invalid packet (ctb=14)

Taniya Pirapokin tpirapokin at kencast.com
Mon Nov 14 22:23:42 CET 2005


Hi,

I have been testing on GPG v 1.2.3 and 1.4.2 and they both give me the same
problem as follows:

I sometimes get the message "gpg [don't know]: invalid packet (ctb=14)" and
the exit value of 2 from decrypting a file, however gpg still gives me the
output file. Since I have the original file, I compare the original to the
decrypted output and they are identical. So I encrypted <-> decryted that
original file (on the same computer) for a couple of time and sometime gpg
gives me the above error, and sometime it does not and gives exit value 0.
The decryption always give me the valid decryted files (from comp). Does
anyone have that problem and know what's going on there?
The file is a small binary file and the file is handle as binary throughout.
I also tried with ASCII armor swicth on (both end) but still get the error.

I run gpg from a script which take exit value 0 as success and anything else
as fail. So the main problem is the exit value 2.

The command is
encrypted
gpg.exe --no-default-keyring --homedir "[keys' home
directory]" --batch --always-trust -e -o "[encrypted file]" --cipher-algo
AES256 -r [key_name] "[file_to_encrypt]"

decrypted
gpg.exe --no-default-keyring --homedir "[keys' home directory]" -o "[decrypt
file]" "[encrypted file]"

if I list-packet the encrypted file, I get the follow:

- The encrypted file which will give error when decrypt.
gpg.exe --list-packet --no-default-keyring --homedir "[keys' home
directory]"  "[encrypted file]"
:pubkey enc packet: version 3, algo 16, keyid [key id]
        data: [1024 bits]
        data: [1023 bits]
gpg: NOTE: cipher algorithm 9 not found in preferences
:encrypted data packet:
        length: unknown
        mdc_method: 2
gpg: encrypted with 1024-bit ELG-E key, ID [ID], created 2003-03-17
      "[key name]"
:compressed packet: algo=2
:literal data packet:
        mode b, created 1131996107, name="[filename]",
        raw data: 9750 bytes
gpg: [don't know]: invalid packet (ctb=14)

- The encrypted file which does not give error and give exit value 0
gpg.exe --list-packet --no-default-keyring --homedir "[keys' home dir]"
[encrypted file]
:pubkey enc packet: version 3, algo 16, keyid [key id]
        data: [1024 bits]
        data: [1023 bits]
gpg: NOTE: cipher algorithm 9 not found in preferences
:encrypted data packet:
        length: unknown
        mdc_method: 2
gpg: encrypted with 1024-bit ELG-E key, ID [ID], created 2003-03-17
      "[key name]"
:compressed packet: algo=2
:literal data packet:
        mode b, created 1131997441, name="[filename]",
        raw data: 9750 bytes

The two encryptions use the same original file, command, and key. The --list
packet result shows the correct infomation regarding the key.
Note: I cannot post the original file. I tried encrypt the original file
with several keys (all ELG-E key) and they all have the problem.

Thanks,
Taniya




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