openssl encrypted file is giving cannot execute binary file error

Aashika · 06-29-2015, 07:40 AM

I have encrypted my shell script with openssl command:

Code:

openssl enc -aes-256-cbc -salt -in file.txt -out file.txt.enc -k PASS

then I have renamed the .enc file to the original .sh file and tried to run it, but it gives me the "cannot execute binary file" error.
Can I execute a script which is openssl encrypted?? If yes then how??

Thank you in advance

suicidaleggroll · 06-29-2015, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aashika

Can I execute a script which is openssl encrypted??

no.

veerain · 06-29-2015, 10:07 AM

Linux executes only elf type executables or files starting with she bang. Encryption produces non-decipherable data - garbage for linux to execute.

You can use openssl to decipher and pass the output via a pipe to bash or sh.

Aashika · 06-30-2015, 02:35 AM

thankyou..
Is there any other way by which I can encrypt a file and then execute the encrypted file?
shc will help me encrypt the file and also allow me to run that particular encrypted file.. but if I want to run that encrypted file on another system, I will have to install shc on the another system as well..

jpollard · 06-30-2015, 01:04 PM

Can't be done. Either the file is encrypted (and becomes binary garbage as far as a program loader is concerned) or it isn't. The shell does not, and can not, interpret what is garbage.