gradlegnupgsigningjar-signing

What's the meaning of the error message: "secret key ring doesn't start with secret key tag: tag 0xffffffff"?

This is an error when I encountered when trying to sign & publish to local maven .m2 directory, using gradle signing plugin:

> Task :core:signMavenPublication FAILED
Watching 144 directories to track changes
Watching 144 directories to track changes
Watching 144 directories to track changes
Watching 144 directories to track changes
Watching 144 directories to track changes
:core:signMavenPublication (Thread[Execution worker for ':' Thread 8,5,main]) completed. Took 0.001 secs.

FAILURE: Build failed with an exception.

* What went wrong:
Execution failed for task ':core:signMavenPublication'.
> Error while evaluating property 'signatory' of task ':core:signMavenPublication'
   > Could not read PGP secret key

* Try:
> Run with --debug option to get more log output.
> Run with --scan to get full insights.

* Exception is:
org.gradle.api.tasks.TaskExecutionException: Execution failed for task ':core:signMavenPublication'.
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.CatchExceptionTaskExecuter.execute(CatchExceptionTaskExecuter.java:38)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.EventFiringTaskExecuter$1.executeTask(EventFiringTaskExecuter.java:77)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.EventFiringTaskExecuter$1.call(EventFiringTaskExecuter.java:55)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.EventFiringTaskExecuter$1.call(EventFiringTaskExecuter.java:52)
        at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationRunner$CallableBuildOperationWorker.execute(DefaultBuildOperationRunner.java:204)
        at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationRunner$CallableBuildOperationWorker.execute(DefaultBuildOperationRunner.java:199)
        at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationRunner$2.execute(DefaultBuildOperationRunner.java:66)
        at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationRunner$2.execute(DefaultBuildOperationRunner.java:59)
        at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationRunner.execute(DefaultBuildOperationRunner.java:157)
        at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationRunner.execute(DefaultBuildOperationRunner.java:59)
        at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationRunner.call(DefaultBuildOperationRunner.java:53)
        at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.call(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:73)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.EventFiringTaskExecuter.execute(EventFiringTaskExecuter.java:52)
        at org.gradle.execution.plan.LocalTaskNodeExecutor.execute(LocalTaskNodeExecutor.java:74)
        at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskExecutionGraph$InvokeNodeExecutorsAction.execute(DefaultTaskExecutionGraph.java:402)
        at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskExecutionGraph$InvokeNodeExecutorsAction.execute(DefaultTaskExecutionGraph.java:389)
        at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskExecutionGraph$BuildOperationAwareExecutionAction.execute(DefaultTaskExecutionGraph.java:382)
        at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskExecutionGraph$BuildOperationAwareExecutionAction.execute(DefaultTaskExecutionGraph.java:368)
        at org.gradle.execution.plan.DefaultPlanExecutor$ExecutorWorker.lambda$run$0(DefaultPlanExecutor.java:127)
        at org.gradle.execution.plan.DefaultPlanExecutor$ExecutorWorker.execute(DefaultPlanExecutor.java:191)
        at org.gradle.execution.plan.DefaultPlanExecutor$ExecutorWorker.executeNextNode(DefaultPlanExecutor.java:182)
        at org.gradle.execution.plan.DefaultPlanExecutor$ExecutorWorker.run(DefaultPlanExecutor.java:124)
        at org.gradle.internal.concurrent.ExecutorPolicy$CatchAndRecordFailures.onExecute(ExecutorPolicy.java:64)
        at org.gradle.internal.concurrent.ManagedExecutorImpl$1.run(ManagedExecutorImpl.java:48)
        at org.gradle.internal.concurrent.ThreadFactoryImpl$ManagedThreadRunnable.run(ThreadFactoryImpl.java:61)
Caused by: org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.properties.PropertyEvaluationException: Error while evaluating property 'signatory' of task ':core:signMavenPublication'
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.properties.InputParameterUtils.prepareInputParameterValue(InputParameterUtils.java:33)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.TaskExecution.lambda$visitRegularInputs$1(TaskExecution.java:312)
