dpkg-sig failes with "E: Signing failed. Error code: 512"

[FreeK]

We call dpkg-sig during an automated build with bamboo and when it comes to sign a package with dpkg-sig with a passphrase file, the command fails:

dpkg-sig -k 45FC2A18 -p -f ~/build_sign.pass --sign builder ../mypackage_1.0.8-46_amd64.deb -v
Processing ../mypackage_1.0.8-46_amd64.deb...
Default key: 45FC2A18
Using passphrase from /root/build_sign.pass
Signing /tmp/debsigs-ng.P1Lfxp/digests with key 45FC2A18
usage: gpg [options] --clearsign [filename]
E: Signing failed. Error code: 512

When using gpg options: '-g "--no-tty --passphrase <password>"' the signing process works.

ProblemType: Bug
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.21
Architecture: amd64
Date: Wed Oct 5 13:23:04 2016
Dependencies:
 adduser 3.113+nmu3ubuntu3
 apt-utils 1.0.1ubuntu2.14
 base-passwd 3.5.33
 busybox-initramfs 1:1.21.0-1ubuntu1
 coreutils 8.21-1ubuntu5.4
 cpio 2.11+dfsg-1ubuntu1.2
 dbus 1.6.18-0ubuntu4.3
 debconf 1.5.51ubuntu2
 debconf-i18n 1.5.51ubuntu2
 debianutils 4.4
 dpkg 1.17.5ubuntu5.7
 e2fslibs 1.42.9-3ubuntu1.3
 e2fsprogs 1.42.9-3ubuntu1.3
 findutils 4.4.2-7
 gcc-6-base 6.2.0-3ubuntu11~14.04 [origin: LP-PPA-ubuntu-toolchain-r-test]
 gnupg 1.4.16-1ubuntu2.4
 gpgv 1.4.16-1ubuntu2.4
 ifupdown 0.7.47.2ubuntu4.4
 initramfs-tools 0.103ubuntu4.4
 initramfs-tools-bin 0.103ubuntu4.4
 initscripts 2.88dsf-41ubuntu6.3
 insserv 1.14.0-5ubuntu2
 iproute2 3.12.0-2ubuntu1
 isc-dhcp-client 4.2.4-7ubuntu12.7
 isc-dhcp-common 4.2.4-7ubuntu12.7
 klibc-utils 2.0.3-0ubuntu1.14.04.1
 kmod 15-0ubuntu6
 libacl1 2.2.52-1
 libapparmor1 2.8.95~2430-0ubuntu5.3
 libapt-inst1.5 1.0.1ubuntu2.14
 libapt-pkg4.12 1.0.1ubuntu2.14
 libarchive-extract-perl 0.70-1
 libatm1 1:2.5.1-1.5
 libattr1 1:2.4.47-1ubuntu1
 libaudit-common 1:2.3.2-2ubuntu1
 libaudit1 1:2.3.2-2ubuntu1
 libblkid1 2.20.1-5.1ubuntu20.7
 libbz2-1.0 1.0.6-5
 libc6 2.19-0ubuntu6.9
 libcap2 1:2.24-0ubuntu2
 libcgmanager0 0.24-0ubuntu7.5
 libcomerr2 1.42.9-3ubuntu1.3
 libconfig-file-perl 1.50-2
 libdb5.3 5.3.28-3ubuntu3
 libdbus-1-3 1.6.18-0ubuntu4.3
 libdebconfclient0 0.187ubuntu1
 libdrm2 2.4.67-1ubuntu0.14.04.1
 libexpat1 2.1.0-4ubuntu1.3
 libgcc1 1:6.2.0-3ubuntu11~14.04 [origin: LP-PPA-ubuntu-toolchain-r-test]
 libgdbm3 1.8.3-12build1
 libgpm2 1.20.4-6.1
 libjson-c2 0.11-3ubuntu1.2
 libjson0 0.11-3ubuntu1.2
 libklibc 2.0.3-0ubuntu1.14.04.1
 libkmod2 15-0ubuntu6
 liblocale-gettext-perl 1.05-7build3
 liblog-message-simple-perl 0.10-1
 liblzma5 5.1.1alpha+20120614-2ubuntu2
 libmodule-pluggable-perl 5.1-1
 libmount1 2.20.1-5.1ubuntu20.7
 libncurses5 5.9+20140118-1ubuntu1
 libncursesw5 5.9+20140118-1ubuntu1
 libnih-dbus1 1.0.3-4ubuntu25
 libnih1 1.0.3-4ubuntu25
 libpam-modules 1.1.8-1ubuntu2.2
 libpam-modules-bin 1.1.8-1ubuntu2.2
 libpam-runtime 1.1.8-1ubuntu2.2
 libpam-systemd 204-5ubuntu20.19
 libpam0g 1.1.8-1ubuntu2.2
 libpcre3 1:8.31-2ubuntu2.3
