Chapter 8. Encrypting block devices using LUKS

Disk encryption protects the data on a block device by encrypting it. To access the device’s decrypted contents, a user must provide a passphrase or key as authentication. This is particularly important when it comes to mobile computers and removable media: it helps to protect the device’s contents even if it has been physically removed from the system. The LUKS format is a default implementation of block device encryption in RHEL.

8.1. LUKS disk encryption

The Linux Unified Key Setup-on-disk-format (LUKS) enables you to encrypt block devices and it provides a set of tools that simplifies managing the encrypted devices. LUKS allows multiple user keys to decrypt a master key, which is used for the bulk encryption of the partition.

RHEL utilizes LUKS to perform block device encryption. By default, the option to encrypt the block device is unchecked during the installation. If you select the option to encrypt your disk, the system prompts you for a passphrase every time you boot the computer. This passphrase “unlocks” the bulk encryption key that decrypts your partition. If you choose to modify the default partition table, you can choose which partitions you want to encrypt. This is set in the partition table settings.

What LUKS does

  • LUKS encrypts entire block devices and is therefore well-suited for protecting contents of mobile devices such as removable storage media or laptop disk drives.
  • The underlying contents of the encrypted block device are arbitrary, which makes it useful for encrypting swap devices. This can also be useful with certain databases that use specially formatted block devices for data storage.
  • LUKS uses the existing device mapper kernel subsystem.
  • LUKS provides passphrase strengthening which protects against dictionary attacks.
  • LUKS devices contain multiple key slots, allowing users to add backup keys or passphrases.

What LUKS does not do

  • Disk-encryption solutions like LUKS protect the data only when your system is off. Once the system is on and LUKS has decrypted the disk, the files on that disk are available to anyone who would normally have access to them.
  • LUKS is not well-suited for scenarios that require many users to have distinct access keys to the same device. The LUKS1 format provides eight key slots, LUKS2 up to 32 key slots.
  • LUKS is not well-suited for applications requiring file-level encryption.

Ciphers

The default cipher used for LUKS is aes-xts-plain64. The default key size for LUKS is 512 bits. The default key size for LUKS with Anaconda (XTS mode) is 512 bits. Ciphers that are available are:

  • AES - Advanced Encryption Standard - FIPS PUB 197
  • Twofish (a 128-bit block cipher)
  • Serpent

Additional resources

8.2. LUKS versions in RHEL 8

In RHEL 8, the default format for LUKS encryption is LUKS2. The legacy LUKS1 format remains fully supported and it is provided as a format compatible with earlier RHEL releases.

The LUKS2 format is designed to enable future updates of various parts without a need to modify binary structures. LUKS2 internally uses JSON text format for metadata, provides redundancy of metadata, detects metadata corruption and allows automatic repairs from a metadata copy.

Important

Do not use LUKS2 in systems that need to be compatible with legacy systems that support only LUKS1. Note that RHEL 7 supports the LUKS2 format since version 7.6.

Warning

LUKS2 and LUKS1 use different commands to encrypt the disk. Using the wrong command for a LUKS version might cause data loss.

LUKS versionEncryption command

LUKS2

cryptsetup reencrypt

LUKS1

cryptsetup-reencrypt

Online re-encryption

The LUKS2 format supports re-encrypting encrypted devices while the devices are in use. For example, you do not have to unmount the file system on the device to perform the following tasks:

  • Change the volume key
  • Change the encryption algorithm

When encrypting a non-encrypted device, you must still unmount the file system. You can remount the file system after a short initialization of the encryption.

The LUKS1 format does not support online re-encryption.

Conversion

The LUKS2 format is inspired by LUKS1. In certain situations, you can convert LUKS1 to LUKS2. The conversion is not possible specifically in the following scenarios:

  • A LUKS1 device is marked as being used by a Policy-Based Decryption (PBD - Clevis) solution. The cryptsetup tool refuses to convert the device when some luksmeta metadata are detected.
  • A device is active. The device must be in the inactive state before any conversion is possible.

8.3. Options for data protection during LUKS2 re-encryption

LUKS2 provides several options that prioritize performance or data protection during the re-encryption process:

checksum

This is the default mode. It balances data protection and performance.

This mode stores individual checksums of the sectors in the re-encryption area, so the recovery process can detect which sectors LUKS2 already re-encrypted. The mode requires that the block device sector write is atomic.

journal
That is the safest mode but also the slowest. This mode journals the re-encryption area in the binary area, so LUKS2 writes the data twice.
none
This mode prioritizes performance and provides no data protection. It protects the data only against safe process termination, such as the SIGTERM signal or the user pressing Ctrl+C. Any unexpected system crash or application crash might result in data corruption.