        at org.gradle.internal.execution.fingerprint.impl.DefaultInputFingerprinter$InputCollectingVisitor.visitInputProperty(DefaultInputFingerprinter.java:95)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.TaskExecution.visitRegularInputs(TaskExecution.java:312)
        at org.gradle.internal.execution.fingerprint.impl.DefaultInputFingerprinter.fingerprintInputProperties(DefaultInputFingerprinter.java:54)
        at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.CaptureStateBeforeExecutionStep.captureExecutionStateWithOutputs(CaptureStateBeforeExecutionStep.java:193)
        at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.CaptureStateBeforeExecutionStep.lambda$captureExecutionState$1(CaptureStateBeforeExecutionStep.java:141)
        at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.BuildOperationStep$1.call(BuildOperationStep.java:37)
        at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationRunner$CallableBuildOperationWorker.execute(DefaultBuildOperationRunner.java:204)
        at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationRunner$CallableBuildOperationWorker.execute(DefaultBuildOperationRunner.java:199)
        at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationRunner$2.execute(DefaultBuildOperationRunner.java:66)
        at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationRunner$2.execute(DefaultBuildOperationRunner.java:59)
        at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationRunner.execute(DefaultBuildOperationRunner.java:157)
        at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationRunner.execute(DefaultBuildOperationRunner.java:59)
        at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationRunner.call(DefaultBuildOperationRunner.java:53)
        at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.call(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:73)
        at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.BuildOperationStep.operation(BuildOperationStep.java:34)
        at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.CaptureStateBeforeExecutionStep.captureExecutionState(CaptureStateBeforeExecutionStep.java:130)
        at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.CaptureStateBeforeExecutionStep.lambda$execute$0(CaptureStateBeforeExecutionStep.java:75)
        at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.CaptureStateBeforeExecutionStep.execute(CaptureStateBeforeExecutionStep.java:75)
        at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.CaptureStateBeforeExecutionStep.execute(CaptureStateBeforeExecutionStep.java:50)
        at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.SkipEmptyWorkStep.lambda$execute$2(SkipEmptyWorkStep.java:93)
        at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.SkipEmptyWorkStep.execute(SkipEmptyWorkStep.java:93)
        at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.SkipEmptyWorkStep.execute(SkipEmptyWorkStep.java:34)
        at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.legacy.MarkSnapshottingInputsStartedStep.execute(MarkSnapshottingInputsStartedStep.java:38)
        at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.LoadPreviousExecutionStateStep.execute(LoadPreviousExecutionStateStep.java:43)
        at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.LoadPreviousExecutionStateStep.execute(LoadPreviousExecutionStateStep.java:31)
        at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.AssignWorkspaceStep.lambda$execute$0(AssignWorkspaceStep.java:40)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.TaskExecution$3.withWorkspace(TaskExecution.java:284)
        at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.AssignWorkspaceStep.execute(AssignWorkspaceStep.java:40)
        at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.AssignWorkspaceStep.execute(AssignWorkspaceStep.java:30)
        at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.IdentityCacheStep.execute(IdentityCacheStep.java:37)
        at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.IdentityCacheStep.execute(IdentityCacheStep.java:27)
        at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.IdentifyStep.execute(IdentifyStep.java:44)
        at org.gradle.internal.execution.steps.IdentifyStep.execute(IdentifyStep.java:33)
