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My Samsung Android device just stopped working. I still have my SD card, but all data in it is encrypted. Encryption has been performed at the file level, so I have the directory structure and filenames in plain text, but file contents are encrypted.

I remember the key I used to set up encryption, but I need to know what algorithm did Samsung use for encryption and how they generated an encryption key from my passphrase.

Does anyone know if I can recover my data without the original device, using OpenSSL or a similar program?

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Samsung uses its own solutions for SD card encryption in Android devices at the file level.

Only the device which encrypted the SD card can decrypt it because when the SD card is encrypted, an encryption policy file is saved into the device and SD card.

If you insert an encrypted SD card into another device, then you will only be able to see the encrypted contents of those files.

So, if you have the same device which encrypted the SD card and you know the lock screen which was used to encrypt it, then you can easily decrypt the SD card by navigating as below:

Settings -> Security -> Encrypt External Sdcard -> Disable/Turn off

A notification pop-up will appear for decrypting SD card on your device.

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  • The first paragraph contains the info which we can already see in the body of the question. The rest of the content doesn't really address "Does anyone know if I can recover my data without the original device" and "I need to know what algorithm did Samsung use for encryption and how they generated an encryption key from my passphrase".
    – Firelord ♦
    Mar 9, 2016 at 20:33
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    Seems like an answer to me, it's just not using the best technical language for the crucial point: The device has a unique hardware key that is used in encryption, and thus decryption is impossible without retrieving that key from the original device (which is not made accessible anyways).
    – Matthew Read
    Mar 9, 2016 at 22:49

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