Encryption function returns different Encrypted key? - php

Question

I am using this function to encrypt a string :
function encrypt_decrypt($action, $string)
{
$output = false;
$encrypt_method = 'AES-256-ECB';
$secret_key = 'gT4ThOvcaFDccFFV21mg5hPzglZsY73T';
$key = hash('sha256', $secret_key);
if ( $action == 'encrypt' )
{
$output = openssl_encrypt($string, $encrypt_method, $key, 0);
$output = base64_encode($output);
}
else if( $action == 'decrypt' )
{
$output = openssl_decrypt(base64_decode($string), $encrypt_method, $key, 0);
}
return $output;
}
I am using this function in 2 php files (same function no changes at all )
the only difference between the 2 files is :
File1.php is getting the string in HTTP GET request:
$Email = htmlspecialchars($_GET["Email"]);
$ENC_Email = encrypt_decrypt("encrypt",$Email);
echo($ENC_Email);
and File2.php is getting the very same string from cookies:
$Email = $_COOKIE['Email'];
$enc = encrypt_decrypt("encrypt",$Email);
echo($enc);
echo of the variable $Email is same in both cases , but the resulting encrypted string is different.
What am I missing here ?

Answer 1

It's normal. You encrypt a string, it's not the samething as hashing a string. A hash will give you always the same result. But encryption use random salt, randomIV and differents other random parameters. Then the result is always different.
But, when you decrypt, you must get the string you have encrypted before.