Verify Virtual Machine Images on Linux

Instructions for OpenPGP and Signify Verification of Kicksecure VirtualBox and KVM on the Command Line
Introduction[edit]
- Digital signatures: A tool enhancing download security. Commonly used across the internet.
- Learn more: Curious? Learn more about digital software signatures.
- Optional: Digital signatures are optional. If you've never used them before, there might be no need to start now.
- No worries: New to digital software signatures? It's okay, no need to worry.
- Not a requirement: Not mandatory for using Kicksecure, but an extra security measure for advanced users.
OpenPGP
In order to verify the Kicksecure image, GnuPG must be installed. GnuPG is the common OpenPGP implementation for Linux: it is installed by default in Debian, Ubuntu, Kicksecure and many other distributions.
1. Import the signing key.
Kicksecure VirtualBox
Refer to the more secure, detailed Kicksecure Signing Key instructions.
2. Download the cryptographic (OpenPGP) signature corresponding to the virtual machine image you want to verify.
3. Save the signature in the same folder as the virtual machine image.
KVM
Refer to the more secure, detailed Kicksecure Signing Key instructions.
2. Download the cryptographic (OpenPGP) signature corresponding to the virtual machine image you want to verify.
3. Save the signature in the same folder as the virtual machine image.
4. Start the cryptographic verification.
This process can take several minutes.
cd [the directory in which you downloaded the .ova and the .asc]
5. Check the output of the verification step.
If the file is verified successfully, the output will include Good signature
, which is the most important thing to check.
This output might be followed by a warning as follows.
gpg: WARNING: This key is not certified with a trusted signature! gpg: There is no indication that the signature belongs to the owner.
This message does not alter the validity of the signature related to the downloaded key. Rather, this warning refers to the level of trust placed in the Kicksecure signing key and the web of trust. To remove this warning, the Kicksecure signing key must be personally signed with your own key.
Example of signature creation timestamp; see below.
gpg: Signature made Mon 19 Jan 2023 11:45:41 PM CET using RSA key ID ...
The file@name
OpenPGP notation in Kicksecure release signatures describes the file name. This helps to confirm that the file name has not been tampered with; see the example below.
If the Virtual Machine image is not correct, the output will inform that the signature is bad:
gpg: BAD signature
6. Done.
Digital software signature verification using OpenPGP has been completed.
Troubleshooting[edit]
When a GPG error is encountered, first try a web search for the relevant error. The security stackexchange website can also help to resolve GPG problems. Describe the problem thoroughly, but be sure it is GPG-related and not specific to Kicksecure.
More help resources are available on the Support page.
Signify
1. Download the signify Key and save it as derivative.pub
.
2. Install signify-openbsd
.
Install signify-openbsd
. To accomplish that, the following steps A. to D. need to be done.
A. Update the package lists.
sudo apt update
B. Upgrade the system.
sudo apt full-upgrade
C. Install the signify-openbsd
package.
Using apt
command line parameter --no-install-recommends
is in most cases optional.
sudo apt install --no-install-recommends signify-openbsd
D. Done.
The procedure of installing signify-openbsd
is complete.
3. Note.
It is impossible to signify
sign images (.ova
/ libvirt.tar.xz
) directly. You can only verify the
.sha512sums
hash sum file using signify-openbsd
and then verify the image against the sha512
sum.
4. Download the .sha512sums
and .sha512sums.sig
files.
5. Verify the .sha512sums
file with signify-openbsd
.
signify-openbsd -Vp derivative.pub -m Kicksecure-*.sha512sums
If the file is correct, it will output:
Signature Verified
If the file is not correct, it will output an error.
6. Compare the hash of the image file with the hash in the .sha512sums
file.
sha512sum -c Kicksecure-*.sha512sums
If the file is correct, it will output:
7. Done.
Digital signature verification using signify has been completed.
If you are using signify for software signature verification, please consider making a report in the signify-openbsd forum thread. This will help developers decide whether to continue supporting this method or deprecate it.
Forum discussion: signify-openbsd.
Footnotes[edit]
- ↑ As defined by TUF: Attacks and Weaknesses:
- ↑
https://lists.gnupg.org/pipermail/gnupg-users/2015-January/052185.html
License[edit]
Kicksecure Verify the virtual machine images using Linux wiki page Copyright (C) Amnesia <amnesia at boum dot org>
Kicksecure Verify the virtual machine images using Linux wiki page Copyright (C) 2012 - 2023 ENCRYPTED SUPPORT LP <adrelanos(at)kicksecure.com
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with@
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This is free software, and you are welcome to redistribute it under certain conditions; see the wiki source code for details.
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