VeraCrypt SDK

A Software Development Kit (SDK) for integrating VeraCrypt encryption capabilities into your applications. This SDK provides a C-style DLL interface for creating VeraCrypt file containers and formatting non-system partitions programmatically.

Overview

The VeraCrypt SDK currently provides the following functionality:

• Format SDK: Create encrypted file containers and format partitions with VeraCrypt encryption

Note: Additional SDK modules (such as Mount SDK) are planned for future releases.

Features

• Create encrypted file containers with customizable parameters
• Format non-system partitions with VeraCrypt encryption
• Support for multiple encryption algorithms (AES, Serpent, Twofish, and combinations)
• Support for multiple hash algorithms (SHA-512, SHA-256, RIPEMD-160, Whirlpool, BLAKE2s-256)
• Support for various filesystems (NTFS, FAT, ExFAT, ReFS)
• Password and keyfile authentication
• Progress callback support
• Thread-safe operations
• Cross-architecture support (x64 and ARM64)

Repository Structure

VeraCrypt-SDK/
├── bin/                          # Pre-compiled DLL files
│   ├── x64/
│   │   └── VeraCryptFormat.dll   # x64 DLL
│   └── arm64/
│       └── VeraCryptFormat.dll   # ARM64 DLL
├── lib/                          # Import libraries
│   ├── x64/
│   │   └── VeraCryptFormat.lib   # x64 import library
│   └── arm64/
│       └── VeraCryptFormat.lib   # ARM64 import library
├── include/
│   └── VeraCryptFormatSDK.h      # C header file with API definitions
├── VeraCryptFormatTool.cpp       # Sample implementation
├── CMakeLists.txt                # CMake build configuration
├── LICENSE                       # Apache 2.0 License
└── README.md                     # This file

Requirements

System Requirements

• Windows 10/11 (x64 or ARM64)
• VeraCrypt driver installed
• Administrator privileges (required for device/partition formatting)

Development Requirements

• Visual Studio 2019 or later
• CMake 3.16 or later
• Windows SDK

Quick Start

Using CMake (Recommended)

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/veracrypt/VeraCrypt-SDK.git
cd VeraCrypt-SDK

2. Build for x64 architecture:

mkdir build-x64
cd build-x64
cmake -A x64 ..
cmake --build . --config Release

3. Build for ARM64 architecture:

mkdir build-arm64
cd build-arm64
cmake -A ARM64 ..
cmake --build . --config Release

4. Run the sample tool (from either build directory):

# Create a 100MB encrypted file container
.\Release\VeraCryptFormatTool.exe "C:\MyData.hc" -p "MySecret123" -s 104857600

# Format a partition (requires Administrator privileges)
.\Release\VeraCryptFormatTool.exe \\Device\\Harddisk1\\Partition1 -p "EncryptMyPartition"

Manual Compilation (Visual Studio)

1. Open a "Developer Command Prompt for VS"
2. Navigate to the SDK directory
3. Compile using:

cl VeraCryptFormatTool.cpp /I include /link lib\x64\VeraCryptFormat.lib /out:VeraCryptFormatTool.exe

Packaging SDK Distributions

To create distributable packages for both architectures:

1. Package x64 distribution:

cd build-x64
cpack -C Release

This creates VeraCryptSDK-1.26.24-Windows-x64.zip

2. Package ARM64 distribution:

cd build-arm64
cpack -C Release

This creates VeraCryptSDK-1.26.24-Windows-ARM64.zip

The generated packages include:

• Sample tool executable
• Required DLL files
• Development headers and import libraries
• Documentation

API Usage

Basic Example

#include "VeraCryptFormatSDK.h"

int main() {
    // Initialize the SDK
    int result = VeraCryptFormat_Initialize();
    if (result != VCF_SUCCESS) {
        return result;
    }

    // Setup format options
    VeraCryptFormatOptions options = { 0 };
    options.path = L"C:\\MyContainer.hc";
    options.isDevice = FALSE;
    options.password = "MySecretPassword";
    options.size = 104857600; // 100MB
    options.encryptionAlgorithm = L"AES";
    options.hashAlgorithm = L"SHA-512";
    options.filesystem = L"NTFS";
    options.quickFormat = FALSE;

