VERACRYPT FR E E O PEN -S O UR CE O N-THE-F LY ENC RYPTI O N USER’S GUIDE veracrypt.codeplex.com Version Information VeraCrypt User’s Guide, version 1.19 Released by IDRIX on October 17th, 2016 Legal Notices THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE QUALITY, CORRECTNESS, ACCURACY, OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENT OF THIS DOCUMENT IS WITH YOU.
CONTENTS Introduction..........................................................................................................................................5 Beginner’s Tutorial...............................................................................................................................6 How to Create and Use a VeraCrypt Container..........................................................................6 How to Create and Use a VeraCrypt-Encrypted Partition/Device........................
Hot Keys..............................................................................................................................................65 Keyfiles................................................................................................................................................66 Keyfiles Dialog Window..........................................................................................................66 Security Tokens and Smart Cards..........................................
Reallocated Sectors..................................................................................................................97 Defragmenting..........................................................................................................................98 Journaling File Systems............................................................................................................98 Volume Clones...........................................................................................
PREFACE Please note that although most chapters of this documentation apply generally to all versions of VeraCrypt, some sections are primarily aimed at users of the Windows versions of VeraCrypt. Hence, such sections may contain information that is inappropriate in regards to the Mac OS X and Linux versions of VeraCrypt. Introduction VeraCrypt is a software system for establishing and maintaining an on-the-fly-encrypted volume (data storage device).
Beginner’s Tutorial How to Create and Use a VeraCrypt Container This chapter contains step-by-step instructions on how to create, mount, and use a VeraCrypt volume. We strongly recommend that you also read the other sections of this manual, as they contain important information. STEP 1: If you have not done so, download and install VeraCrypt. Then launch VeraCrypt by doubleclicking the file VeraCrypt.exe or by clicking the VeraCrypt shortcut in your Windows Start menu.
STEP 3: The VeraCrypt Volume Creation Wizard window should appear. In this step you need to choose where you wish the VeraCrypt volume to be created. A VeraCrypt volume can reside in a file, which is also called container, in a partition or drive. In this tutorial, we will choose the first option and create a VeraCrypt volume within a file. As the option is selected by default, you can just click Next. Note: In the following steps, the screenshots will show only the right-hand part of the Wizard window.
STEP 4: In this step you need to choose whether to create a standard or hidden VeraCrypt volume. In this tutorial, we will choose the former option and create a standard VeraCrypt volume. As the option is selected by default, you can just click Next.
STEP 5: In this step you have to specify where you wish the VeraCrypt volume (file container) to be created. Note that a VeraCrypt container is just like any normal file. It can be, for example, moved or deleted as any normal file. It also needs a filename, which you will choose in the next step. Click Select File. The standard Windows file selector should appear (while the window of the VeraCrypt Volume Creation Wizard remains open in the background).
STEP 6: In this tutorial, we will create our VeraCrypt volume in the folder F:\Data\ and the filename of the volume (container) will be My Volume (as can be seen in the screenshot above). You may, of course, choose any other filename and location you like (for example, on a USB memory stick). Note that the file My Volume does not exist yet – VeraCrypt will create it. IMPORTANT: Note that VeraCrypt will not encrypt any existing files (when creating a VeraCrypt file container).
STEP 7: In the Volume Creation Wizard window, click Next. STEP 8: Here you can choose an encryption algorithm and a hash algorithm for the volume. If you are not sure what to select here, you can use the default settings and click Next (for more information, see chapters Encryption Algorithms and Hash Algorithms).
STEP 9: Here we specify that we wish the size of our VeraCrypt container to be 250 megabyte. You may, of course, specify a different size. After you type the desired size in the input field (marked with a red rectangle), click Next.
STEP 10: This is one of the most important steps. Here you have to choose a good volume password. Read carefully the information displayed in the Wizard window about what is considered a good password. After you choose a good password, type it in the first input field. Then re-type it in the input field below the first one and click Next. Note: The button Next will be disabled until passwords in both input fields are the same.
STEP 11: Move your mouse as randomly as possible within the Volume Creation Wizard window at least until the randomness indicator becomes green. The longer you move the mouse, the better (moving the mouse for at least 30 seconds is recommended). This significantly increases the cryptographic strength of the encryption keys (which increases security). Click Format. Volume creation should begin. VeraCrypt will now create a file called My Volume in the folder F:\Data\ (as we specified in Step 6).
STEP 12: We have just successfully created a VeraCrypt volume (file container). In the VeraCrypt Volume Creation Wizard window, click Exit. The Wizard window should disappear. In the remaining steps, we will mount the volume we just created. We will return to the main VeraCrypt window (which should still be open, but if it is not, repeat Step 1 to launch VeraCrypt and then continue from Step 13.
STEP 13: Select a drive letter from the list (marked with a red rectangle). This will be the drive letter to which the VeraCrypt container will be mounted. Note: In this tutorial, we chose the drive letter M, but you may of course choose any other available drive letter.
STEP 14: Click Select File. The standard file selector window should appear.
STEP 15: In the file selector, browse to the container file (which we created in Steps 6-11) and select it. Click Open (in the file selector window). The file selector window should disappear. In the following steps, we will return to the main VeraCrypt window.
STEP 16: In the main VeraCrypt window, click Mount. Password prompt dialog window should appear. STEP 17: Type the password (which you specified in Step 10) in the password input field (marked with a red rectangle).
STEP 18: Select the PRF algorithm that was used during the creation of the volume (SHA-512 is the default PRF used by VeraCrypt). If you don’t remember which PRF was used, just leave it set to “autodetection” but the mounting process will take more time. Click OK after entering the password. VeraCrypt will now attempt to mount the volume.
FINAL STEP: We have just successfully mounted the container as a virtual disk M: The virtual disk is entirely encrypted (including file names, allocation tables, free space, etc.) and behaves like a real disk. You can save (or copy, move, etc.) files to this virtual disk and they will be encrypted on the fly as they are being written. If you open a file stored on a VeraCrypt volume, for example, in media player, the file will be automatically decrypted to RAM (memory) on the fly while it is being read.
You can also browse to the mounted volume the way you normally browse to any other types of volumes. For example, by opening the ‘Computer’ (or ‘My Computer’) list and double clicking the corresponding drive letter (in this case, it is the letter M). You can copy files (or folders) to and from the VeraCrypt volume just as you would copy them to any normal disk (for example, by simple drag-and-drop operations).
If you want to close the volume and make files stored on it inaccessible, either restart your operating system or dismount the volume. To do so, follow these steps: Select the volume from the list of mounted volumes in the main VeraCrypt window (marked with a red rectangle in the screenshot above) and then click Dismount (also marked with a red rectangle in the screenshot above). To make files stored on the volume accessible again, you will have to mount the volume. To do so, repeat Steps 13-18.
VeraCrypt Volume There are two types of VeraCrypt volumes: File-hosted (container) Partition/device-hosted (non-system) Note: In addition to creating the above types of virtual volumes, VeraCrypt can encrypt a physical partition/drive where Windows is installed (for more information, see the chapter System Encryption). A VeraCrypt file-hosted volume is a normal file, which can reside on any type of storage device. It contains (hosts) a completely independent encrypted virtual disk device.
