How to recover a password hint from a drive encrypted with Disk Utility?












1















I encrypted a drive with Disk Utility on macOS and set a password hint. I saved the password in the keychain and my computer was stolen. Unfortunately, my most recent backup is inside this encrypted drive. The answers on this Ask Different thread did not work for me. I use different passwords every time and rely on the hints to remember them.



Here is the ouptut of diskutil coreStorage list:



$diskutil coreStorage list
CoreStorage logical volume groups (1 found)
|
+-- Logical Volume Group B2800A76-F42F-40FF-84BB-2511E928BF29
=========================================================
Name: Time Machine Encryped
Status: Online
Size: 239712407552 B (239.7 GB)
Free Space: 16318464 B (16.3 MB)
|
+-< Physical Volume 554CBE3D-5212-4FF8-A7A6-A95FCAA7B511
| ----------------------------------------------------
| Index: 0
| Disk: disk2s2
| Status: Online
| Size: 239712407552 B (239.7 GB)
|
+-> Logical Volume Family 422F58D5-FF65-472A-8942-1F4E4F3CA83A
----------------------------------------------------------
Encryption Type: AES-XTS
Encryption Status: Locked
Conversion Status: Complete
High Level Queries: Fully Secure
| Passphrase Required
| Accepts New Users
| Has Visible Users
| Has Volume Key
|
+-> Logical Volume 2930C7CC-4EE4-43AB-B1FB-81756A1CC0E5
---------------------------------------------------
Disk: -none-
Status: Locked
Size (Total): 239343763456 B (239.3 GB)
Revertible: No
LV Name: Time Machine Encryped
Content Hint: Apple_HFS


Note that at the bottom it says Content Hint: Apple_HFS. Note also that a bash command such as diskutil coreStorage unlockVolume [GUID] -passphrase [pass] takes 1-2 seconds to run and does not try to decrypt 240 GB, so I guess that the password is stored somewhere in this hierarchy.



If I knew the password hint, I would remember the password. How can I recover the password hint?










share|improve this question

























  • Why didn't you post the question on Ask Different?

    – James K Polk
    Nov 12 '18 at 16:59











  • Two reasons: the question would be duplicate on Ask Different and I am looking for a software solution, since Apple products may not work.

    – mmorin
    Nov 12 '18 at 17:04











  • You want to write your own program to recover the password hint?

    – James K Polk
    Nov 12 '18 at 17:09











  • Yes, I wonder if such a program exists.

    – mmorin
    Nov 12 '18 at 17:22











  • Is this of anyhelp? techrepublic.com/article/…

    – Scott Chambers
    Nov 29 '18 at 14:12
















1















I encrypted a drive with Disk Utility on macOS and set a password hint. I saved the password in the keychain and my computer was stolen. Unfortunately, my most recent backup is inside this encrypted drive. The answers on this Ask Different thread did not work for me. I use different passwords every time and rely on the hints to remember them.



Here is the ouptut of diskutil coreStorage list:



$diskutil coreStorage list
CoreStorage logical volume groups (1 found)
|
+-- Logical Volume Group B2800A76-F42F-40FF-84BB-2511E928BF29
=========================================================
Name: Time Machine Encryped
Status: Online
Size: 239712407552 B (239.7 GB)
Free Space: 16318464 B (16.3 MB)
|
+-< Physical Volume 554CBE3D-5212-4FF8-A7A6-A95FCAA7B511
| ----------------------------------------------------
| Index: 0
| Disk: disk2s2
| Status: Online
| Size: 239712407552 B (239.7 GB)
|
+-> Logical Volume Family 422F58D5-FF65-472A-8942-1F4E4F3CA83A
----------------------------------------------------------
Encryption Type: AES-XTS
Encryption Status: Locked
Conversion Status: Complete
High Level Queries: Fully Secure
| Passphrase Required
| Accepts New Users
| Has Visible Users
| Has Volume Key
|
+-> Logical Volume 2930C7CC-4EE4-43AB-B1FB-81756A1CC0E5
---------------------------------------------------
Disk: -none-
Status: Locked
Size (Total): 239343763456 B (239.3 GB)
Revertible: No
LV Name: Time Machine Encryped
Content Hint: Apple_HFS


Note that at the bottom it says Content Hint: Apple_HFS. Note also that a bash command such as diskutil coreStorage unlockVolume [GUID] -passphrase [pass] takes 1-2 seconds to run and does not try to decrypt 240 GB, so I guess that the password is stored somewhere in this hierarchy.



