Certificate with empty passphrase

GnuPG Help
1

Hi!

I am going crazy. I created a key and removed the passphrase. I have a backup of this key and want to import it (which I got working on Kleopatra by just importing and on Fedora by passing it with some CLI Tricks). If I want to Decrypt something or do anything that would require a Passphrase, pinentry promts me (On Windows with Kleopatra and on gpg with Fedora) for the passphrase and does not accept an empty string. It looks like it did not actually remove the passphrase but rather encrypted with ““ being the password.

But as I cannot actually use it I want to set a passphrase again. How can I do so?

What I tried:

886  gpg --batch --pinentry-mode loopback --passphrase “” --new-passphrase “XXXX” --edit-key KEYID passwd save
889  gpg --pinentry-mode loopback --edit-key KEYID
895  gpg --batch --pinentry-mode loopback --passphrase “” --edit-key KEYID passwd save
896  gpg --pinentry-mode loopback --passphrase “XXXX” --command-file <(echo “passwd”; echo “save”) --edit-key 
897  gpg --pinentry-mode loopback --passphrase “XXXX” --command-file <(echo “passwd”; echo “save”) --edit-key KEYID
929  echo ‘’ | gpg2 --batch --passphrase-fd 0
930  echo ‘’ | gpg2 --batch --passphrase-fd 0 --edit-key  KEYID
1017  gpg --pinentry-mode loopback --passwd KEYID

And a lot of other things.

The error is always the same, Error on changing the password, no passphrase given. Whatever I enter, ““, space, … it does not accept it. If I do it the usual way I can click enter, click OK by hand … On Windows, on Fedora, it does not work.

Creating a new key is out of option. PLEASE someone help me. I spend so many hours trying things.

2

On the command line you can change the password like this:

First enter gpg --edit-key YOUR-KEY-ID

You are now on the gpg command line (entering help shows the possible commands). Then enter passwd and follow the instructions.

In Kleopatra use the action “Change passphrase” in the context menu, while the secret key is selected.