        at org.gradle.internal.execution.impl.DefaultExecutionEngine$1.execute(DefaultExecutionEngine.java:76)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.executeIfValid(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:142)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.execute(ExecuteActionsTaskExecuter.java:131)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.CleanupStaleOutputsExecuter.execute(CleanupStaleOutputsExecuter.java:77)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.FinalizePropertiesTaskExecuter.execute(FinalizePropertiesTaskExecuter.java:46)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.ResolveTaskExecutionModeExecuter.execute(ResolveTaskExecutionModeExecuter.java:51)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.SkipTaskWithNoActionsExecuter.execute(SkipTaskWithNoActionsExecuter.java:57)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.SkipOnlyIfTaskExecuter.execute(SkipOnlyIfTaskExecuter.java:56)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.CatchExceptionTaskExecuter.execute(CatchExceptionTaskExecuter.java:36)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.EventFiringTaskExecuter$1.executeTask(EventFiringTaskExecuter.java:77)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.EventFiringTaskExecuter$1.call(EventFiringTaskExecuter.java:55)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.EventFiringTaskExecuter$1.call(EventFiringTaskExecuter.java:52)
        at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationRunner$CallableBuildOperationWorker.execute(DefaultBuildOperationRunner.java:204)
        at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationRunner$CallableBuildOperationWorker.execute(DefaultBuildOperationRunner.java:199)
        at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationRunner$2.execute(DefaultBuildOperationRunner.java:66)
        at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationRunner$2.execute(DefaultBuildOperationRunner.java:59)
        at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationRunner.execute(DefaultBuildOperationRunner.java:157)
        at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationRunner.execute(DefaultBuildOperationRunner.java:59)
        at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationRunner.call(DefaultBuildOperationRunner.java:53)
        at org.gradle.internal.operations.DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.call(DefaultBuildOperationExecutor.java:73)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.execution.EventFiringTaskExecuter.execute(EventFiringTaskExecuter.java:52)
        at org.gradle.execution.plan.LocalTaskNodeExecutor.execute(LocalTaskNodeExecutor.java:74)
        at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskExecutionGraph$InvokeNodeExecutorsAction.execute(DefaultTaskExecutionGraph.java:402)
        at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskExecutionGraph$InvokeNodeExecutorsAction.execute(DefaultTaskExecutionGraph.java:389)
        at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskExecutionGraph$BuildOperationAwareExecutionAction.execute(DefaultTaskExecutionGraph.java:382)
        at org.gradle.execution.taskgraph.DefaultTaskExecutionGraph$BuildOperationAwareExecutionAction.execute(DefaultTaskExecutionGraph.java:368)
        at org.gradle.execution.plan.DefaultPlanExecutor$ExecutorWorker.lambda$run$0(DefaultPlanExecutor.java:127)
        at org.gradle.execution.plan.DefaultPlanExecutor$ExecutorWorker.execute(DefaultPlanExecutor.java:191)
        at org.gradle.execution.plan.DefaultPlanExecutor$ExecutorWorker.executeNextNode(DefaultPlanExecutor.java:182)
        at org.gradle.execution.plan.DefaultPlanExecutor$ExecutorWorker.run(DefaultPlanExecutor.java:124)
        at org.gradle.internal.concurrent.ExecutorPolicy$CatchAndRecordFailures.onExecute(ExecutorPolicy.java:64)
        at org.gradle.internal.concurrent.ManagedExecutorImpl$1.run(ManagedExecutorImpl.java:48)
        at org.gradle.internal.concurrent.ThreadFactoryImpl$ManagedThreadRunnable.run(ThreadFactoryImpl.java:61)
Caused by: org.gradle.api.InvalidUserDataException: Could not read PGP secret key
        at org.gradle.security.internal.pgp.BaseInMemoryPgpSignatoryProvider.createSignatory(BaseInMemoryPgpSignatoryProvider.java:94)
        at org.gradle.security.internal.pgp.BaseInMemoryPgpSignatoryProvider.getDefaultSignatory(BaseInMemoryPgpSignatoryProvider.java:63)
        at org.gradle.security.internal.pgp.BaseInMemoryPgpSignatoryProvider.getDefaultSignatory(BaseInMemoryPgpSignatoryProvider.java:42)
