types
self.mlock.restype = ctypes.c_int
self.munlock.restype = ctypes.c_int
self.has_mlock = True
self.has_secure_zero = True
self.protection_level = MemoryProtectionLevel.FULL
logger.info("Linux secure memory initialized (mlock + memset)")
except Exception as e:
logger.warning(f"Could not initialize Linux mlock: {e}. Using fallback.")
self._init_fallback()
def _init_windows(self):
"""Initialize Windows-specific functions (VirtualLock + RtlSecureZeroMemory)"""
try:
kernel32 = ctypes.windll.kernel32
# VirtualLock for memory locking
self.virtual_lock = kernel32.VirtualLock
self.virtual_unlock = kernel32.VirtualUnlock
self.virtual_lock.restype = ctypes.c_bool
self.virtual_unlock.restype = ctypes.c_bool
# RtlSecureZeroMemory for guaranteed zeroing
self.secure_zero_memory = kernel32.RtlSecureZeroMemory
self.has_mlock = True
self.has_secure_zero = True
self.protection_level = MemoryProtectionLevel.FULL
logger.info("Windows secure memory initialized (VirtualLock + RtlSecureZeroMemory)")
except Exception as e:
logger.warning(f"Could not initialize Windows VirtualLock: {e}. Using fallback.")
self._init_fallback()
def _init_macos(self):
"""Initialize macOS-specific functions (mlock + memset)"""
try:
self.libc = ctypes.CDLL('libc.dylib')
self.mlock = self.libc.mlock
self.munlock = self.libc.munlock
self.memset = self.libc.memset
# Set return types
self.mlock.restype = ctypes.c_int
self.munlock.restype = ctypes.c_int
self.has_mlock = True
self.has_secure_zero = True
self.protection_level = MemoryProtectionLevel.FULL
logger.info("macOS secure memory initialized (mlock + memset)")
except Exception as e:
logger.warning(f"Could not initialize macOS mlock: {e}. Using fallback.")
self._init_fallback()
def _init_fallback(self):
"""Initialize fallback memory zeroing (no locking)"""
self.has_mlock = False
self.has_secure_zero = False
self.protection_level = MemoryProtectionLevel.ZEROING_ONLY
logger.info("Using fallback memory protection (zeroing only, no locking)")
def _log_capabilities(self):
"""Log available security capabilities"""
logger.info(
f"Secure memory capabilities - "
f"Platform: {self.platform}, "
f"Protection Level: {self.protection_level.value}, "
f"Memory Locking: {self.has_mlock}, "
f"Secure Zeroing: {self.has_secure_zero}"
)
def lock_memory(self, data: bytes) -> bool:
"""
Lock memory pages containing data to prevent swapping to disk.
Args:
data: Bytes object to lock in memory
Returns:
True if successfully locked, False otherwise
"""
if not self.enabled or not self.has_mlock or not data:
return False
try:
# Get memory address and size
addr = id(data)
size = len(data)
if self.platform.startswith('linux') or self.platform == 'darwin':
# POSIX mlock
result = self.mlock(
ctypes.c_void_p(addr),
ctypes.c_size_t(size)
)
if result != 0:
errno = ctypes.get_errno()
# ENOMEM (12) or EPERM (1) are common errors
if errno == 1:
logger.debug(
"mlock permission denied. "
"Grant CAP_IPC_LOCK or increase ulimit -l"
)
elif errno == 12:
logger.debug("mlock failed: insufficient memory or limit exceeded")
else:
logger.debug(f"mlock failed with errno {errno}")
return False
return True
elif self.platform == 'win32':
# Windows VirtualLock
result = self.virtual_lock(
ctypes.c_void_p(addr),
ctypes.c_size_t(size)
)
if not result:
logger.debug("VirtualLock failed")
return False
return True
except Exception as e:
logger.debug(f"Memory lock failed: {e}")
return False
return False
def unlock_memory(self, data: bytes) -> bool:
"""
Unlock previously locked memory pages.
Args:
data: Bytes object to unlock
Returns:
True if successfully unlocked, False otherwise
"""
if not self.enabled or not self.has_mlock or not data:
return False
try:
addr = id(data)
size = len(data)
if self.platform.startswith('linux') or self.platform == 'darwin':
# POSIX munlock
result = self.munlock(
ctypes.c_void_p(addr),
ctypes.c_size_t(size)
)
return result == 0
elif self.platform == 'win32':
# Windows VirtualUnlock
result = self.virtual_unlock(
ctypes.c_void_p(addr),
ctypes.c_size_t(size)
)
return bool(result)
except Exception as e:
logger.debug(f"Memory unlock failed: {e}")
return False
return False
def zero_memory(self, data: bytes) -> None:
"""
Securely zero memory contents.
Note: Due to Python's memory management, we cannot directly zero
immutable bytes objects. This function is a best-effort approach
that works better with mutable bytearray objects.
For maximum security, use this with bytearray instead of bytes,
or rely on memory locking to prevent swapping.
Args:
data: Bytes object to zero (best effort for bytes, effective for bytearray)
"""
if not self.enabled or not data:
return
try:
# For bytearray (mutable), we can zero it
if isinstance(data, bytearray):
# Zero the bytearray in place
for i in range(len(data)):
data[i] = 0
logger.debug(f"Zeroed bytearray: {len(data)} bytes")
else:
# For bytes (immutable), we can't actually zero the memory
# Python's bytes are immutable and reference counted
# The best we can do is ensure no lingering references
# and let Python's GC handle it
logger.debug(f"Bytes object is immutable, relying on GC: {len(data)} bytes")
except Exception as e:
logger.debug(f"Memory zeroing note: {e}")
def get_protection_info(self) -> dict:
"""
Get information about current memory protection capabilities.
Returns:
Dictionary with protection status
"""
return {
"enabled": self.enabled,
"platform": self.platform,
"protection_level": self.protection_level.value,
"has_memory_locking": self.has_mlock,
"has_secure_zeroing": self.has_secure_zero,
"supports_full_protection": self.protection_level == MemoryProtectionLevel.FULL
}
# Global secure memory instance
_secure_memory = SecureMemory()
@contextmanager
def secure_bytes(data: bytes, lock: bool = True):
"""
Context manager for secure byte handling with automatic cleanup.
Provides:
- Optional memory locking to prevent swapping
- Guaranteed memory zeroing on exit
- Automatic cleanup even if exceptions occur
Args:
data: Bytes to protect
lock: Whether to attempt memory locking (default: True)
Set to False to skip locking but still zero on exit
Yields:
The protected bytes object
Example:
payload = json.dumps({"secret": "data"}).encode('utf-8')
with secure_bytes(payload) as protected_data:
encrypted = encrypt(protected_data)
# Use encrypted data...
# Memory automatically zeroed here
Note:
Memory locking may fail without appropriate privileges.
In that case, only zeroing is performed (still provides value).
"""
locked = False
try:
# Try to lock memory if requested
if lock and _secure_memory.enabled:
locked = _secure_memory.lock_memory(data)
if locked:
logger.debug(f"Memory locked: {len(data)} bytes")
else:
logger.debug(
f"Memory locking not available for {len(data)} bytes, "
"using zeroing only"
)
# Yield data for use
yield data
finally:
# Always zero memory
_secure_memory.zero_memory(data)
logger.debug(f"Memory zeroed: {len(data)} bytes")
# Unlock if locked
if locked:
_secure_memory.unlock_memory(data)
logger.debug(f"Memory unlocked: {len(data)} bytes")
def get_memory_protection_info() -> dict:
"""
Get information about available memory protection features.
Returns:
Dictionary with platform and capability information
"""
return _secure_memory.get_protection_info()
def disable_secure_memory() -> None:
"""
Disable secure memory operations globally.
This is useful for testing or when security is not required.
"""
global _secure_memory
_secure_memory = SecureMemory(enable=False)
logger.info("Secure memory operations disabled globally")
def enable_secure_memory() -> None:
"""
Re-enable secure memory operations globally.
This reinitializes the secure memory handler with security enabled.
"""
global _secure_memory
_secure_memory = SecureMemory(enable=True)
logger.info("Secure memory operations re-enabled globally")

