ecryptfs-verify

ecryptfs-verify [options]

-h, --help
    Displays a help message, providing information on command usage and available options.

-v, --version
    Displays the version information of the ecryptfs-utils package that this command is part of.

ecryptfs-verify is a utility from the ecryptfs-utils package designed to confirm the user's passphrase for eCryptfs encrypted directories or filesystems. When executed, it prompts the user to enter their passphrase. This entered passphrase is then verified against the currently active eCryptfs mounts. The primary purpose of this command is to ensure that a user possesses the correct authentication credentials before attempting sensitive operations, such as unmounting an encrypted filesystem or performing other administrative tasks requiring passphrase validation. It is crucial to understand that ecryptfs-verify only validates the correctness of the passphrase itself and does not perform any checks on the integrity or correctness of the encrypted data within the filesystem. The command provides a clear indication of success or failure through its output and exit status.

This command strictly verifies the passphrase; it does not check the integrity or validity of the encrypted data on the filesystem. Verification is performed against currently mounted eCryptfs filesystems. If no eCryptfs filesystems are actively mounted, the command may not have a context to verify against and might report an error or simply indicate no action can be taken.

eCryptfs is a stacked cryptographic filesystem integrated into the Linux kernel, developed primarily by Michael Halcrow. The ecryptfs-utils package, which includes ecryptfs-verify, provides essential user-space tools for managing eCryptfs encrypted directories and filesystems. It gained significant adoption, notably being the default method for home directory encryption in Ubuntu for several years. While its prominence has somewhat shifted with the advent of alternatives like fscrypt and full-disk encryption solutions, ecryptfs-verify has remained a stable and critical component within the eCryptfs ecosystem for authenticating access to encrypted data.

ecryptfs(7), ecryptfs-migrate-home(8), ecryptfs-rewrap-passphrase(8), ecryptfs-unwrap-passphrase(8), mount.ecryptfs_private(8), ecryptfs-mount-private(1), ecryptfs-umount-private(1)