[Encrypt] [Update 13/7/11] Encrypt yout personal data via CWM! - Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 Mini

Introduction
This thread describes an experimental mod that allows you to encrypt your personal data (/data partition) on your phone.
This can make sure that no 'unauthorized' user can take your phone and view your data. It is NOT an anti-theft mechanism, but will protect your personal information in case you lose your phone (provided that the password is not easily recoverable).
This mod should work for X10mini / X10minipro / X8
WARNING:
This mod is experimental, for advanced users and security paranoics only. Use it at your own risk
Requirements:
- CWM recovery pre-installed
- Custom MiniCM7 ROM (should work on any custom ROM - I have not tested others). Will NOT work on stock ROMs.
- At least 200MB of free space in your sdcard
Encryption mod Installation
- Flash the attached CWM multiboot zip via CWM
Encrypting your /data
This mod allows for easily migrating your existing /data contents to the encrypted partition. To do so boot into CWM recovery:
- backup and restore -> backup
- encrypt -> Encrypt - migrate /data -> Yes
- Use the keypad to enter your password. To navigate, use the Vol up/down buttons for up/down, the menu/back buttons for left/right, the home button to select a letter, the camera button for backspace and the power button to verify that you are done.
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This process will take 5 - 10 minutes, be patient.
Once finished, to verify that the migration was successful, select:
- encrypt -> Mount encrypted /data
This should ask you for the password you used and if successful, it should mount the encrypted partition under /data-enc.
$ adb shell mount
should give you this line among others:
/dev/mapper/data-enc on /data-enc type ext2 (rw,noatime,nodiratime,errors=continue)
which means that your private files can now be accessed under /data-enc.
When done, use:
- encrypt -> Umount encrypted /data to unmount
To update your password, use:
- encrypt -> Change encryption password
This will prompt for a password three times: the first one is for the existing password. The second and third should match and this is the new password.
Booting your phone
When booting your phone you are prompted with the keypad to insert your password. Unless the correct one is provided, you cannot continue booting.
Uninstall
- Boot into CWM and format your /data partition.
- mount the /system partition via CWM and use the following command to avoid getting asked for a password at boot:
- adb shell mv /system/bin/ramdisk.tar.bak /system/bin/ramdisk.tar
Thanks to:
- DaRk_dOg for his testing and theming ideas
- sigkill1337 for his keypad ui implementation for the Wildfire
Disclaimer:
I can't be held responsible if this mod bricks your device / trashes your phone or makes it explode in your hands! Use it at your own risk!
​

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Changelog:
(13/7/11) CWM-encrypt-r1.zip
Initial version for encrypting /data partition

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where is the Google's [+1] button? great tool

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WARNING:
This mod is experimental, for advanced users and security paranoics only. Use it at your own risk
Dude seems like you are first paranoid one . Nice work!
p.s.
what if i forget password?

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aZuZu said:
WARNING:
This mod is experimental, for advanced users and security paranoics only. Use it at your own risk
Dude seems like you are first pranoid one . Nice work!
p.s.
what if i forget password?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In terms of security, yes I am
If you forget your password you are doomed.

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nobodyAtall said:
In terms of security, yes I am
If you forget your password you are doomed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Flash tool will not work?
Sent from my X8 using XDA Premium App

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Let me rephrase : if you forget your password you can't expect to be able to get your data back. That's the whole point of encrypting them. Sure you can get in recovery and format, as already described in the first post.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App

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nobodyAtall, thank you for another great addition!
First multiboot, now data encryption. X10 mini is such a geeky device after all!
Thank again, D_d

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What encryption algorithm is used?
P.S. I tried to encrypt MiniCM6-1.0.2, phone is much slower to work.

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Camogyp said:
What encryption algorithm is used?
P.S. I tried to encrypt MiniCM6-1.0.2, phone is much slower to work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's using aes-plain encryption. Practically you need a weak password if you wanna crack this
I'm using it on MiniCM7 without any noticeable performance degradation.

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it on MiniCM7 without any noticeable performance degradation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe I was wrong... I tried test speed at the application SemcCamera (gallery) - it did not work correctly after installing encryption. Deinstal apk... =)
The overall rate of the entire system is good. Sorry for previous post!

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This mod use internal memory or ext2.
Sorry for stupid quastion.
Sent from my X8 using XDA Premium App

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as-mario said:
This mod use internal memory or ext2.
Sorry for stupid quastion.
Sent from my X8 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It uses a encrypted loop device formatted as ext2 which is stored in the phone's [email protected] partition.

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Hmm, intresting. Do you think this would work on the x10 mini pro? - If possible with the HW keyboard?

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Great work nobodyAtall!!
just a question, can you do to work on x8? this and multiboot too?
thanks..

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LuisDias said:
Great work nobodyAtall!!
just a question, can you do to work on x8? this and multiboot too?
thanks..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It works i test that.
Sent from X8 using XDA Premium app and running Kuyadroid

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thnx!!!
Great job thnx!!!!

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Need help restoring encrypted partition..
Hmm, I might've done something stupid and thought I'd ask for help.
I used MiniCM7 2.0.5 w/ encryption, then I chose to update to 2.0.6.. and when I reboot it seems I lost everything stored on /data/ (i.e. I'm not asked to decrypt anything and when I boot into CM7 nothing is there). I assume the encrypted data is still somewhere, but how can I tell CWM/miniCM7 2.0.6 to decrypt this into /data/ before boot?

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Hi there.
You should copy your ramdisk from your MiniCM7-2.0.5 backup to your current installation. To do this, restore to your previous version, copy the /system/bin/ramdisk.tar file to your sdcard and once you upgrade to the latest version copy it back again. If all goes well, in next reboot you should be prompted with the password input screen.
DehDehDeh said:
Hmm, I might've done something stupid and thought I'd ask for help.
I used MiniCM7 2.0.5 w/ encryption, then I chose to update to 2.0.6.. and when I reboot it seems I lost everything stored on /data/ (i.e. I'm not asked to decrypt anything and when I boot into CM7 nothing is there). I assume the encrypted data is still somewhere, but how can I tell CWM/miniCM7 2.0.6 to decrypt this into /data/ before boot?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App

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Hmm, I can't seem to get this to work;
I tried to update to MiniCM2.0.7 (from 2.0.6) by the method below, but it just reboots without my settings (and w/o asking for password).
I also tried mounting the encrypted /data in CWM (encrypt submenu) before flashing the update.
Can you tell me the proper way to update an encrypted MiniCM? I fail miserably
Also, I can't seem to uninstall Encrypt as per the guide in the first post, at least not while keeping my apps and settings. Is this not possible? (Since the first step is to format /data I'm thinking it isn't?)
Thanks for the help and your great development!
/DDD
nobodyAtall said:
Hi there.
You should copy your ramdisk from your MiniCM7-2.0.5 backup to your current installation. To do this, restore to your previous version, copy the /system/bin/ramdisk.tar file to your sdcard and once you upgrade to the latest version copy it back again. If all goes well, in next reboot you should be prompted with the password input screen.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse