Encrypted File Editor

A simple bash script that allows you to securely edit encrypted files. The script supports file creation, decryption, editing using your preferred editor, and re-encryption with the same password.

Features

• Encrypt and decrypt files using OpenSSL with AES-256-CBC and PBKDF2 for strong password-based encryption.
• Supports editing files with $EDITOR or falls back to nano if $EDITOR is not set.
• Automatically handles temporary files securely, ensuring sensitive data is not left on disk.

Prerequisites

• Bash: The script is designed to run on Unix-like systems.
• OpenSSL: Ensure OpenSSL is installed on your system. Use openssl version to verify.
• Text Editor: Any text editor (e.g., nano, vim, nvim, emacs). The script defaults to nano if no editor is specified in the $EDITOR environment variable.

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/encrypted-file-editor.git
cd encrypted-file-editor

2. Make the script executable:

chmod +x edit_encrypted_file.sh

3. Optionally, move it to a directory in your PATH for global access:

sudo mv edit_encrypted_file.sh /usr/local/bin/encrypt-edit

Usage

The script takes one argument, the name of the encrypted file. It decrypts the file, allows you to edit it, and re-encrypts it with the same password.

Syntax

./encr <encrypted_file>

Examples

Editing an Existing Encrypted File

./encr my_secret_file.enc

1. Prompts for the password to decrypt the file.
2. Opens the decrypted file in your text editor (e.g., $EDITOR or nano).
3. Re-encrypts the file after editing using the same password.

Creating a New Encrypted File

./encr new_file.enc

1. If the file doesn’t exist, it creates an empty file for editing.
2. Prompts for a password to encrypt the new file.
3. Saves and encrypts the file after editing.

Environment Variables

• $EDITOR: Specifies the text editor to use. Defaults to nano if not set.

To set a default editor (e.g., vim):

export EDITOR="vim"

Security

• Uses AES-256-CBC cipher with PBKDF2 for strong encryption.
• Securely handles passwords without storing them in plaintext.
• Cleans up temporary files after use.

Dependencies

• OpenSSL: Used for encryption and decryption.

Limitations

• The script uses a single password for both decryption and encryption. Make sure to remember the password, as there is no recovery mechanism.