How to use SQLiteCrypt

SQLiteCrypt Native API

SQLiteCrypt is very easy to use. SQLiteCrypt is based on SQLite with all API functions remain unchanged. All encryption/ decryption routines are performed transparently. SQLiteCrypt uses three PRAGMA statements to work with encrypted database:

PRAGMA key = 'the passphrase' // passphrase 
PRAGMA lic = 'the license key' // the software key
PRAGMA rekey = 'new passphrase' // change passphrase 

The first PRAGMA statement is used to create/ access encrypted database. The second one used to identify legal copy of SQLiteCrypt software. The third one will re-write database with new passphrase.

Remark 1: These PRAGMAs must be called before any query, right after opening database. You cannot do some query, then run these PRAGMA. You also must call these PRAGMAs in correct order, 'PRAGMA lic' must be after 'PRAGMA key' and before 'PRAGMA rekey'. If db is not encrypted, you can drop PRAGMA key.

Remark 2: rekey decrypts whole database using old passphrase, then encrypt using new passphrase. You can continue to use SQLite API functions, no need of closing and re-opening database. This is time-consuming operation.

Remark 3: SQLiteCrypt has limitation on PRAGMA page_size command. You cannot change page size of encrypted database. If you want to change page size of your encrypted database, you must remove encryption first, then change page size of unencrypted database, then encrypt it again. See Example 6.

Example 1: Create/ open encrypted SQLite database

sqlite3_open_v2("data.db", &db, SQLITE_OPEN_READWRITE | SQLITE_OPEN_CREATE, NULL);
sqlite3_stmt* stm;
const char *pzTail;
int res = sqlite3_prepare(db, "PRAGMA key = 'ac23';", -1, &stm, &pzTail); //ac23 is database passphrase
res = sqlite3_step(stm);
res = sqlite3_prepare(db, "PRAGMA lic = '77523-009-0000007-72328';", -1, &stm, &pzTail); //software license key
res = sqlite3_step(stm);
//now you have all access to data.db

Example 2: Decrypt SQLite database (remove encryption, so any other SQLite application can open it)

sqlite3_open_v2("data.db", &db, SQLITE_OPEN_READWRITE | SQLITE_OPEN_CREATE, NULL);
sqlite3_stmt* stm;
const char *pzTail;
int res = sqlite3_prepare(db, "PRAGMA key = 'ac23';", -1, &stm, &pzTail); //ac23 is current passphrase
res = sqlite3_step(stm);
res = sqlite3_prepare(db, "PRAGMA lic = '77523-009-0000007-72328';", -1, &stm, &pzTail); //software license key
res = sqlite3_step(stm);
//now you have all access to encrypted data.db
res = sqlite3_prepare(db, "PRAGMA rekey = '';", -1, &stm, &pzTail); // new empty passphrase
res = sqlite3_step(stm);
//now data.db is NOT encrypted

Example 3: Change encryption key on-the-fly

sqlite3_open_v2("data.db", &db, SQLITE_OPEN_READWRITE | SQLITE_OPEN_CREATE, NULL);
sqlite3_stmt* stm;
const char* pzTail;
int res = sqlite3_prepare(db, "PRAGMA key = 'ac23';", -1, &stm, &pzTail); //ac23 is current passphrase
res = sqlite3_step(stm);
res = sqlite3_prepare(db, "PRAGMA lic = '77523-009-0000007-72328';", -1, &stm, &pzTail); //software license key
res = sqlite3_step(stm);
//now you have all access to encrypted data.db
res = sqlite3_prepare(db, "PRAGMA rekey = 'abc123';", -1, &stm, &pzTail); //abc123 is new passphrase
res = sqlite3_step(stm);
//now data.db re-written using new passphrase

