SQLite Encryption Extension Vulnerability
(1) By anonymous on 2025-06-23 22:03:39 [link] [source]
Hi,
We got notified that there is a vulnerability found in uncryptoapi-cli.exe
https://hybrid-analysis.com/sample/2e51954b96e285a560b07dfb08ad75cf53a79093b958b7e7fc9f5f1a6cfddc8f
Is this already reported and is there already a fix for it?
Greetings, Alex
(2) By drh on 2025-06-24 14:45:56 in reply to 1 [source]
The uncryptoapi-cli.exe program is a small command-line tool for Windows that is compiled from a single file of C code named "uncryptoapi-cli.c". The code is available to licensees of the SQLite Encryption Extension (SEE).
Background: System.Data.SQLite (SDS) was not created by the SQLite developers. SDS was originally created by a third party who subsequently abandoned the project. The SQLite devs have attempted to keep the SDS project alive ever since. The original SDS design included an encryption mechanism which was insecure. Nevertheless, many people used it because it was built-in and easy to invoke. Because it is insecure, that legacy encryption method was removed. The uncryptoapi-cli.c program was written to decrypt SQLite databases that were encrypted using the (now removed) legacy encryption mechanism.
I don't know who "hybrid-analysis.com" is or what they do. But they are apparently concerned about uncryptoapi-cli.c for several reasons, including:
- The program is written in C.
- The program invokes Windows system-level APIs
- The program reads and writes files on disk.
- The program incorporates cryptographic algorithms.
Yes, that is in fact the purpose of uncryptoapi-cli.c - to access SQLite database files on Windows using system-level APIs and to remove the legacy encryption found on those files. The uncryptoapi-cli.c program is guilty as charged.
It is unclear to me why anybody thinks that is a "vulnerability". But hybrid-analysis.com, whoever they are, is entitled to their opinion. I'm not sure how hybrid-analysis.com thinks you are suppose to decrypt a legacy SQLite database without using Windows system-level APIs, reading and writing disk files, and using cryptographic algorithms. Maybe you should ask them.
Or, perhaps you should be more a little more skeptical of vulnerability reports from hybrid-analysis.com?