SqlLiteException.nativeKey crashes SQLiteException unknown error (code 1): Could not key db

[DiegoMitchell17]

Hi,

We are using:

• sqlcipher-android version 4.10
• androidx-sqlite version 2.4.0
• room version 2.6.1

With the last update of our app we are facing the following crash:

Fatal Exception: android.database.sqlite.SQLiteException: unknown error (code 1): Could not key db. at net.zetetic.database.sqlcipher.SQLiteConnection.nativeKey(SQLiteConnection.java) at net.zetetic.database.sqlcipher.SQLiteConnection.open(SQLiteConnection.java:233) at net.zetetic.database.sqlcipher.SQLiteConnection.open(SQLiteConnection.java:202) at net.zetetic.database.sqlcipher.SQLiteConnectionPool.openConnectionLocked(SQLiteConnectionPool.java:474) at net.zetetic.database.sqlcipher.SQLiteConnectionPool.open(SQLiteConnectionPool.java:188) at net.zetetic.database.sqlcipher.SQLiteConnectionPool.open(SQLiteConnectionPool.java:180) at net.zetetic.database.sqlcipher.SQLiteDatabase.openInner(SQLiteDatabase.java:1028) at net.zetetic.database.sqlcipher.SQLiteDatabase.open(SQLiteDatabase.java) at net.zetetic.database.sqlcipher.SQLiteDatabase.openDatabase(SQLiteDatabase.java:840) at net.zetetic.database.sqlcipher.SQLiteOpenHelper.getDatabaseLocked(SQLiteOpenHelper.java:359) at net.zetetic.database.sqlcipher.SQLiteOpenHelper.getWritableDatabase(SQLiteOpenHelper.java:278) at net.zetetic.database.sqlcipher.SupportHelper.getWritableDatabase(SupportHelper.java:60) at androidx.room.RoomDatabase.inTransaction(RoomDatabase.kt:632)

We have been using the library for many years and with many versions of our app. From Crashlytics, this crash occurs only on our last app version, however we haven't change anything critical on our DB on that version (only a small migration of a table of the DB)

The DB password is stored on our BuildConfig and provided as input to the SupportOpenHelperFactory (the password never changed)

object DbUtils {
    fun getRoomDbPassphrase(): ByteArray {
        return BuildConfig.ROOM_DB_KEY.toByteArray(Charsets.UTF_8)
    }
}

Browsing on your code the problem seems to be on the file android_database_SQLiteConnection.cpp where the exception is thrown

   if (rc != SQLITE_OK) {
        ALOGE("sqlite3_key(%p) failed: %d", connection->db, rc);
        throw_sqlite3_exception_errcode(env, rc, "Could not key db.");
    }

I guess because the rc = sqlite3_key(connection->db, key, size) fails for some reason.

The crash is NOT systematic, it occurs sometimes but the number on crashlytics are raising up.
Since for now we cannot update again the app with an upgrade of the libraries and with the exception handling, we are trying to understand the cause of the crash and its possible future impacts (if it keep raising too much).

Do you have any clue on what could be the reason?

Thank you

[developernotes]

Hi @DiegoMitchell17,

Since for now we cannot update again the app with an upgrade of the libraries and with the exception handling

It is difficult to speculate without additional information. Can you provide more details as to why you're unable to update the application? Moving forward, our initial recommendations would be to:

• Update SQLCipher for Android to a minimum of 4.12.0, but preferably 4.13.0 (the current latest release)
  • The 4.12.0 update improves guards against key, rekey, and attach misuse in SQLCipher core
• Capture additional log information from SQLCipher core via ¹ and send to Crashlytics for further analysis
• Verify your application is providing key material at runtime

Footnotes

1. https://www.zetetic.net/sqlcipher/sqlcipher-api/#cipher_log ↩

[DiegoMitchell17]

Hi @developernotes,

It is an app for telematic connected vehicles.
We are unable to update the application soon because the app release is strongly connected to a vehicle bundle release and our customer does not let us to update the app without a formal validation including the vehicle bundle, which need to be planned a lot in advance.

The key is provided runtime and it hasn't changed from the previous app version, therefore we don't understand why the crash occurs only on the last app update.

Anyway, if you have never faced the issue I understand it is difficult for you to find the cause.
We are going to monitor the crash and if it will raise further we'll understand with the customer if possible to update the library version and the app itself.

Thank you for your support