 libplymouth2 0.8.8-0ubuntu17.1
 libpng12-0 1.2.50-1ubuntu2.14.04.2
 libpod-latex-perl 0.61-1
 libprocps3 1:3.3.9-1ubuntu2.2
 libreadline6 6.3-4ubuntu2
 libselinux1 2.2.2-1ubuntu0.1
 libsemanage-common 2.2-1
 libsemanage1 2.2-1
 libsepol1 2.2-1ubuntu0.1
 libslang2 2.2.4-15ubuntu1
 libss2 1.42.9-3ubuntu1.3
 libstdc++6 6.2.0-3ubuntu11~14.04 [origin: LP-PPA-ubuntu-toolchain-r-test]
 libsystemd-daemon0 204-5ubuntu20.19
 libsystemd-login0 204-5ubuntu20.19
 libterm-ui-perl 0.42-1
 libtext-charwidth-perl 0.04-7build3
 libtext-iconv-perl 1.7-5build2
 libtext-soundex-perl 3.4-1build1
 libtext-wrapi18n-perl 0.06-7
 libtinfo5 5.9+20140118-1ubuntu1
 libudev1 204-5ubuntu20.19
 libusb-0.1-4 2:0.1.12-23.3ubuntu1
 libustr-1.0-1 1.0.4-3ubuntu2
 libuuid1 2.20.1-5.1ubuntu20.7
 libxtables10 1.4.21-1ubuntu1
 lsb-base 4.1+Debian11ubuntu6.2
 makedev 2.3.1-93ubuntu1
 module-init-tools 15-0ubuntu6
 mount 2.20.1-5.1ubuntu20.7
 mountall 2.53
 multiarch-support 2.19-0ubuntu6.9
 netbase 5.2
 passwd 1:4.1.5.1-1ubuntu9.2
 perl 5.18.2-2ubuntu1.1
 perl-base 5.18.2-2ubuntu1.1
 perl-modules 5.18.2-2ubuntu1.1
 plymouth 0.8.8-0ubuntu17.1
 plymouth-theme-ubuntu-text 0.8.8-0ubuntu17.1
 procps 1:3.3.9-1ubuntu2.2
 psmisc 22.20-1ubuntu2
 readline-common 6.3-4ubuntu2
 sensible-utils 0.0.9
 systemd-services 204-5ubuntu20.19
 sysv-rc 2.88dsf-41ubuntu6.3
 sysvinit-utils 2.88dsf-41ubuntu6.3
 tar 1.27.1-1
 tzdata 2016f-0ubuntu0.14.04
 udev 204-5ubuntu20.19
 upstart 1.12.1-0ubuntu4.2
 util-linux 2.20.1-5.1ubuntu20.7
 uuid-runtime 2.20.1-5.1ubuntu20.7
 zlib1g 1:1.2.8.dfsg-1ubuntu1
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
InstallationDate: Installed on 2012-08-24 (1502 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-Server 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release amd64 (20120424.1)
Package: dpkg-sig 0.13.1+nmu1
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_US
 TERM=xterm
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=en_US
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-93.140-generic 3.13.11-ckt39
SourcePackage: dpkg-sig
Tags: third-party-packages trusty
Uname: Linux 3.13.0-93-generic x86_64
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to trusty on 2014-12-30 (645 days ago)
_MarkForUpload: True

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Stefano Sabatini (saste)]

Confirm that the same is happening here on Ubuntu 16.04, version of dpkg-sig is 0.13.1+nmu2.

Also the root cause seems to be the following code which passes the --passphrase-fd option to gpg in the code:

  if ($pass_file) {
                push (@cmdline, "--no-tty", "--batch", "--passphrase-fd", "42", "42<$pass_file");
                print "Using passphrase from $pass_file\n" if $verbose;
        } elsif ($passphrase) {

line 1612, in the sign_file() sub.

Workaround: use -g '--passphrase-file FILE' to bypass dpkg-sig erroneous handling and send the passphrase file directly to gpg.