Example 4: Encrypt SQLite database (add encryption to regular SQLite database)

sqlite3_open_v2("data.db", &db, SQLITE_OPEN_READWRITE | SQLITE_OPEN_CREATE, NULL);
sqlite3_stmt* stm;
const char* pzTail;
int res  = sqlite3_prepare(db, "PRAGMA lic = '77523-009-0000007-72328';", -1, &stm, &pzTail); //software license key
res = sqlite3_step(stm);
//now you have all access to regular data.db
res = sqlite3_prepare(db, "PRAGMA rekey = 'abc123';", -1, &stm, &pzTail); // encrypt database using abc123 passphrase
res = sqlite3_step(stm);
//now data.db is encrypted

Example 5: Using SQLiteCrypt command line tool Opening encrypted db without passphrase:

D:\>sqlite.exe data.db
SQLite version 3.23.0
Enter ".help" for instructions
Enter SQL statements terminated with a ";"
sqlite> select * from _MapPropertyA;
Error: file is encrypted or is not a database

Querry on an encrypted database

D:\>sqlite.exe data.db
SQLite version 3.23.0
Enter ".help" for instructions
Enter SQL statements terminated with a ";"
sqlite> PRAGMA key = 'ac23';
sqlite> PRAGMA lic = '77523-009-0000007-72328';
sqlite> select * from _MapPropertyA;
3.0|8.0
3.0|8.0

Example 6: Change page size of encrypted database In this example we see how to change encrypted db page size. Changing db page size may improve performance if file system cluster size is different then db page size (e.g. NTFS has default cluster size of 4KB, default SQLite db page size is 1KB). test.db is encrypted database with default page size 1KB and we want to change page size to 4KB. First we remove encryption from test.db:

E:\Source\SQLiteCrypt>sqlite.exe test.db
SQLite version 3.23.0
Enter ".help" for usage hints.
sqlite> PRAGMA key='abcdef'; //current passphrase
sqlite> PRAGMA lic = '77523-009-0000007-72328';
sqlite> PRAGMA rekey=''; //remove encryption
sqlite> .exit

Now change test.db page size to 4KB:

E:\Source\SQLiteCrypt>sqlite.exe test.db
SQLite version 3.23.0
Enter ".help" for usage hints.
sqlite> PRAGMA page_size; //show current page size
1024
sqlite> PRAGMA page_size=4096''; //set new page size
sqlite> VACUUM;//must run VACUUM to apply new page size
sqlite> .exit

Now encrypt test.db again:

E:\Source\SQLiteCrypt>sqlite.exe test.db
SQLite version 3.23.0
Enter ".help" for usage hints.
sqlite> PRAGMA lic = '77523-009-0000007-72328';
sqlite> PRAGMA rekey='newkey';
sqlite> .exit

C#: only system.data.sqlite is supported

Xamarin: we're sorry that we no longer support Xamarin.

Java

If you prefer to use Java we provide android-database-sqlitecrypt for Android and JDBC SQLite driver for other platforms with source code and detailed build instructions, so you can easily build android-database-sqlitecrypt and JDBC driver from source.

Demo version

Current version: 3.43
To make sure that SQLiteCrypt meets your needs, please download and try demo builds. The demo version allows only databases with up to 6 character passphrase. Passphrase stored in open text in the database header.

• SQLiteCrypt demo version for Linux (built in Redhat/ Centos 6 but should work in other distros).
• SQLiteCrypt library, built in Ubuntu 16.04
• QT SQLiteCrypt plugin, built for QT 5.5, Ubuntu 16.04 If your QT is configured to QT-sqlite, replace QSQLITE plugin by QT SQLiteCrypt plugin. If your QT uses system sqlite, just replace OS sqlite library with SQLiteCrypt library.
• SQLiteCrypt for Windows (Win32). x64 build of the dll is here. The library and SQLite command line tool was compiled in Visual Studio 2015.
• SQLiteCrypt JDBC driver, based on SQLite JDBC driver
• Android Java: sample app
• .Net wrapper System.Data.SQLite (This is official System.Data.SQLite, works only in desktops). Example app is here

Buy SQLiteCrypt

Binary license (US$128 per platform):

Full source code (US$380):

For inquiries or technical support, please send email to sales at sqlite-crypt.com. You also can contact us via Skype