SQLite: secure_delete

sqlite.org

9 pointstosh5 comments

It is probably worth noting that while this may result in a database file that has no deleted content the raw storage medium very likely still has some of this data if you know where to look.

It seems like this would fullfill a very niche use case. In most cases you would probably be better of do do a `.dump`, `.backup` or `VACUUM INTO` to produce a "clean" DB just before sharing it.

Yeah, it seems a bit hard to figure out the use case for this one. If you're sharing data with an untrusted third party, you'd use a verifiably-clean export format.

And if you're concerned about local storage, the remains of your dirty database pages after the FTL and/or other sector-remapping firmware is done with it are still a concern.

But anyway, apparently someone felt they needed this badly enough to pay for it, so YOLO...

> When secure_delete is on, SQLite overwrites deleted content with zeros.

IIRC an NSA recommendation from long ago was to overwrite first with all zeroes, then with all ones, then with random bits.

Yes, but no-one has demonstrated a practical attack on a zero-overwrite on any drive manufactured in the last 20 years (at least not one that would be defeated by multiple overwrites).

No-one outside the NSA..

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