Mounting a TrueCrypt volume over FTP

Posted by Maxim Zaslavsky on Super User See other posts from Super User or by Maxim Zaslavsky
Published on 2010-06-25T03:39:54Z Indexed on 2010/12/22 0:56 UTC
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Is it possible to mount a TrueCrypt volume file over FTP?


Here's how TrueCrypt works with a local file:

  1. User inputs path to volume file, enters password
  2. TrueCrypt verifies that the password is correct (probably by decrypting the very first part of the volume file?)
  3. TrueCrypt reads the directory listing from the volume file and mounts the volume. However, in this step, TrueCrypt does NOT process the whole volume file.
  4. The user browses the directory listing and opens a file.
  5. TrueCrypt reads only the part of the volume file that contains the file the user wants, and then decrypts it. Once again, TrueCrypt doesn't process the whole volume file - it only reads part of it.
  6. The user edits part of the file and saves it.
  7. TrueCrypt encrypts the change and edits the volume file.

I'm pretty sure it should be possible to mount a volume over FTP, without undermining security and without having to transfer the whole volume file just to read one small part of the volume.

Here's how I imagine it:

  1. User inputs FTP path to volume file, enters FTP login information, enters password to volume
  2. TrueCrypt downloads the very first part of the volume file and verifies that the password is correct
  3. TrueCrypt downloads the part of the volume file that contains the directory listing - the data is sent encrypted over FTP and is decrypted locally.
  4. The user browses the directory listing and opens a file.
  5. TrueCrypt downloads only the part of the volume file that contains the file the user wants, and then decrypts it locally.
  6. The user edits part of the file and saves it.
  7. TrueCrypt encrypts the change and edits the volume file over FTP, transferring encrypted data only.

Is such a feature available?

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