Quick Format If unchecked, each sector of the new volume will be formatted. This means that the new volume will be entirely filled with random data. Quick format is much faster but may be less secure because until the whole volume has been filled with files, it may be possible to tell how much data it contains (if the space was not filled with random data beforehand). If you are not sure whether to enable or disable Quick Format, we recommend that you leave this option unchecked.
Hardware/Software RAID, Windows Dynamic Volumes VeraCrypt supports hardware/software RAID as well as Windows dynamic volumes. Windows Vista or later: Dynamic volumes are displayed in the ‘Select Device’ dialog window as \Device\HarddiskVolumeN.
Favorite Volumes Favorite volumes are useful, for example, in any the following cases: You have a volume that always needs to be mounted to a particular drive letter. You have a volume that needs to be automatically mounted when its host device gets connected to the computer (for example, a container located on a USB flash drive or external USB hard drive). You have a volume that needs to be automatically mounted when you log on to the operating system.
Selected or all favorite volumes can be mounted automatically whenever its host device gets connected to the computer. To set this up, follow these steps: 1. Mount the volume (to the drive letter to which you want it to be mounted every time). 2. Right-click the mounted volume in the drive list in the main VeraCrypt window and select ‘Add to Favorites’. 3. The Favorites Organizer window should appear now.
Warning: When the drive letter assigned to a favorite volume (saved in the configuration file) is not free, the volume is not mounted and no error message is displayed. To remove a volume form the list of favorite volumes, select Favorites > Organize Favorite Volumes, select the volume, click Remove, and click OK.
The order in which system favorite volumes are displayed in the System Favorites Organizer window (Favorites > ‘Organize System Favorite Volumes’) is the order in which the volumes are mounted. You can use the Move Up and Move Down buttons to change the order of the volumes. A special label can be assigned to each system favorite volume. This label is not the same as the filesystem label and it is shown within the VeraCrypt user interface instead of the volume path.
System Encryption VeraCrypt can on-the-fly encrypt a system partition or entire system drive, i.e. a partition or drive where Windows is installed and from which it boots. System encryption provides the highest level of security and privacy, because all files, including any temporary files that Windows and applications create on the system partition (typically, without your knowledge or consent), hibernation files, swap files, etc.
Operating Systems Supported for System Encryption Note: After this version of VeraCrypt was released, a new version of an operating system may have been released and verified to be fully compatible with VeraCrypt. Therefore, if this is the latest stable version of VeraCrypt, you should check the online version of this chapter at: https://veracrypt.codeplex.
your CD/DVD drive, and restart your computer. Note: This feature cannot be used to restore the header of a hidden volume within which a hidden operating system resides (see the section Hidden Operating System). To restore such a volume header, click Select Device, select the partition behind the decoy system partition, click OK, select Tools > Restore Volume Header and then follow the instructions.
information on how to do so, please refer to the documentation for your BIOS/motherboard or contact your computer vendor’s technical support team for assistance). Then restart your computer. The VeraCrypt Rescue Disk screen should appear now. Note: In the VeraCrypt Rescue Disk screen, you can select ‘Repair Options’ by pressing F8 on your keyboard. If your VeraCrypt Rescue Disk is damaged, you can create a new one by selecting System > Create Rescue Disk.
Plausible Deniability In case an adversary forces you to reveal your password, VeraCrypt provides and supports two kinds of plausible deniability: 1. Hidden volumes (see the section Hidden Volume below) and hidden operating systems (see the section Hidden Operating System). 2. Until decrypted, a VeraCrypt partition/device appears to consist of nothing more than random data (it does not contain any kind of "signature").
Hidden Volume It may happen that you are forced by somebody to reveal the password to an encrypted volume. There are many situations where you cannot refuse to reveal the password (for example, due to extortion). Using a so-called hidden volume allows you to solve such situations without revealing the password to your volume. The layout of a standard VeraCrypt volume before and after a hidden volume was created within it.
anyone who would force you to hand over the password. You will reveal only the password for the outer volume, not for the hidden one. Files that really are sensitive will be stored on the hidden volume. A hidden volume can be mounted the same way as a standard VeraCrypt volume: Click Select File or Select Device to select the outer/host volume (important: make sure the volume is not mounted). Then click Mount, and enter the password for the hidden volume.
Protection of Hidden Volumes Against Damage If you mount a VeraCrypt volume within which there is a hidden volume, you may read data stored on the (outer) volume without any risk. However, if you (or the operating system) need to save data to the outer volume, there is a risk that the hidden volume will get damaged (overwritten). To prevent this, you should protect the hidden volume in a way described in this section.
volume protection can be activated only by users who supply the correct password (and/or keyfiles) for the hidden volume (each time they mount the outer volume). As soon as a write operation to the hidden volume area is denied/prevented (to protect the hidden volume), the entire host volume (both the outer and the hidden volume) becomes write-protected until dismounted (the VeraCrypt driver reports the ‘invalid parameter’ error to the system upon each attempt to write data to the volume).
There are several ways to check that a hidden volume is being protected against damage: 1. A confirmation message box saying that hidden volume is being protected is displayed after the outer volume is mounted (if it is not displayed, the hidden volume is not protected!). 2. In the Volume Properties dialog, the field Hidden Volume Protected says ‘Yes’: 3.
If you want to mount an outer volume and protect a hidden volume within using cached passwords, then follow these steps: Hold down the Control (Ctrl) key when clicking Mount (or select Mount with Options from the Volumes menu). This will open the Mount Options dialog. Enable the option ‘Protect hidden volume against damage caused by writing to outer volume’ and leave the password box empty. Then click OK.
(e.g. the value of a timer or counter) that can be used to determine that a block had been written earlier than another block and/or to determine how many times a block has been written/read. Therefore, do not store hidden volumes on such devices/filesystems. To find out whether a device/system saves such data, please refer to documentation supplied with the device/system or contact the vendor/manufacturer.
o Linux: Download or create a "live-CD" version of your operating system (i.e. a "live" Linux system entirely stored on and booted from a CD/DVD) that ensures that any data written to the system volume is written to a RAM disk. Mount hidden volumes only when such a "live-CD" system is running.
booting the decoy system. This is required to clear the memory, which may contain sensitive data. For more information, see the section Unencrypted Data in RAM in the chapter Security Requirements and Precautions. o The computer may be connected to a network (including the internet) only when the decoy operating system is running.
Hidden Operating System If your system partition or system drive is encrypted using VeraCrypt, you need to enter your preboot authentication password in the VeraCrypt Boot Loader screen after you turn on or restart your computer. It may happen that you are forced by somebody to decrypt the operating system or to reveal the pre-boot authentication password. There are many situations where you cannot refuse to do so (for example, due to extortion).
are normally stored). If it fails and if there is a partition behind the active partition, the VeraCrypt Boot Loader (even if there is actually no hidden volume on the drive) automatically tries to decrypt * (using the same entered password again) the area of the first partition behind the active partition where the encrypted header of a possible hidden volume might be stored.
Process of Creation of Hidden Operating System To start the process of creation of a hidden operating system, select System > Create Hidden Operating System and then follow the instructions in the wizard. Initially, the wizard verifies that there is a suitable partition for a hidden operating system on the system drive. Note that before you can create a hidden operating system, you need to create a partition for it on the system drive.
after the hidden system has been created. Afterwards, in order to achieve plausible deniability, VeraCrypt will prompt you to install a new system on the partition and encrypt it using VeraCrypt. Thus, you will create the decoy system and the whole process of creation of the hidden operating system will be completed. Note: VeraCrypt will erase the content of the partition where the original system resides by filling it with random data entirely.