You can select the mode using the --resilience option of cryptsetup.

If a LUKS2 re-encryption process terminates unexpectedly by force, LUKS2 can perform the recovery in one of the following ways:

  • Automatically, during the next LUKS2 device open action. This action is triggered either by the cryptsetup open command or by attaching the device with systemd-cryptsetup.
  • Manually, by using the cryptsetup repair command on the LUKS2 device.

8.4. Encrypting existing data on a block device using LUKS2

This procedure encrypts existing data on a not yet encrypted device using the LUKS2 format. A new LUKS header is stored in the head of the device.

Prerequisites

  • The block device contains a file system.

  • You have backed up your data.

    Warning

    You might lose your data during the encryption process: due to a hardware, kernel, or human failure. Ensure that you have a reliable backup before you start encrypting the data.

Procedure

  1. Unmount all file systems on the device that you plan to encrypt. For example: 

    # umount /dev/sdb1

  2. Make free space for storing a LUKS header. Choose one of the following options that suits your scenario:

    • In the case of encrypting a logical volume, you can extend the logical volume without resizing the file system. For example: 

      # lvextend -L+32M vg00/lv00
    • Extend the partition using partition management tools, such as parted.
    • Shrink the file system on the device. You can use the resize2fs utility for the ext2, ext3, or ext4 file systems. Note that you cannot shrink the XFS file system.

  3. Initialize the encryption. For example: 

    # cryptsetup reencrypt \
             --encrypt \
             --init-only \
             --reduce-device-size 32M \
             /dev/sdb1 sdb1_encrypted

    The command asks you for a passphrase and starts the encryption process.

  4. Mount the device: 

    # mount /dev/mapper/sdb1_encrypted /mnt/sdb1_encrypted

  5. Start the online encryption: 

    # cryptsetup reencrypt --resume-only /dev/sdb1

Additional resources

  • For more details, see the cryptsetup(8), lvextend(8), resize2fs(8), and parted(8) man pages.

8.5. Encrypting existing data on a block device using LUKS2 with a detached header

This procedure encrypts existing data on a block device without creating free space for storing a LUKS header. The header is stored in a detached location, which also serves as an additional layer of security. The procedure uses the LUKS2 encryption format.

Prerequisites

  • The block device contains a file system.

  • You have backed up your data.

    Warning

    You might lose your data during the encryption process: due to a hardware, kernel, or human failure. Ensure that you have a reliable backup before you start encrypting the data.

Procedure

  1. Unmount all file systems on the device. For example: 

    # umount /dev/sdb1

  2. Initialize the encryption: 

    # cryptsetup reencrypt \
             --encrypt \
             --init-only \
             --header /path/to/header \
             /dev/sdb1 sdb1_encrypted

    Replace /path/to/header with a path to the file with a detached LUKS header. The detached LUKS header has to be accessible so that the encrypted device can be unlocked later.

    The command asks you for a passphrase and starts the encryption process.

  3. Mount the device: 

    # mount /dev/mapper/sdb1_encrypted /mnt/sdb1_encrypted

  4. Start the online encryption: 

    # cryptsetup reencrypt --resume-only --header /path/to/header /dev/sdb1

Additional resources

  • For more details, see the cryptsetup(8) man page.

8.6. Encrypting a blank block device using LUKS2

This procedure provides information about encrypting a blank block device using the LUKS2 format.

Prerequisites

  • A blank block device.

Procedure

  1. Setup a partition as an encrypted LUKS partition: 

    # cryptsetup luksFormat /dev/sdb1

  2. Open an encrypted LUKS partition: 

    # cryptsetup open /dev/sdb1 sdb1_encrypted

    This unlocks the partition and maps it to a new device using the device mapper. This alerts kernel that device is an encrypted device and should be addressed through LUKS using the /dev/mapper/device_mapped_name so as not to overwrite the encrypted data.

  3. To write encrypted data to the partition, it must be accessed through the device mapped name. To do this, you must create a filesystem. For example: 

    # mkfs -t ext4 /dev/mapper/sdb1_encrypted

  4. Mount the device: 

    # mount /dev/mapper/sdb1_encrypted

Additional resources

  • For more details, see the cryptsetup(8) man page.