Re: Unencrypted boot with encrypted root

[Pierre Neidhardt <mail@ambrevar.xyz>]

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Ellen Papsch <ellen.papsch@wine-logistix.de> writes:

> leaving /boot unencrypted allows attackers to plant malware relatively
> easy. They can mount the partition without ado and replace the kernel
> with a malicious one.

How can you do that if the root partition is encrypted?

> On a more serious note and to answer your question, unencrypted /boot
> is an option. Another is to have a key file on an external medium. This
> doesn't avoid the second wait. The long wait may be due to --iter-time
> option to cryptsetup luksFormat. I haven't looked what the default is
> in Guix. The Grub decryption code is also purported to be slow [no
> source].

Thanks for the hint, I'll look into it.

> For a long time I personally used root encrypted systems and found the
> hassle not worth it. Encrypting /home and external hard drives should
> cut it. If you suspect the machine has been tampered with, don't boot
> don't touch it. Even the hard disk firmware may have been modified.

My main motivation is that if my laptop gets stolen or lost, I don't want
anyone to access my personal data.

Encrypted /home is fine for this purpose.

By the way, is it possible to use the user password to unlock the $HOME partition?

> Don't think you are in danger of being targeted? Well, you already are!
> Your mail often gets into my spam folder because of "suspicious TLD
> .xyz". That should be very telling ;-))

Yup, this has been a hassle for a while... :(

-- 
Pierre Neidhardt
https://ambrevar.xyz/

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