Possible Explanations for Existence of Two VeraCrypt Partitions on Single Drive An adversary might ask why you created two VeraCrypt-encrypted partitions on a single drive (a system partition and a non-system partition) rather than encrypting the entire disk with a single encryption key. There are many possible reasons to do that.
(other than creating a hidden operating system), you can provide, for example, one of the following explanations: If there are more than two partitions on a system drive and you want to encrypt only two of them (the system partition and the one behind it) and to leave the other partitions unencrypted (for example, to achieve the best possible performance when reading and writing data, which is not sensitive, to such unencrypted partitions), the only way to do that is to encrypt both partitions separately
Note: When the user attempts to encrypt the system partition with a cascade encryption algorithm, VeraCrypt warns him or her that it can cause the following problems (and implicitly recommends to choose a non-cascade encryption algorithm instead): o o For cascade encryption algorithms, the VeraCrypt Boot Loader is larger than normal and, therefore, there is not enough space in the first drive track for a backup of the VeraCrypt Boot Loader.
If all the instructions in the wizard have been followed and if the security requirements and precautions listed in the subsection Security Requirements and Precautions Pertaining to Hidden Volumes are followed, it should be impossible to prove that the hidden volume and hidden operating system exist, even when the outer volume is mounted or when the decoy operating system is decrypted or started.
Main Program Window Select File Allows you to select a file-hosted VeraCrypt volume. After you select it, you can perform various operations on it (e.g., mount it by clicking ‘Mount’). It is also possible to select a volume by dragging its icon to the ‘VeraCrypt.exe’ icon (VeraCrypt will be automatically launched then) or to the main program window. Select Device Allows you to select a VeraCrypt partition or a storage device (such as a USB memory stick).
Dismount All Note: The information in this section applies to all menu items and buttons with the same or similar caption (for example, it also applies to the system tray menu item Dismount All). This function allows you to dismount multiple VeraCrypt volumes. To dismount a VeraCrypt volume means to close it and make it impossible to read/write from/to the volume.
VeraCrypt volume when VeraCrypt runs in portable mode, or mount a writable NTFS-formatted volume on Windows Vista or later, the VeraCrypt driver may not be unloaded when you exit VeraCrypt (it will be unloaded only when you shut down or restart the system). This prevents various problems caused by a bug in Windows (for instance, it would be impossible to start VeraCrypt again as long as there are applications using the dismounted volume).
Program Menu Note: To save space, only the menu items that are not self-explanatory are described in this documentation. Volumes > Auto-Mount All Device-Hosted Volumes See the section Auto-Mount Devices. Volumes > Dismount All Mounted Volumes See the section Dismount All. Volumes > Change Volume Password Allows changing the password of the currently selected VeraCrypt volume (no matter whether the volume is hidden or standard).
information, see the section Header Key Derivation, Salt, and Iteration Count. Note: When VeraCrypt re-encrypts a volume header, the original volume header is first overwritten many times (3, 7, 35 or 256 depending on the user choice) with random data to prevent adversaries from using techniques such as magnetic force microscopy or magnetic force scanning tunneling microscopy [17] to recover the overwritten header (however, see also the chapter Security Requirements and Precautions).
Note 1: If you need to mount multiple partitions at once, click ‘Auto-Mount Devices’, then click ‘Mount Options’ and enable the option ‘Mount partition using system encryption without pre-boot authentication’. Please note you cannot use this function to mount extended (logical) partitions that are located on an entirely encrypted system drive. Tools > Clear Volume History Clears the list containing the file names (if file-hosted) and paths of the last twenty successfully mounted volumes.
again after the volume header is restored. For more information, see the section Encryption Scheme in the chapter Technical Details. After you create a volume header backup, you might need to create a new one only when you change the volume password and/or keyfiles. Otherwise, the volume header remains unmodified so the volume header backup remains up-to-date.
Settings > Preferences Invokes the Preferences dialog window, where you can change, among others, the following options: Wipe cached passwords on exit If enabled, passwords (which may also contain processed keyfile contents) cached in driver memory will be cleared when VeraCrypt exits. Cache passwords in driver memory When checked, passwords and/or processed keyfile contents for up to last four successfully mounted VeraCrypt volumes are cached.
o Partitions/drives within the key scope of active system encryption (e.g., a system partition encrypted by VeraCrypt, or a non-system partition located on a system drive encrypted by VeraCrypt, mounted when the encrypted operating system is running). o VeraCrypt volumes that are not fully accessible to the user account (e.g. a volume mounted from within another user account). o VeraCrypt volumes that are not displayed in the VeraCrypt application window.
Mounting Volumes If you have not done so yet, please read the sections ‘Mount‘ and ‘Auto-Mount Devices‘ in the chapter Main Program Window. Cache Password in Driver Memory This option can be set in the password entry dialog so that it will apply only to that particular mount attempt. It can also be set as default in the Preferences. For more information, please see the section Settings > Preferences, subsection Cache passwords in driver memory.
Parallelization When your computer has a multi-core processor (or multiple processors), VeraCrypt uses all of the cores (or processors) in parallel for encryption and decryption. For example, when VeraCrypt is to decrypt a chunk of data, it first splits the chunk into several smaller pieces. The number of the pieces is equal to the number of the cores (or processors). Then, all of the pieces are decrypted in parallel (piece 1 is decrypted by thread 1, piece 2 is decrypted by thread 2, etc).
Hardware Acceleration * Some processors (CPUs) support hardware-accelerated AES encryption, which is typically 4-8 times faster than encryption performed by the purely software implementation on the same processors. By default, VeraCrypt uses hardware-accelerated AES on computers that have a processor where the Intel AES-NI instructions are available. Specifically, VeraCrypt uses the AES-NI † instructions that perform so-called AES rounds (i.e. the main portions of the AES algorithm).
Hot Keys To set system-wide VeraCrypt hot keys, click Settings > Hot Keys. Note that hot keys work only when VeraCrypt or the VeraCrypt Background Task is running.
Keyfiles Keyfile is a file whose content is combined with a password (for information on the method used to combine a keyfile with password, see the section Keyfiles in the chapter Technical Details). Until the correct keyfile is provided, no volume that uses the keyfile can be mounted. You do not have to use keyfiles. However, using keyfiles has some advantages: May improve protection against brute force attacks (significant particularly if the volume password is not very strong).
These control elements appear in various dialog windows and always have the same functions. Check the Use keyfiles option and click Keyfiles. The keyfile dialog window should appear where you can specify keyfiles (to do so, click Add Files or Add Token Files) or keyfile search paths (click Add Path). Security Tokens and Smart Cards VeraCrypt can directly use keyfiles stored on a security token or smart card that complies with the PKCS #11 (2.
Keyfile Search Path By adding a folder in the keyfile dialog window (click Add Path), you specify a keyfile search path. * All files found in the keyfile search path will be used as keyfiles except files that have the Hidden file attribute set. Important: Note that folders (and files they contain) and hidden files found in a keyfile search path are ignored. Keyfile search paths are especially useful if you, for example, store keyfiles on a USB memory stick that you carry with you.
