Data loss on encrypted partition

sm4x · n00b Joined: 14 Dec 2003 Posts: 38 Location: Hamburg

Hi all!

I have been using dm-crypt to encrypt a spare partition for quite a while now. On this partition I use reiser3 as a fs.

Right now I am a bit worried about my chances to recover the data stored on it in case of a power failure. How likely can it be unrecoverable in such a case?

sm4x

meowsqueak · Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2004 2:27 am Post subject:

Does it encrypt the entire filesystem as a singular unit, or individual files?

sm4x · n00b Joined: 14 Dec 2003 Posts: 38 Location: Hamburg

The whole filesystem.

meowsqueak · Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2004 8:21 pm Post subject:

Depending on how it does it (blocks vs. streams) I imagine it could be unsafe. Much like some sorts of file compression, a single error can make everything after it unretrievable. Blocks of data are used to restart the compression or encryption algorithm to prevent this problem, at the risk of slightly less efficient compression or making the encryption easier to break.

I don't know for sure since I'm not familiar with dm-crypt. Why don't you create a test partition and experiment and see? Cause a few 'errors' and see what you can recover.

sm4x · n00b Joined: 14 Dec 2003 Posts: 38 Location: Hamburg

Yeah, that's what bothered me, too. Hard to tell if these artificially produced errors cover the whole range of possible problems.

I just found this article and after reading it I'm not so sure if I should stay with dm-crypt anyway. Seems to me as if there are some security issues with dm-crypt itself.

sm4x