From TrueCrypt to VeraCrypt 1.26: Advancing Disk Encryption

By Owen PatelCryptography Tutorial

From TrueCrypt to VeraCrypt 1.26: Advancing Disk Encryption

After a year and a half of development, the new version VeraCrypt 1.26 has been released. VeraCrypt is the successor to the TrueCrypt disk encryption project, which is no longer maintained. In VeraCrypt, the RIPEMD-160 algorithm used in TrueCrypt has been replaced with SHA-512 and SHA-256. The number of hashing iterations has been increased, compilation for Linux and macOS has been simplified, and bugs found during the TrueCrypt source code audit have been fixed. The previous release, VeraCrypt 1.25.9, was released in February 2022. VeraCrypt’s code is distributed under the Apache 2.0 license, while components inherited from TrueCrypt are licensed under the TrueCrypt License 3.0. The program is available for Linux, FreeBSD, Windows, and macOS.

What’s New in VeraCrypt 1.26

  • EMV Smart Card Support: Added support for using EMV standard bank smart cards to store keys for accessing non-system partitions. EMV cards work in VeraCrypt without PKCS#11 configuration or PIN entry. The key file content is generated based on unique data present on the card.
  • TrueCrypt Compatibility Removed: Compatibility mode with TrueCrypt has been removed. The last version supporting mounting or converting TrueCrypt volumes is VeraCrypt 1.25.9.
  • Obsolete Algorithms Dropped: Support for RIPEMD160 and GOST89 encryption algorithms has been removed. Volumes created with these algorithms can no longer be mounted in VeraCrypt.
  • New PRF Algorithm: Added the option to use a new pseudo-random function (PRF) with the BLAKE2s hash function for standard and system partitions.

Linux-Specific Changes

  • Improved compatibility with Alpine Linux and the musl C library.
  • Resolved compatibility issues with Ubuntu 23.04 and wxWidgets 3.1.6+.
  • Updated wxWidgets framework to version 3.2.2.1 in static builds.
  • Pseudorandom number generator implementation now matches official documentation and behaves more like the Windows version.
  • Fixed bugs in the pseudorandom number generator that caused test failures when using the Blake2s algorithm.
  • Fixed issues with running fsck.
  • Resolved incorrect size selection for hidden volumes when using the “use all available free space” mode.
  • Fixed crashes when creating hidden volumes via the command line.
  • Fixed errors in text mode interface operation. exFAT and BTRFS file systems are now blocked if they are incompatible with the created volumes.
  • Improved compatibility with classic installers from older Linux distributions.
  • Implemented an additional check to prevent primary and secondary keys from matching when creating volumes.

Windows-Specific Changes

  • By default, VeraCrypt now blocks memory access for non-administrator processes (may cause issues with screen readers). Memory protection against code injection has been strengthened.
  • Optimized memory encryption methods and file container creation process.
  • EFI Bootloader improvements for better handling with the standard Windows bootloader after failed boots.
  • Added a mount without caching option in the menu.
  • Resolved issues with increasing slowdowns during encrypt-in-place operations on large volumes.
  • Expander now supports drag-and-drop for moving files and keys.
  • Modernized file and folder selection dialogs for better integration with Windows 11.
  • Improved secure DLL loading mode.
  • Support for legacy Windows versions has ended. The minimum supported version is now Windows 10. While VeraCrypt may still work on Windows 7 and 8/8.1, these systems are no longer officially tested.

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