Volumes > Add/Remove Keyfiles to/from Volume This function allows you to re-encrypt a volume header with a header encryption key derived from any number of keyfiles (with or without a password), or no keyfiles at all. Thus, a volume which is possible to mount using only a password can be converted to a volume that require keyfiles (in addition to the password) in order to be possible to mount. Note that the volume header contains the master encryption key with which the volume is encrypted.
WARNING: When you add a folder (as opposed to a file) to your default keyfile list, only the path is remembered, not the filenames! This means e.g. that if you create a new file in the folder or if you copy an additional file to the folder, then all volumes that used keyfiles from the folder will be impossible to mount (until you remove the newly added file from the folder).
Security Tokens & Smart Cards VeraCrypt supports security (or cryptographic) tokens and smart cards that can be accessed using the PKCS #11 (2.0 or later) protocol [23]. For more information, please see the section Security Tokens and Smart Cards in the chapter Keyfiles.
Portable Mode VeraCrypt can run in so-called portable mode, which means that it does not have to be installed on the operating system under which it is run. However, there are two things to keep in mind: 1) You need administrator privileges in order to be able to run VeraCrypt in portable mode (for the reasons, see the chapter Using VeraCrypt Without Administrator Privileges).
Include VeraCrypt Volume Creation Wizard Check this option, if you need to create new VeraCrypt volumes using VeraCrypt run from the traveler disk you will create. Unchecking this option saves space on the traveler disk. AutoRun Configuration (autorun.inf) In this section, you can configure the ‘traveler disk’ to automatically start VeraCrypt or mount a specified VeraCrypt volume when the ‘traveler disk’ is inserted. This is accomplished by creating a special script file called ‘autorun.
TrueCrypt Support Starting from version 1.0f, VeraCrypt supports loading TrueCrypt volumes and partitions, both normal and hidden. In order to activate this, you have to check “TrueCrypt Mode” in the password prompt dialog as shown below. Note: Only volumes and partitions created using TrueCrypt versions 6.x and 7.x are supported. Converting TrueCrypt volumes and partitions Starting from version 1.
Default Mount Parameters Starting from version 1.0f-2, it is possible to specify the PRF algorithm and the TrueCrypt mode that will be selected by default in the password dialog. As show below, select the entry "Default Mount Parameters" under the menu "Settings": The following dialog will be displayed: Make your modifications and then click OK. The chosen values are then written to VeraCrypt main configuration file (Configuration.xml) making them persistent.
Language Packs Language packs contain third-party translations of the VeraCrypt user interface texts. Note that language packs are currently supported only by the Windows version of VeraCrypt. Installation Since version 1.0e, all language packs are included in the VeraCrypt Windows installer and they can be found in VeraCrypt installation directory. To select a new language, run VeraCrypt, select Settings > Language, then select your language and click OK. To revert to English, select Settings > Language.
Encryption Algorithms VeraCrypt volumes can be encrypted using the following algorithms: Algorithm AES Designer(s) J. Daemen, V. Rijmen Key Size (Bits) Block Size (Bits) Mode of Operation 256 128 XTS Camellia Mitsubishi Electric and NTT of Japan 256 128 XTS Kuznyechik National Standard of the Russian Federation GOST R 34.12-2015 256 128 XTS Serpent R. Anderson, E. Biham, L. Knudsen 256 128 XTS Twofish B. Schneier, J. Kelsey, D. Whiting, D. Wagner, C. Hall, N.
Serpent Designed by Ross Anderson, Eli Biham, and Lars Knudsen; published in 1998. It uses a 256-bit key, 128-bit block, and operates in XTS mode (see the section Modes of Operation). Serpent was one of the AES finalists. It was not selected as the proposed AES algorithm even though it appeared to have a higher security margin than the winning Rijndael [4]. More concretely, Serpent appeared to have a high security margin, while Rijndael appeared to have only an adequate security margin [4].
Cascades of ciphers AES-Twofish Two ciphers in a cascade [15, 16] operating in XTS mode (see the section Modes of Operation). Each 128-bit block is first encrypted with Twofish (256-bit key) in XTS mode and then with AES (256-bit key) in XTS mode. Each of the cascaded ciphers uses its own key. All encryption keys are mutually independent (note that header keys are independent too, even though they are derived from a single password – see Header Key Derivation, Salt, and Iteration Count).
Hash Algorithms In the Volume Creation Wizard, in the password change dialog window, and in the Keyfile Generator dialog window, you can select a hash algorithm. A user-selected hash algorithm is used by the VeraCrypt Random Number Generator as a pseudorandom “mixing” function, and by the header key derivation function (HMAC based on a hash function, as specified in PKCS #5 v2.0) as a pseudorandom function.
Supported Operating Systems Note: After this version of VeraCrypt was released, a new version of an operating system may have been released, verified to be fully compatible with VeraCrypt and added to the list of supported systems. Therefore, if this is the latest stable version of VeraCrypt, you should check the online version of this chapter at https://veracrypt.codeplex.com/wikipage?title=Supported %20Operating%20Systems.
Command Line Usage Note that this section applies to the Windows version of VeraCrypt. For information on command line usage applying to the Linux and Mac OS X versions, please run: veracrypt –h /help or /? Display command line help. /truecrypt or /tc Activate TrueCrypt compatibility mode which enables mounting volumes created with TrueCrypt 6.x and 7.x series. /hash It must be followed by a parameter indicating the PRF hash algorithm to use when mounting the volume.
/force or /f Forces dismount (if the volume to be dismounted contains files being used by the system or an application) and forces mounting in shared mode (i.e., without exclusive access). /keyfile or /k It must be followed by a parameter specifying a keyfile or a keyfile search path. For multiple keyfiles, specify e.g.: /k c:\keyfile1.
/quit or /q Automatically perform requested actions and exit (main VeraCrypt window will not be displayed). If preferences is specified as the parameter (e.g., /q preferences), then program settings are loaded/saved and they override settings specified on the command line. /q background launches the VeraCrypt Background Task (tray icon) unless it is disabled in the Preferences. /silent or /s If /q is specified, suppresses interaction with the user (prompts, error messages, warnings, etc.).
VeraCrypt Format.exe (VeraCrypt Volume Creation Wizard): /create Create a container based volume in command line mode. It must be followed by the file name of the container to be created. /size (Only with /create) It must be followed by a parameter indicating the size of the container file that will be created. This parameter is a number indicating the size in Bytes. It can have a suffixe 'K', 'M', 'G' or 'T' to indicate that the value is in Kilobytes, Megabytes, Gigabytes or Terabytes respectively.
/force /silent /noisocheck or /n (Only with /create) It has no parameters and it indicates that overwrite will be forced without requiring user confirmation. (Only with /create) It has no parameters and it indicates that no message box or dialog will be displayed to the user. If there is any error, the operation will fail silently. Do not verify that VeraCrypt Rescue Disks are correctly burned.
Security Model Note to security researchers: If you intend to report a security issue or publish an attack on VeraCrypt, please make sure it does not disregard the security model of VeraCrypt described below. If it does, the attack (or security issue report) will be considered invalid/bogus. VeraCrypt is a computer software program whose primary purposes are to: Secure data by encrypting it before it is written to a disk. Decrypt encrypted data after it is read from the disk.
Secure any computer hardware component or a whole computer. Secure any data on a computer where the security requirements or precautions listed in the chapter Security Requirements and Precautions are not followed. Do anything listed in the section Limitations (chapter Known Issues & Limitations).
Under Mac OS X, a user without administrator privileges can (assuming the default VeraCrypt and operating system configurations): Mount any file-hosted or partition/device-hosted VeraCrypt volume provided that the file/device permissions allow it. Dismount, using VeraCrypt, (and, in the VeraCrypt application window, see the path to and properties of) any VeraCrypt volume mounted by him or her.
Security Requirements and Precautions IMPORTANT: If you want to use VeraCrypt, you must follow the security requirements and security precautions listed in this chapter. The sections in this chapter specify security requirements for using VeraCrypt and give information about things that adversely affect or limit the ability of VeraCrypt to secure data and to provide plausible deniability.
ensures that any data written to the system volume is written to a RAM disk. When you need to work with sensitive data, boot such a live CD/DVD. If you use hidden volumes, follow the security requirements and precautions listed in the subsection Security Requirements and Precautions Pertaining to Hidden Volumes. If you do not use hidden volumes, ensure that only non-system partition-hosted VeraCrypt volumes and/or read-only filesystems are mounted during the session.
stored unencrypted in RAM. Therefore, you must disable memory dump file generation on your computer at least for each session during which you work with any sensitive data and during which you mount a VeraCrypt volume.
Unencrypted Data in RAM It is important to note that VeraCrypt is disk encryption software, which encrypts only disks, not RAM (memory). Keep in mind that most programs do not clear the memory area (buffers) in which they store unencrypted (portions of) files they load from a VeraCrypt volume.
Furthermore, you must ensure that VeraCrypt (including its device driver) is not running when the attacker physically accesses the computer. Additional information pertaining to hardware attacks where the attacker has direct physical access is contained in the section Unencrypted Data in RAM.
at the volume level to users without administrator privileges, regardless of whether it is accessible to them at the file-system level). Moreover, on Windows, the password cache is shared by all logged on users (for more information, please see the section Settings > Preferences, subsection Cache passwords in driver memory).
When creating a volume, encrypting a system partition/drive, or changing passwords/keyfiles, you must not allow any third party to choose or modify the password/keyfile(s) before/while the volume is created or the password/keyfiles(s) changed.
use the Linux native kernel cryptographic services or make sure VeraCrypt volumes are not located on drives that use the trim operation. To find out whether a device uses the trim operation, please refer to documentation supplied with the device or contact the vendor/manufacturer. Wear-Leveling Some storage devices (e.g., some solid-state drives, including USB flash drives) and some file systems utilize so-called wear-leveling mechanisms to extend the lifetime of the storage device or medium.
have various security implications. For instance, data that is to be encrypted in place may remain unencrypted in the bad sector. Likewise, data to be erased (for example, during the process of creation of a hidden operating system) may remain in the bad sector. Plausible deniability (see section Plausible Deniability) may be adversely affected whenever a sector is reallocated. Additional examples of possible security implications are listed in the section Security Requirements and Precautions.
Volume Clones Never create a new VeraCrypt volume by cloning an existing VeraCrypt volume. Always use the VeraCrypt Volume Creation Wizard to create a new VeraCrypt volume. If you clone a volume and then start using both this volume and its clone in a way that both eventually contain different data, then you might aid cryptanalysis (both volumes will share a single key set). This is especially critical when the volume contains a hidden volume.
How to Back Up Securely Due to hardware or software errors/malfunctions, files stored on a VeraCrypt volume may become corrupted. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you backup all your important files regularly (this, of course, applies to any important data, not just to encrypted data stored on VeraCrypt volumes). Non-System Volumes To back up a non-system VeraCrypt volume securely, it is recommended to follow these steps: 1.
To back up an encrypted system partition securely and safely, it is recommended to follow these steps: 1. If you have multiple operating systems installed on your computer, boot the one that does not require pre-boot authentication. If you do not have multiple operating systems installed on your computer, you can boot a WinPE or BartPE CD/DVD (‘live’ Windows entirely stored on and booted from a CD/DVD; for more information, search the section Frequently Asked Questions for the keyword ‘BartPE’).
regular VeraCrypt volume in the previous step) and store the image directly on the mounted backup volume. IMPORTANT: If you store the backup volume in any location that an adversary can repeatedly access (for example, on a device kept in a bank’s safe deposit box), you should repeat all of the above steps (including the step 2) each time you want to back up the volume (see below).
Miscellaneous Using VeraCrypt Without Administrator Privileges In Windows, a user who does not have administrator privileges can use VeraCrypt, but only after a system administrator installs VeraCrypt on the system. The reason for that is that VeraCrypt needs a device driver to provide transparent on-the-fly encryption/decryption, and users without administrator privileges cannot install/start device drivers in Windows.
Sharing over Network If there is a need to access a single VeraCrypt volume simultaneously from multiple operating systems, there are two options: 1. A VeraCrypt volume is mounted only on a single computer (for example, on a server) and only the content of the mounted VeraCrypt volume (i.e., the file system within the VeraCrypt volume) is shared over a network. Users on other computers or systems will not mount the volume (it is already mounted on the server).
When the main VeraCrypt window is closed, the VeraCrypt Background Task takes care of the following tasks/functions: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Hot keys Auto-dismount (e.g., upon logoff, inadvertent host device removal, time-out, etc.) Auto-mount of favorite volumes Notifications (e.g., when damage to hidden volume is prevented) Tray icon WARNING: If neither the VeraCrypt Background Task nor VeraCrypt is running, the abovementioned tasks/functions are disabled. The VeraCrypt Background Task is actually the VeraCrypt.
Volume Mounted as Removable Medium This section applies to VeraCrypt volumes mounted when one of the following options is enabled (as applicable): Tools > Preferences > Mount volumes as removable media Mount Options > Mount volume as removable medium Favorites > Organize Favorite Volumes > Mount selected volume as removable medium Favorites > Organize System Favorite Volumes > Mount selected volume as removable medium VeraCrypt Volumes that are mounted as removable media have the following a
VeraCrypt System Files & Application Data Note: %windir% is the main Windows installation path (e.g., C:\WINDOWS) VeraCrypt Driver %windir%\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\veracrypt.sys Note: This file is not present when VeraCrypt is run in portable mode. VeraCrypt Settings, Application Data, and Other System Files WARNING: Note that VeraCrypt does not encrypt any of the files listed in this section (unless it encrypts the system partition/drive). The following files are saved in the folder %APPDATA%\VeraCrypt\.
The following files are saved in the folder %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\VeraCrypt\: “Original System Loader” (a backup of the original content of the first drive track made before the VeraCrypt Boot Loader was written to it). o Note: This file is absent if the system partition/drive has not been encrypted. The following files are saved in the folder %windir%\system32 (both on 32-bit systems and 64bit systems): “VeraCrypt System Favorite Volumes.
How to Remove Encryption Please note that VeraCrypt can in-place decrypt only partitions and drives (select System > Permanently Decrypt System Partition/Drive for system partition/drive and select Volumes > Permanently Decrypt for non-system partition/drive). If you need to remove encryption (e.g., if you no longer need encryption) from a file-hosted volume, please follow these steps: 1. Mount the VeraCrypt volume. 2.
