CRYPT(1)CRYPT(1)NAMEcrypt - encode/decode
SYNOPSIScrypt [ password ]
crypt [-k]
DESCRIPTIONcrypt reads from the standard input and writes on the standard output.
The password is a key that selects a particular transformation. If no
argument is given, crypt demands a key from the terminal and turns off
printing while the key is being typed in. If the -k option is used,
crypt will use the key assigned to the environment variable CrYpTkEy.
crypt encrypts and decrypts with the same key:
crypt key <clear >cypher
crypt key <cypher | pr
Files encrypted by crypt are compatible with those treated by the editors
ed(1), edit(1), ex(1), and vi(1) in encryption mode.
The security of encrypted files depends on three factors: the
fundamental method must be hard to solve; direct search of the key space
must be infeasible; ``sneak paths'' by which keys or clear text can
become visible must be minimized.
crypt implements a one-rotor machine designed along the lines of the
German Enigma, but with a 256-element rotor. Methods of attack on such
machines are widely known, thus crypt provides minimal security.
The transformation of a key into the internal settings of the machine is
deliberately designed to be expensive, i.e., to take a substantial
fraction of a second to compute. However, if keys are restricted to
(say) three lower-case letters, then encrypted files can be read by
expending only a substantial fraction of five minutes of machine time.
If the key is an argument to the crypt command, it is potentially visible
to users executing ps(1) or a derivative. The choice of keys and key
security are the most vulnerable aspect of crypt.
FILES
/dev/tty for typed key
SEE ALSOed(1), edit(1), ex(1), makekey(1), ps(1), stty(1), vi(1).
WARNING
If two or more files encrypted with the same key are concatenated and an
attempt is made to decrypt the result, only the contents of the first of
the original files will be decrypted correctly.
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CRYPT(1)CRYPT(1)BUGS
If output is piped to nroff and the encryption key is not given on the
command line, crypt can leave terminal modes in a strange state (see
stty(1)).
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