// Decrypt a byte array into a byte array using a key and an IV
public static byte[] Decrypt(byte[] cipherData, byte[] Key, byte[] IV, CipherMode cipherMode, PaddingMode paddingMode)
{
// Create a MemoryStream that is going to accept the
// decrypted bytes
MemoryStream ms = new MemoryStream();
// Create a symmetric algorithm.
// We are going to use Rijndael because it is strong and
// available on all platforms.
// You can use other algorithms, to do so substitute the next
// line with something like
// TripleDES alg = TripleDES.Create();
Rijndael alg = Rijndael.Create();
// Now set the key and the IV.
// We need the IV (Initialization Vector) because the algorithm
// is operating in its default
// mode called CBC (Cipher Block Chaining). The IV is XORed with
// the first block (8 byte)
// of the data after it is decrypted, and then each decrypted
// block is XORed with the previous
// cipher block. This is done to make encryption more secure.
// There is also a mode called ECB which does not need an IV,
// but it is much less secure.
alg.Mode = cipherMode;
alg.Padding = paddingMode;
alg.Key = Key;
alg.IV = IV;
// Create a CryptoStream through which we are going to be
// pumping our data.
// CryptoStreamMode.Write means that we are going to be
// writing data to the stream
// and the output will be written in the MemoryStream
// we have provided.
CryptoStream cs = new CryptoStream(ms,
alg.CreateDecryptor(), CryptoStreamMode.Write);
// Write the data and make it do the decryption
cs.Write(cipherData, 0, cipherData.Length);
// Close the crypto stream (or do FlushFinalBlock).
// This will tell it that we have done our decryption
// and there is no more data coming in,
// and it is now a good time to remove the padding
// and finalize the decryption process.
cs.Close();
// Now get the decrypted data from the MemoryStream.
// Some people make a mistake of using GetBuffer() here,
// which is not the right way.
byte[] decryptedData = ms.ToArray();
return decryptedData;
}