Uninstalling VeraCrypt To uninstall VeraCrypt on Windows XP, select Start menu > Settings > Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs > VeraCrypt > Change/Remove. To uninstall VeraCrypt on Windows Vista or later, select Start menu > Computer > Uninstall or change a program > VeraCrypt > Uninstall. No VeraCrypt volume will be removed when you uninstall VeraCrypt. You will be able to mount your VeraCrypt volume(s) again after you install VeraCrypt or when you run it in portable mode.
Digital Signatures Why Verify Digital Signatures It might happen that a VeraCrypt installation package you download from our server was created or modified by an attacker. For example, the attacker could exploit a vulnerability in the server software we use and alter the installation packages stored on the server, or he/she could alter any of the files en route to you.
1. Download the VeraCrypt self-extracting installation package. 2. In the Windows Explorer, click the downloaded file (‘VeraCrypt Setup.exe’) with the right mouse button and select ‘Properties’ from the context menu. 3. In the Properties dialog window, select the ‘Digital Signatures’ tab. 4. On the ‘Digital Signatures’ tab, in the ‘Signature list’, double click the line saying "IDRIX" or “IDRIX SARL”. 5. The ‘Digital Signature Details’ dialog window should appear now.
Troubleshooting It is recommended that you read also the latest online version of this chapter at: https://veracrypt.codeplex.com/wikipage?title=Troubleshooting This section presents possible solutions to common problems that you may run into when using VeraCrypt. Note: If your problem is not listed here, it might be listed in one of the following sections: Incompatibilities Known Issues & Limitations Frequently Asked Questions Make sure you use the latest stable version of VeraCrypt.
PROBLEM: A VeraCrypt volume cannot be mounted; VeraCrypt reports “Incorrect password or not a VeraCrypt volume”. POSSIBLE CAUSE: The volume header may have been damaged by a third-party application or malfunctioning hardware component. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS: you can try to restore the volume header from the backup embedded in the volume by following these steps: 1) Run VeraCrypt. 2) Click Select Device or Select File to select your volume. 3) Select Tools > Restore Volume Header.
way to use this tool on a VeraCrypt volume: First, make a backup copy of the VeraCrypt volume (because the ‘chkdsk’ tool might damage the filesystem even more) and then mount it. Right-click the mounted volume in the main VeraCrypt window (in the drive list) and from the context menu select ‘Repair Filesystem’. PROBLEM: When trying to create a hidden volume, its maximum possible size is unexpectedly small (there is much more free space than this on the outer volume). PROBABLE CAUSES: 1.
If it does not help, reformat the outer volume again and copy less files/folders to its root folder than you did last time. If it does not help, keep reformatting and decreasing the number of files/folders in the root folder. If this is unacceptable or if it does not help, reformat the outer volume and select a larger cluster size. If it does not help, keep reformatting and increasing the cluster size, until the problem is solved. Alternatively, try creating a hidden volume within an NTFS volume.
and restart your computer. For more information, please refer to the documentation for your BIOS/motherboard or contact your computer vendor’s technical support team for assistance. PROBLEM: After the system partition/drive is encrypted, the computer cannot boot after it is restarted (it is also impossible to enter the BIOS configuration screen). PROBABLE CAUSE: A bug in the BIOS of your computer. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS: Follow these steps: 1. Disconnect the encrypted drive. 2.
POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS: Upgrade your BIOS (for information on how to do so, please refer to the documentation for your BIOS/motherboard or contact your computer vendor’s technical support team for assistance). Use a different motherboard model/brand.
PROBLEM: When trying to encrypt the system partition/drive, during the pretest, the VeraCrypt Boot Loader always reports that the pre-boot authentication password I entered is incorrect (even though I'm sure it is correct). POSSIBLE CAUSES: Different state of the Num Lock and/or Caps Lock key Data corruption POSSIBLE SOLUTION: 1.
A bug in the Windows Backup tool. POSSIBLE SOLUTION: 1. Mount the VeraCrypt volume to which you want to back up data. 2. Right-click a folder located on the volume (or right-click its drive letter in the ‘Computer’ list) and select an item from the ‘Share with’ submenu (on Windows Vista, select ‘Share’). 3. Follow the instructions to share the folder with your user account. 4. In the Windows Backup tool, select the shared folder (the network location/path) as the destination. 5. Start the backup process.
POSSIBLE SOLUTION: Close all applications that are using files on the outer volume. If it does not help, try disabling or uninstalling any anti-virus utility you use and restarting the system subsequently. PROBLEM: When accessing a file-hosted container shared over a network, “insufficient memory” or "not enough server storage is available" error is reported. PROBABLE CAUSE: IRPStackSize in the Windows registry may have been set to a too small value.
Incompatibilities It is recommended that you read also the latest online version of this chapter at: https://veracrypt.codeplex.com/wikipage?title=Incompatibilities ® ® Activation of Adobe Photoshop and Other Products Using FLEXnet Publisher / SafeCast Note: The issue described below does not affect you if you use a non-cascade encryption * algorithm (i.e., AES, Serpent, or Twofish). The issue also does not affect you if you do not use pre-boot authentication (see the chapter System Encryption).
Known Issues & Limitations It is strongly recommended that you read also the latest online version of this chapter at: https://veracrypt.codeplex.com/wikipage?title=Issues%20and%20Limitations Known Issues On Windows, it may happen that two drive letters are assigned to a mounted volume instead of a single one. This is caused by an issue with Windows Mount Manager cache and it can be solve by typing the command "mountvole.
Due to a Windows 2000 issue, VeraCrypt does not support the Windows Mount Manager under Windows 2000. Therefore, some Windows 2000 built-in tools, such as Disk Defragmenter, do not work on VeraCrypt volumes. Furthermore, it is not possible to use the Mount Manager services under Windows 2000, e.g., assign a mount point to a VeraCrypt volume (i.e., attach a VeraCrypt volume to a folder).
file attributes, or the operating system failing to perform it for various documented and undocumented reasons). Note: When you write to a file-hosted hidden volume, the timestamp of the container may change. This can be plausibly explained as having been caused by changing the (outer) volume password. Also note that VeraCrypt never preserves timestamps of system favorite volumes (regardless of the settings). Special software (e.g.
Frequently Asked Questions Note: The latest version of the VeraCrypt FAQ is available at https://veracrypt.codeplex.com/wikipage?title=FAQ. Can TrueCrypt and VeraCrypt be running on the same machine? Yes. There are generally no conflicts between TrueCrypt and VeraCrypt, thus they can be installed and used on the same machine. On Windows however, if they are both used to mount the same volume, two drives may appear when mounting it.
year of trying. While we can't verify if this is true or just a "psy-op" stunt, in VeraCrypt we have increased the security of the key derivation to a level where any brute-force of the password is virtually impossible, provided that all security requirements are respected. Is there a "Quick Start Guide" or some tutorial for beginners? Yes. The first chapter, Beginner’s Tutorial, contains screenshots and step-by-step instructions on how to create, mount, and use a VeraCrypt volume.
player begins loading another small portion of the video file from the VeraCrypt-encrypted volume to RAM (memory) and the process repeats. The same goes for video recording: Before a chunk of a video file is written to a VeraCrypt volume, VeraCrypt encrypts it in RAM and then writes it to the disk. This process is called on-thefly encryption/decryption and it works for all file types (not only for video files). Will VeraCrypt be open-source and free forever? Yes, it will.
Note: Windows can only access the primary partition of a USB flash drive, nevertheless the extra partitions remain accessible through VeraCrypt. 3) Create a VeraCrypt file container on the USB flash drive (for information on how to do so, see the chapter Beginner’s Tutorial).
What is a hidden operating system? See the section Hidden Operating System. What is plausible deniability? See the chapter Plausible Deniability. Will I be able to mount my VeraCrypt partition/container after I reinstall or upgrade the operating system? Yes, VeraCrypt volumes are independent of the operating system. However, you need to make sure your operating system installer does not format the partition where your VeraCrypt volume resides.
I use pre-boot authentication. Can I configure the VeraCrypt Boot Loader to display only a fake error message? Yes. To do so, boot the encrypted system, start VeraCrypt, select Settings > System Encryption, enable the option ‘Do not show any texts in the pre-boot authentication screen’ and enter the fake error message in the corresponding field (for example, the "Missing operating system" message, which is normally displayed by the Windows boot loader if it finds no Windows boot partition).
Can a volume be automatically mounted whenever its host device gets connected to the computer? Yes. For example, if you have a VeraCrypt container on a USB flash drive and you want VeraCrypt to mount it automatically when you insert the USB flash drive into the USB port, follow these steps: 1. Mount the volume (to the drive letter to which you want it to be mounted every time). 2. Right-click the mounted volume in the drive list in the main VeraCrypt window and select ‘Add to Favorites’. 3.
4. Run the downloaded file, and select Extract (instead of Install) on the second page of the VeraCrypt Setup wizard. Extract the contents to the RAM disk. 5. Run the file VeraCrypt.exe from the RAM disk. Note: You may also want to consider creating a hidden operating system (see the section Hidden Operating System). See also the chapter Plausible Deniability. Can I encrypt my system partition/drive if I don’t have a US keyboard? Yes, VeraCrypt supports all keyboard layouts.
Can I run VeraCrypt if I don’t install it? Yes, see the chapter Portable Mode. Some encryption programs use TPM to prevent attacks. Will VeraCrypt use it too? No. Those programs use TPM to protect against attacks that require the attacker to have administrator privileges, or physical access to the computer, and the attacker needs you to use the computer after such an access.
Which type of VeraCrypt volume is better – partition or file container? File containers are normal files so you can work with them as with any normal files (file containers can be, for example, moved, renamed, and deleted the same way as normal files). Partitions/drives may be better as regards performance. Note that reading and writing to/from a file container may take significantly longer when the container is heavily fragmented.
When I use HMAC-RIPEMD-160, is the size of the header encryption key only 160 bits? No, VeraCrypt never uses an output of a hash function (nor of a HMAC algorithm) directly as an encryption key. See the section ‘Header Key Derivation, Salt, and Iteration Count‘ for more information. How do I burn a VeraCrypt container larger than 2 GB onto a DVD? The DVD burning software you use should allow you to select the format of the DVD.
We use VeraCrypt in a corporate/enterprise environment. Is there a way for an administrator to reset a volume password or pre-boot authentication password when a user forgets it (or loses a keyfile)? Yes. Note that there is no “backdoor” implemented in VeraCrypt. However, there is a way to “reset” volume passwords/keyfiles and pre-boot authentication passwords. After you create a volume, back up its header to a file (select Tools > Backup Volume Header) before you allow a non-admin user to use the volume.
1. Right-click the ‘Computer’ (or ‘My Computer’) icon on your desktop or in the Start Menu and select Manage. The ‘Computer Management’ window should appear. 2. From the list on the left, select ‘Disk Management’ (within the Storage sub-tree). 3. Right-click the encrypted partition/device and select ‘Change Drive Letter and Paths’. 4. Click Remove. 5. If Windows prompts you to confirm the action, click Yes. When I plug in my encrypted USB flash drive, Windows asks me if I want to format it.
is exhaustive search (related keys attacks are irrelevant to our case because all keys are random and independent from each other). Since VeraCrypt always uses 256-bit random and independent keys, we are assured of a 128-bit security level against quantum algorithms which makes VeraCrypt encryption immune to such attacks.
Technical Details Notation C Ciphertext block DK() Decryption algorithm using encryption/decryption key K EK() Encryption algorithm using encryption/decryption key K H() Hash function i Block index for n-bit blocks; n is context-dependent K Cryptographic key P Plaintext block ^ Bitwise exclusive-OR operation (XOR) Modulo 2 addition, where n is the bit size of the left-most operand and of the resultant value (e.g.
Encryption Scheme When mounting a VeraCrypt volume (assume there are no cached passwords/keyfiles) or when performing pre-boot authentication, the following steps are performed: 1. The first 512 bytes of the volume (i.e., the standard volume header) are read into RAM, out of which the first 64 bytes are the salt (see VeraCrypt Volume Format Specification).
4. Decryption is considered successful if the first 4 bytes of the decrypted data contain the ASCII string “VERA”, and if the CRC-32 checksum of the last 256 bytes of the decrypted data (volume header) matches the value located at byte #8 of the decrypted data (this value is unknown to an adversary because it is encrypted – see the section VeraCrypt Volume Format Specification).
Modes of Operation The mode of operation used by VeraCrypt for encrypted partitions, drives, and virtual volumes is XTS. XTS mode is in fact XEX mode [12], which was designed by Phillip Rogaway in 2003, with a minor modification (XEX mode uses a single key for two different purposes, whereas XTS mode uses two independent keys). In 2010, XTS mode was approved by NIST for protecting the confidentiality of data on storage devices [24].
Header Key Derivation, Salt, and Iteration Count Header key is used to encrypt and decrypt the encrypted area of the VeraCrypt volume header (for system encryption, of the key data area), which contains the master key and other data (see the sections Encryption Scheme and VeraCrypt Volume Format Specification). In volumes created by VeraCrypt (and for system encryption), the area is encrypted in XTS mode (see the section Modes of Operation).
Random Number Generator The VeraCrypt random number generator (RNG) is used to generate the master encryption key, the secondary key (XTS mode), salt, and keyfiles. It creates a pool of random values in RAM (memory).
Generated Values The content of the RNG pool is never directly exported (even when VeraCrypt instructs the RNG to generate and export a value). Thus, even if the attacker obtains a value generated by the RNG, it is infeasible for him to determine or predict (using the obtained value) any other values generated by the RNG during the session (it is infeasible to determine the content of the pool from a value generated by the RNG).
Keyfiles VeraCrypt keyfile is a file whose content is combined with a password. The user can use any kind of file as a VeraCrypt keyfile. The user can also generate a keyfile using the built-in keyfile generator, which utilizes the VeraCrypt RNG to generate a file with random content (for more information, see the section Random Number Generator).
9. The password P (after the keyfile pool content has been applied to it) is now passed to the header key derivation function PBKDF2 (PKCS #5 v2), which processes it (along with salt and other data) using a cryptographically secure hash algorithm selected by the user (e.g., SHA-512). See the section Header Key Derivation, Salt, and Iteration Count for more information. The role of the hash function H is merely to perform diffusion [2]. CRC-32 is used as the hash function H.