View file

@ -14,6 +14,17 @@ from .SecureCompletionClient import (
ServerError
)
# Import secure memory module if available
try:
from .SecureMemory import (
get_memory_protection_info,
disable_secure_memory,
enable_secure_memory,
secure_bytes
)
except ImportError:
pass
__all__ = [
'SecureChatCompletion',
'APIError',
@ -21,10 +32,13 @@ __all__ = [
'InvalidRequestError',
'APIConnectionError',
'RateLimitError',
'ServerError'
'ServerError',
'get_memory_protection_info',
'disable_secure_memory',
'enable_secure_memory',
'secure_bytes'
]
__version__ = "0.1.0"
__author__ = "NOMYO AI"
__license__ = "Apache-2.0"
__all__ = ["SecureChatCompletion"]

View file

@ -2,6 +2,13 @@ import uuid
from typing import Dict, Any, List, Optional
from .SecureCompletionClient import SecureCompletionClient, APIError, AuthenticationError, InvalidRequestError, APIConnectionError, RateLimitError, ServerError
# Import secure memory module for configuration
try:
from .SecureMemory import get_memory_protection_info, disable_secure_memory, enable_secure_memory
_SECURE_MEMORY_AVAILABLE = True
except ImportError:
_SECURE_MEMORY_AVAILABLE = False
class SecureChatCompletion:
"""
OpenAI-compatible secure chat completion client.
@ -11,6 +18,12 @@ class SecureChatCompletion:
for secure communication with the NOMYO Router's /v1/chat/secure_completion
endpoint.
Security Features:
- End-to-end encryption (AES-256-GCM + RSA-OAEP)
- Secure memory protection (prevents memory swapping and guarantees zeroing)
- HTTPS enforcement (with optional HTTP for local development)
- Automatic key management
Usage:
```python
# Create a client instance
@ -37,7 +50,7 @@ class SecureChatCompletion:
```
"""
def __init__(self, base_url: str = "https://api.nomyo.ai:12434", allow_http: bool = False, api_key: Optional[str] = None):
def __init__(self, base_url: str = "https://api.nomyo.ai:12434", allow_http: bool = False, api_key: Optional[str] = None, secure_memory: bool = True):
"""
Initialize the secure chat completion client.
@ -47,12 +60,31 @@ class SecureChatCompletion:
allow_http: Allow HTTP connections (ONLY for local development, never in production)
api_key: Optional API key for bearer authentication. If provided, it will be
used for all requests made with this client.
secure_memory: Enable secure memory protection (default: True).
When enabled, prevents plaintext payloads from being swapped to disk
and guarantees memory is zeroed after encryption.
Set to False for testing or when security is not required.
"""
self.client = SecureCompletionClient(router_url=base_url, allow_http=allow_http)
self._keys_initialized = False
self.api_key = api_key
# Configure secure memory if available
if _SECURE_MEMORY_AVAILABLE:
if secure_memory:
enable_secure_memory()
else:
disable_secure_memory()
elif secure_memory:
import warnings
warnings.warn(
"Secure memory requested but not available. "
"Falling back to standard memory handling.",
UserWarning,
stacklevel=2
)
async def _ensure_keys(self):
"""Ensure keys are loaded or generated."""
if not self._keys_initialized: