zipcloak

zipcloak [-d] [-O output] [options] zipfile

zipcloak encrypts or decrypts ZIP archives by adding or removing password protection. When encrypting, it prompts for a password and applies encryption to all files within the archive. When decrypting with the -d flag, it removes encryption after verifying the original password.By default, zipcloak modifies the archive in place, replacing the original file. The -O option allows writing the encrypted or decrypted result to a new file, preserving the original archive unchanged.zipcloak uses standard ZIP encryption (PKZIP), which is widely compatible with most ZIP tools and operating systems. It is part of the Info-ZIP suite of utilities.

-d, --decrypt

Decrypt archive.

Output to new file.

Quiet mode.

Temp file path.

Show help.

Show version.

Standard ZIP encryption (PKZIP/ZipCrypto) is considered weak by modern standards and can be broken with known-plaintext attacks. For stronger encryption, consider using 7z with AES-256. The -O option should be used when you want to preserve the original unencrypted archive. Encryption applies to file contents only; filenames and metadata remain visible.

zipcloak is part of the Info-ZIP suite of utilities, originally developed in the early 1990s as free, portable implementations of the ZIP archive format tools. It provides a convenient way to add or remove password protection from existing ZIP archives without needing to recreate them.

zip(1), unzip(1), 7z(1), zipinfo(1), zipnote(1)