PIM PIM stands for "Personal Iterations Multiplier". It is a parameter that was introduced in VeraCrypt 1.12 and whose value controls the number of iterations used by the header key derivation function. This value can be specified through the password dialog or in the command line. If no PIM value is specified, VeraCrypt will use the default number of iterations used in versions prior to 1.12 (see Header Key Derivation).
Speeding up booting or mounting through the use of a small PIM value (less than 98 for system encryption and less than 485 for the other cases) The screenshots below show the step to mount a volume using a PIM equal to 231: Changing/clearing the PIM The PIM of a volume or for system encryption can be changed or cleared using the change password functionality.
Normal volume case 151
System encryption case 152
VeraCrypt Volume Format Specification Offset (bytes) Size (bytes) Encryption * Status Description ‡ 0 64 68 70 72 76 92 100 108 116 124 64 4 2 2 4 16 8 8 8 8 4 128 132 252 256 512 4 120 4 Var. 65024 Encrypted Encrypted Encrypted Encrypted Encrypted 65536 65536 Encrypted / ‡ Unencrypted Area for hidden volume header (if there is no hidden volume within the volume, this area contains random ** †† data ). For system encryption, this item is omitted. See bytes 0–65535. 131072 Var.
The format of file-hosted volumes is identical to the format of partition/device-hosted volumes (however, the "volume header", or key data, for a system partition/drive is stored in the last 512 bytes of the first logical drive track). VeraCrypt volumes have no "signature" or ID strings. Until decrypted, they appear to consist solely of random data. Free space on each VeraCrypt volume is filled with random data when the volume is created.
Embedded Backup Headers Each VeraCrypt volume contains an embedded backup header, located at the end of the volume (see above). The header backup is not a copy of the volume header because it is encrypted with a different header key derived using a different salt (see the section Header Key Derivation, Salt, and Iteration Count).
Compliance with Standards and Specifications To our best knowledge, VeraCrypt complies with the following standards, specifications, and recommendations: ISO/IEC 10118-3:2004 [21] FIPS 197 [3] FIPS 198 [22] FIPS 180-2 [14] FIPS 140-2 (XTS-AES, SHA-256, SHA-512, HMAC) [25] NIST SP 800-38E [24] PKCS #5 v2.0 [7] PKCS #11 v2.
Future Development For the list of features that are planned for a future release, please refer to: https://veracrypt.codeplex.com/wikipage?title=Future%20Development Contact You can contact us by sending a message to veracrypt [at] idrix dot fr, which is associated with VeraCrypt Team PGP key. You can also use the address veracrypt-contact [at] lists dot sourceforge.net. To contact IDRIX directly, you can use our contact form.
Version History 1.19 (October 17th, 2016) • All OSs: ◦ Fix issues raised by Quarkslab audit: ▪ Remove GOST89 encryption algorithm. ▪ Make PBKDF2 and HMAC code clearer and easier to analyze. ▪ Add test vectors for Kuznyechik. ▪ Update documentation to warn about risks of using command line switch ”tokenpin”. ◦ Use SSE2 optimized Serpent algorithm implementation from Botan project (2.5 times faster on 64-bit platforms). • Windows: ◦ Fix keyboard issues in EFI Boot Loader.
1.18 (August 17th, 2016) • Windows: ◦ Support of EFI system encryption (limitations: no hidden os, no boot custom message) ◦ Fix TrueCrypt vulnerability that enables detection of presence of hidden volumes (reported by Ivanov Aleksey Mikhailovich, alekc96 [at] mail dot ru) ◦ Add support for Japanese encryption standard Camellia, including for system encryption. ◦ Add support for Russian encryption and hash standards Kuznyechik, Magma and Streebog including for EFI system encryption.
• Linux: ◦ Fix mount issue on Fedora 23. ◦ Fix mount failure when compiling source code using gcc 5.x. ◦ Adhere to XDG Desktop Specification by using XDG_CONFIG_HOME to determine location of configuration files. • Mac OSX: ◦ Solve compatibility issue with newer versions of OSXFuse. 1.
o Solve rare issue where some partitions where associated with wrong disk the "Select Device" dialog. o Implement PIM caching, for both system encryption and normal volumes. Add options to activate it. o Don't try mounting using cached passwords if password and/or keyfile are specified in the command line. o Internal rewrite to make VeraCrypt native UNICODE application. o Workaround to avoid false positive detection by some anti-virus software.
If mounting using empty password is needed, explicitly specify so in the command line using: /p "" 1.15 (September 26th, 2015) Windows: o Fix two TrueCrypt vulnerabilities reported by James Forshaw (Google Project Zero) CVE-2015-7358 (critical): Local Elevation of Privilege on Windows by abusing drive letter handling. CVE-2015-7359: Local Elevation of Privilege on Windows caused by incorrect Impersonation Token Handling. o Fix regression in mounting of favorite volumes at user logon.
o Support setting volume label in Explorer through mount option or favorite label value. o Fix for Hot Keys assignment dialog issue where OEM-233 is always displayed and can't be changed. o Always copy both 32-bit and 64-bit executable binaries during install and in Traveler Disk Setup. Traveler Disk will again use 32-bit exe by default while also offering 64bit exe. On Windows 64-bit, 32-bit exe files are now available(e.g.
o Fix privacy issue caused by configuration and history files being updated whenever VeraCrypt is used (reported by Liran Elharar) o Fix system favorites not always mounting after cold start. o Solve installer error when updating VeraCrypt on Windows 10. o Implement decryption of non-system partition/drive. o Include 64-bit exe files in the installer and deploy them on 64-bit machines for better performances.
o Support hash names with '-' in command line (sha-256, sha-512 and ripemd160) o Remove "--current-hash" switch and add "--new-hash" to be more coherent with existing switches. o When only keyfile specified in command line, don't try to mount using empty password. If mounting using empty password is needed, explicitly specify so using: -p "" For a list of changes in older versions, see: %20Notes https://veracrypt.codeplex.
Acknowledgements We would like to thank the following people: The TrueCrypt Developers team who have done an amazing job over the course of 10 years. Without their hard work, VeraCrypt would not exist today. Paul Le Roux for making his E4M source code available. TrueCrypt 1.0 was derived from E4M and some parts of the E4M source code are still incorporated in the latest version of the VeraCrypt source code. Brian Gladman, who wrote the excellent AES, Twofish, and SHA-512 routines.
References [1] U.S. Committee on National Security Systems (CNSS), National Policy on the Use of the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) to Protect National Security Systems and National Security Information, CNSS Policy No. 15, Fact Sheet No. 1, June 2003, available at http://csrc.nist.gov/groups/STM/cmvp/documents/CNSS15FS.pdf. [2] C. E. Shannon, Communication Theory of Secrecy Systems, Bell System Technical Journal, v. 28, n.
[12] P. Rogaway, Efficient Instantiations of Tweakable Blockciphers and Refinements to Modes OCB and PMAC, Asiacrypt 2004. LNCS vol. 3329. Springer, 2004. Also available at: http://www.cs.ucdavis.edu/~rogaway/papers/offsets.pdf. [13] J. Kelsey, Twofish Technical Report #7: Key Separation in Twofish, AES Round 2 public comment, April 7, 2000 [14] NIST, Secure Hash Standard, FIPS 180-2, August 1, 2002, available at http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/fips/fips180-2/fips180-2.pdf. [15] U. Maurer, J.
