update comments

Author: mj850

go.sum

@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1/go.mod h1:J7Y8YcW2NihsgmVo/mv3lAwl/skON4iLHjSs
 github.com/decred/dcrd/crypto/blake256 v1.0.0/go.mod h1:sQl2p6Y26YV+ZOcSTP6thNdn47hh8kt6rqSlvmrXFAc=
 github.com/decred/dcrd/dcrec/secp256k1/v4 v4.0.1 h1:YLtO71vCjJRCBcrPMtQ9nqBsqpA1m5sE92cU+pd5Mcc=
 github.com/decred/dcrd/dcrec/secp256k1/v4 v4.0.1/go.mod h1:hyedUtir6IdtD/7lIxGeCxkaw7y45JueMRL4DIyJDKs=
+github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum v1.13.15/go.mod h1:TN8ZiHrdJwSe8Cb6x+p0hs5CxhJZPbqB7hHkaUXcmIU=
 github.com/gtank/merlin v0.1.1 h1:eQ90iG7K9pOhtereWsmyRJ6RAwcP4tHTDBHXNg+u5is=
 github.com/gtank/merlin v0.1.1/go.mod h1:T86dnYJhcGOh5BjZFCJWTDeTK7XW8uE+E21Cy/bIQ+s=
 github.com/kr/pretty v0.2.1/go.mod h1:ipq/a2n7PKx3OHsz4KJII5eveXtPO4qwEXGdVfWzfnI=

pkg/encryption/aes.go

@@ -15,18 +15,15 @@ import (
 )
 
 // GetAESKey derives a 32-byte AES key using the provided bytes.
-// The bytes can be anything, but we strongly suggest using something that is private to the use, such as the ecdas Private Key or a signed message.
 // It employs HKDF with SHA-256, using the private key bytes.
+// No additional salt is added here so ensure that the privateBytes are already salted or hashed.
 func GetAESKey(privateBytes []byte) ([]byte, error) {
 	if len(privateBytes) == 0 {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("bytes is empty")
 	}
 
-	// Use a SHA-256 hash of the denom string as the salt
-	salt := sha256.Sum256([]byte("aes key derivation salt"))
-
 	// Create an HKDF reader using SHA-256
-	hkdf := hkdf.New(sha256.New, privateBytes, salt[:], []byte("aes key derivation"))
+	hkdf := hkdf.New(sha256.New, privateBytes, nil, []byte("aes key derivation"))
 
 	// Allocate a 32-byte array for the AES key
 	aesKey := make([]byte, 32)

pkg/encryption/elgamal/common.go

@@ -47,12 +47,11 @@ func (teg TwistedElGamal) GetH() curves.Point {
 	return teg.curve.Point.Hash(bytes)
 }
 
+// Creates an el gamal private key from the provided bytes.
+// No additional salt is added here so ensure that the privateBytes are already salted or hashed.
 func (teg TwistedElGamal) getPrivateKeyFromBytes(privateBytes []byte) (curves.Scalar, error) {
-	// Hash the denom to get a salt.
-	salt := sha256.Sum256([]byte("elgamal scalar derivation salt"))
-
 	// Create an HKDF reader using SHA-256
-	hkdf := hkdf.New(sha256.New, privateBytes, salt[:], []byte("elgamal scalar derivation"))
+	hkdf := hkdf.New(sha256.New, privateBytes, nil, []byte("elgamal scalar derivation"))
 
 	// Generate 64 bytes of randomness from HKDF output
 	var scalarBytes [64]byte