If I knew the password hint, I would remember the password. How can I recover the password hint?










share|improve this question

























  • Why didn't you post the question on Ask Different?

    – James K Polk
    Nov 12 '18 at 16:59











  • Two reasons: the question would be duplicate on Ask Different and I am looking for a software solution, since Apple products may not work.

    – mmorin
    Nov 12 '18 at 17:04











  • You want to write your own program to recover the password hint?

    – James K Polk
    Nov 12 '18 at 17:09











  • Yes, I wonder if such a program exists.

    – mmorin
    Nov 12 '18 at 17:22











  • Is this of anyhelp? techrepublic.com/article/…

    – Scott Chambers
    Nov 29 '18 at 14:12














1












1








1








I encrypted a drive with Disk Utility on macOS and set a password hint. I saved the password in the keychain and my computer was stolen. Unfortunately, my most recent backup is inside this encrypted drive. The answers on this Ask Different thread did not work for me. I use different passwords every time and rely on the hints to remember them.



Here is the ouptut of diskutil coreStorage list:



$diskutil coreStorage list
CoreStorage logical volume groups (1 found)
|
+-- Logical Volume Group B2800A76-F42F-40FF-84BB-2511E928BF29
=========================================================
Name: Time Machine Encryped
Status: Online
Size: 239712407552 B (239.7 GB)
Free Space: 16318464 B (16.3 MB)
|
+-< Physical Volume 554CBE3D-5212-4FF8-A7A6-A95FCAA7B511
| ----------------------------------------------------
| Index: 0
| Disk: disk2s2
| Status: Online
| Size: 239712407552 B (239.7 GB)
|
+-> Logical Volume Family 422F58D5-FF65-472A-8942-1F4E4F3CA83A
----------------------------------------------------------
Encryption Type: AES-XTS
Encryption Status: Locked
Conversion Status: Complete
High Level Queries: Fully Secure
| Passphrase Required
| Accepts New Users
| Has Visible Users
| Has Volume Key
|
+-> Logical Volume 2930C7CC-4EE4-43AB-B1FB-81756A1CC0E5
---------------------------------------------------
Disk: -none-
Status: Locked
Size (Total): 239343763456 B (239.3 GB)
Revertible: No
LV Name: Time Machine Encryped
Content Hint: Apple_HFS


Note that at the bottom it says Content Hint: Apple_HFS. Note also that a bash command such as diskutil coreStorage unlockVolume [GUID] -passphrase [pass] takes 1-2 seconds to run and does not try to decrypt 240 GB, so I guess that the password is stored somewhere in this hierarchy.



If I knew the password hint, I would remember the password. How can I recover the password hint?










share|improve this question
















I encrypted a drive with Disk Utility on macOS and set a password hint. I saved the password in the keychain and my computer was stolen. Unfortunately, my most recent backup is inside this encrypted drive. The answers on this Ask Different thread did not work for me. I use different passwords every time and rely on the hints to remember them.



Here is the ouptut of diskutil coreStorage list:



$diskutil coreStorage list
CoreStorage logical volume groups (1 found)
|
+-- Logical Volume Group B2800A76-F42F-40FF-84BB-2511E928BF29
=========================================================
Name: Time Machine Encryped
Status: Online
Size: 239712407552 B (239.7 GB)
Free Space: 16318464 B (16.3 MB)
|
+-< Physical Volume 554CBE3D-5212-4FF8-A7A6-A95FCAA7B511
| ----------------------------------------------------
| Index: 0
| Disk: disk2s2
| Status: Online
| Size: 239712407552 B (239.7 GB)
|
+-> Logical Volume Family 422F58D5-FF65-472A-8942-1F4E4F3CA83A
----------------------------------------------------------
Encryption Type: AES-XTS
Encryption Status: Locked
Conversion Status: Complete
High Level Queries: Fully Secure
| Passphrase Required
| Accepts New Users
| Has Visible Users
| Has Volume Key
|
+-> Logical Volume 2930C7CC-4EE4-43AB-B1FB-81756A1CC0E5
---------------------------------------------------
Disk: -none-
Status: Locked
Size (Total): 239343763456 B (239.3 GB)
Revertible: No
LV Name: Time Machine Encryped
Content Hint: Apple_HFS


Note that at the bottom it says Content Hint: Apple_HFS. Note also that a bash command such as diskutil coreStorage unlockVolume [GUID] -passphrase [pass] takes 1-2 seconds to run and does not try to decrypt 240 GB, so I guess that the password is stored somewhere in this hierarchy.



