LUKS-Encrypted File Systems

NixOS supports file systems that are encrypted using LUKS (Linux Unified Key Setup). For example, here is how you create an encrypted Ext4 file system on the device /dev/disk/by-uuid/3f6b0024-3a44-4fde-a43a-767b872abe5d:

# cryptsetup luksFormat /dev/disk/by-uuid/3f6b0024-3a44-4fde-a43a-767b872abe5d

WARNING!
========
This will overwrite data on /dev/disk/by-uuid/3f6b0024-3a44-4fde-a43a-767b872abe5d irrevocably.

Are you sure? (Type uppercase yes): YES
Enter LUKS passphrase: ***
Verify passphrase: ***

# cryptsetup luksOpen /dev/disk/by-uuid/3f6b0024-3a44-4fde-a43a-767b872abe5d crypted
Enter passphrase for /dev/disk/by-uuid/3f6b0024-3a44-4fde-a43a-767b872abe5d: ***

# mkfs.ext4 /dev/mapper/crypted

The LUKS volume should be automatically picked up by nixos-generate-config, but you might want to verify that your hardware-configuration.nix looks correct. To manually ensure that the system is automatically mounted at boot time as /, add the following to configuration.nix:

{
  boot.initrd.luks.devices.crypted.device = "/dev/disk/by-uuid/3f6b0024-3a44-4fde-a43a-767b872abe5d";
  fileSystems."/".device = "/dev/mapper/crypted";
}

Should grub be used as bootloader, and /boot is located on an encrypted partition, it is necessary to add the following grub option:

{
  boot.loader.grub.enableCryptodisk = true;
}

FIDO2

NixOS also supports unlocking your LUKS-Encrypted file system using a FIDO2 compatible token.

Without systemd in initrd

In the following example, we will create a new FIDO2 credential and add it as a new key to our existing device /dev/sda2:

# export FIDO2_LABEL="/dev/sda2 @ $HOSTNAME"
# fido2luks credential "$FIDO2_LABEL"
f1d00200108b9d6e849a8b388da457688e3dd653b4e53770012d8f28e5d3b269865038c346802f36f3da7278b13ad6a3bb6a1452e24ebeeaa24ba40eef559b1b287d2a2f80b7

# fido2luks -i add-key /dev/sda2 f1d00200108b9d6e849a8b388da457688e3dd653b4e53770012d8f28e5d3b269865038c346802f36f3da7278b13ad6a3bb6a1452e24ebeeaa24ba40eef559b1b287d2a2f80b7
Password:
Password (again):
Old password:
Old password (again):
Added to key to device /dev/sda2, slot: 2

To ensure that this file system is decrypted using the FIDO2 compatible key, add the following to configuration.nix:

{
  boot.initrd.luks.fido2Support = true;
  boot.initrd.luks.devices."/dev/sda2".fido2.credential = "f1d00200108b9d6e849a8b388da457688e3dd653b4e53770012d8f28e5d3b269865038c346802f36f3da7278b13ad6a3bb6a1452e24ebeeaa24ba40eef559b1b287d2a2f80b7";
}

You can also use the FIDO2 passwordless setup, but for security reasons, you might want to enable it only when your device is PIN protected, such as Trezor.

{
  boot.initrd.luks.devices."/dev/sda2".fido2.passwordLess = true;
}

systemd Stage 1

If systemd stage 1 is enabled, it handles unlocking of LUKS-encrypted volumes during boot. The following example enables systemd stage1 and adds support for unlocking the existing LUKS2 volume root using any enrolled FIDO2 compatible tokens.

{
  boot.initrd = {
    luks.devices.root = {
      crypttabExtraOpts = [ "fido2-device=auto" ];
      device = "/dev/sda2";
    };
    systemd.enable = true;
  };
}

All tokens that should be used for unlocking the LUKS2-encrypted volume must first be enrolled using systemd-cryptenroll. In the following example, a new key slot for the first discovered token is added to the LUKS volume.

# systemd-cryptenroll --fido2-device=auto /dev/sda2

Existing key slots are left intact, unless --wipe-slot= is specified. It is recommened to add a recovery key that should be stored in a secure physical location and can be entered wherever a password would be entered.

# systemd-cryptenroll --recovery-key /dev/sda2

4 KiB Raw Blame History

LUKS-Encrypted File Systems

FIDO2

Without systemd in initrd

systemd Stage 1

4 KiB

Raw Blame History