    // Create the encrypted volume
    result = VeraCryptFormat(&options);
    
    // Cleanup
    VeraCryptFormat_Shutdown();
    
    return result;
}

Key Functions

• VeraCryptFormat_Initialize(): Initialize the SDK (call once per process)
• VeraCryptFormat(): Create an encrypted volume
• VeraCryptFormat_Shutdown(): Cleanup resources

Supported Algorithms

Encryption Algorithms:

• AES
• Serpent
• Twofish
• AES-Twofish-Serpent
• Serpent-AES
• Serpent-Twofish-AES
• Twofish-Serpent

Hash Algorithms:

• SHA-512 (default)
• SHA-256
• RIPEMD-160
• Whirlpool
• BLAKE2s-256

Filesystems:

• NTFS (default)
• FAT
• ExFAT
• ReFS
• None (no filesystem)

Sample Tool Usage

The included VeraCryptFormatTool.exe demonstrates SDK usage:

Create File Containers

# Basic 100MB container with password
VeraCryptFormatTool.exe "C:\MyData.hc" -p "MySecret123" -s 104857600

# Dynamic container with custom encryption (password will be prompted)
VeraCryptFormatTool.exe "D:\secure.vhd" -s 268435456 -e "Serpent-Twofish-AES" -h "SHA-512" --dynamic

# Container with keyfile authentication
VeraCryptFormatTool.exe "C:\KeyfileVolume.hc" -k "C:\MyKeyfile.dat" -s 52428800

Format Devices/Partitions (Requires Administrator)

# Format entire external disk
VeraCryptFormatTool.exe \Device\Harddisk1\Partition0 -p "EncryptMyDisk" --fs ExFAT

# Format partition with quick format
VeraCryptFormatTool.exe \Device\Harddisk1\Partition1 -p "EncryptMyPartition" --fs NTFS --quick

Command Line Options

• -p, --password [<pass>]: Volume password (if option specified without , password will be prompted interactively)
• -k, --keyfile <path>: Keyfile path (can be used multiple times)
• -s, --size <bytes>: Container size (supports KB, MB, GB, TB suffixes)
• -e, --encryption <alg>: Encryption algorithm
• --hash <alg>: Hash algorithm
• --fs <filesystem>: Target filesystem
• --pim <value>: Personal Iterations Multiplier
• --quick: Quick format (less secure)
• --dynamic: Dynamic/sparse container
• --fast: Fast creation without random pool wait

Error Handling

The SDK returns standardized error codes:

• VCF_SUCCESS (0): Operation successful
• VCF_ERROR_INVALID_PARAMETER: Invalid parameters provided
• VCF_ERROR_PASSWORD_OR_KEYFILE_REQUIRED: Authentication required
• VCF_ERROR_ACCESS_DENIED: Insufficient permissions
• VCF_ERROR_NO_DRIVER: VeraCrypt driver not available
• And more... (see VeraCryptFormatSDK.h for complete list)

Security Considerations

• Always use strong passwords or keyfiles
• Consider using PIM (Personal Iterations Multiplier) for additional security
• Avoid quick format for maximum security (overwrites existing data)
• Run with Administrator privileges only when formatting devices
• Ensure VeraCrypt driver is properly installed and running

Threading and Safety

• The SDK is thread-safe
• VeraCryptFormat_Initialize() must be called once per process
• Multiple format operations are serialized internally
• Progress callbacks are called from the formatting thread

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. "VeraCrypt driver not available"

   • Install VeraCrypt application first
   • Ensure the driver service is running

2. "Access denied"

   • Run as Administrator for device formatting
   • Check file/folder permissions for containers

3. "Invalid parameter"

   • Verify all required parameters are provided
   • Check that size is multiple of 512 bytes
   • Ensure encryption/hash algorithms are valid

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit issues, feature requests, or pull requests.

License

This project is licensed under the Apache License 2.0 - see the LICENSE file for details.

Related Projects

• VeraCrypt - The main VeraCrypt project

Support

For support and questions:

• Create an issue on this repository
• Visit the VeraCrypt forums
• Check the VeraCrypt documentation

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Note: This SDK is provided as-is. Always test thoroughly in your specific environment before production use.