If I knew the password hint, I would remember the password. How can I recover the password hint?







macos encryption aes






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited Nov 22 '18 at 15:34







mmorin

















asked Nov 12 '18 at 16:37









mmorinmmorin

404414




404414













  • Why didn't you post the question on Ask Different?

    – James K Polk
    Nov 12 '18 at 16:59











  • Two reasons: the question would be duplicate on Ask Different and I am looking for a software solution, since Apple products may not work.

    – mmorin
    Nov 12 '18 at 17:04











  • You want to write your own program to recover the password hint?

    – James K Polk
    Nov 12 '18 at 17:09











  • Yes, I wonder if such a program exists.

    – mmorin
    Nov 12 '18 at 17:22











  • Is this of anyhelp? techrepublic.com/article/…

    – Scott Chambers
    Nov 29 '18 at 14:12



















  • Why didn't you post the question on Ask Different?

    – James K Polk
    Nov 12 '18 at 16:59











  • Two reasons: the question would be duplicate on Ask Different and I am looking for a software solution, since Apple products may not work.

    – mmorin
    Nov 12 '18 at 17:04











  • You want to write your own program to recover the password hint?

    – James K Polk
    Nov 12 '18 at 17:09











  • Yes, I wonder if such a program exists.

    – mmorin
    Nov 12 '18 at 17:22











  • Is this of anyhelp? techrepublic.com/article/…

    – Scott Chambers
    Nov 29 '18 at 14:12

















Why didn't you post the question on Ask Different?

– James K Polk
Nov 12 '18 at 16:59





Why didn't you post the question on Ask Different?

– James K Polk
Nov 12 '18 at 16:59













Two reasons: the question would be duplicate on Ask Different and I am looking for a software solution, since Apple products may not work.

– mmorin
Nov 12 '18 at 17:04





Two reasons: the question would be duplicate on Ask Different and I am looking for a software solution, since Apple products may not work.

– mmorin
Nov 12 '18 at 17:04













You want to write your own program to recover the password hint?

– James K Polk
Nov 12 '18 at 17:09





You want to write your own program to recover the password hint?

– James K Polk
Nov 12 '18 at 17:09













Yes, I wonder if such a program exists.

– mmorin
Nov 12 '18 at 17:22





Yes, I wonder if such a program exists.

– mmorin
Nov 12 '18 at 17:22













Is this of anyhelp? techrepublic.com/article/…

– Scott Chambers
Nov 29 '18 at 14:12





Is this of anyhelp? techrepublic.com/article/…

– Scott Chambers
Nov 29 '18 at 14:12












0






active

oldest

votes











Your Answer






StackExchange.ifUsing("editor", function () {
StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function () {
StackExchange.using("snippets", function () {
StackExchange.snippets.init();
});
});
}, "code-snippets");

StackExchange.ready(function() {
var channelOptions = {
tags: "".split(" "),
id: "1"
};
initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);

StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function() {
// Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled) {
StackExchange.using("snippets", function() {
createEditor();
});
}
else {
createEditor();
}
});

function createEditor() {
StackExchange.prepareEditor({
heartbeatType: 'answer',
autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
convertImagesToLinks: true,
noModals: true,
showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
reputationToPostImages: 10,
bindNavPrevention: true,
postfix: "",
imageUploader: {
brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
allowUrls: true
},
onDemand: true,
discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
});


}
});














draft saved

draft discarded


















StackExchange.ready(
function () {
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fstackoverflow.com%2fquestions%2f53266468%2fhow-to-recover-a-password-hint-from-a-drive-encrypted-with-disk-utility%23new-answer', 'question_page');
}
);

Post as a guest















Required, but never shown

























0






active

oldest

votes








0






active

oldest

votes









active

oldest

votes






active

oldest

votes
















draft saved

draft discarded




















































Thanks for contributing an answer to Stack Overflow!


  • Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!

But avoid



  • Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.

  • Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.


To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.




draft saved


draft discarded














StackExchange.ready(
function () {
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fstackoverflow.com%2fquestions%2f53266468%2fhow-to-recover-a-password-hint-from-a-drive-encrypted-with-disk-utility%23new-answer', 'question_page');
}
);

Post as a guest















Required, but never shown





















































Required, but never shown














Required, but never shown












Required, but never shown







Required, but never shown

































Required, but never shown














Required, but never shown












Required, but never shown







Required, but never shown