        at org.gradle.plugins.signing.SigningExtension.getSignatory(SigningExtension.java:198)
        at org.gradle.plugins.signing.SigningExtension_Decorated.getSignatory(Unknown Source)
        at org.gradle.plugins.signing.SigningExtension$2.call(SigningExtension.java:291)
        at org.gradle.plugins.signing.SigningExtension$2.call(SigningExtension.java:288)
        at org.gradle.util.internal.GUtil.uncheckedCall(GUtil.java:454)
        at org.gradle.internal.extensibility.ConventionAwareHelper$2.doGetValue(ConventionAwareHelper.java:96)
        at org.gradle.internal.extensibility.ConventionAwareHelper$MappedPropertyImpl.getValue(ConventionAwareHelper.java:147)
        at org.gradle.internal.extensibility.ConventionAwareHelper.getConventionValue(ConventionAwareHelper.java:129)
        at org.gradle.plugins.signing.Sign_Decorated.getSignatory(Unknown Source)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.properties.bean.AbstractNestedRuntimeBeanNode$BeanPropertyValue$1$1.create(AbstractNestedRuntimeBeanNode.java:77)
        at org.gradle.internal.deprecation.DeprecationLogger.whileDisabled(DeprecationLogger.java:244)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.properties.bean.AbstractNestedRuntimeBeanNode$BeanPropertyValue$1.get(AbstractNestedRuntimeBeanNode.java:73)
        at com.google.common.base.Suppliers$NonSerializableMemoizingSupplier.get(Suppliers.java:167)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.properties.bean.AbstractNestedRuntimeBeanNode$BeanPropertyValue.call(AbstractNestedRuntimeBeanNode.java:133)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.properties.annotations.NestedBeanAnnotationHandler.visitPropertyValue(NestedBeanAnnotationHandler.java:62)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.properties.bean.AbstractNestedRuntimeBeanNode.visitProperties(AbstractNestedRuntimeBeanNode.java:56)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.properties.bean.RootRuntimeBeanNode.visitNode(RootRuntimeBeanNode.java:32)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.properties.DefaultPropertyWalker.visitProperties(DefaultPropertyWalker.java:41)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.TaskPropertyUtils.visitProperties(TaskPropertyUtils.java:44)
        at org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.properties.DefaultTaskProperties.resolve(DefaultTaskProperties.java:74)
        at org.gradle.execution.plan.LocalTaskNode.resolveMutations(LocalTaskNode.java:200)
        at org.gradle.execution.plan.DefaultExecutionPlan.getResolvedMutationInfo(DefaultExecutionPlan.java:665)
        at org.gradle.execution.plan.DefaultExecutionPlan.selectNext(DefaultExecutionPlan.java:577)
        at org.gradle.execution.plan.DefaultPlanExecutor$ExecutorWorker.lambda$executeNextNode$1(DefaultPlanExecutor.java:166)
        at org.gradle.internal.resources.DefaultResourceLockCoordinationService.withStateLock(DefaultResourceLockCoordinationService.java:45)
        at org.gradle.execution.plan.DefaultPlanExecutor$ExecutorWorker.executeNextNode(DefaultPlanExecutor.java:155)
        ... 4 more
Caused by: java.io.IOException: secret key ring doesn't start with secret key tag: tag 0xffffffff
        at org.bouncycastle.openpgp.PGPSecretKeyRing.<init>(Unknown Source)
        at org.bouncycastle.openpgp.jcajce.JcaPGPSecretKeyRing.<init>(Unknown Source)
        at org.gradle.security.internal.pgp.BaseInMemoryPgpSignatoryProvider.createSignatory(BaseInMemoryPgpSignatoryProvider.java:80)
        ... 32 more

The last error message reveals several problems:

  1. I only need to sign the artifact using 1 secret key (with its password), why does this operation depends on a key ring, which contains multiple keys that are mostly useless?

  2. What is a secret key tag? Is it key ID, key name, or key checksum?

  3. Why does the key ring have to start with 0xffffffff? What's so peculiar about this hex number?

Thanks a lot for your opinion

Solution

  • Without more details on how exactly you configured the Gradle plugin, it’s hard to say what’s wrong exactly. I believe the issue is most likely a bad keyring file or a bad in-memory secret key. The PGPSecretKeyRing constructor doesn’t find the expected secret key tag but instead finds 0xffffffff in your case.

    With that in mind, let me try to answer your three questions:

    1. I see two likely possibilities:
      • The plugin simply uses PGPSecretKeyRing under the hood no matter if you use a keyring file or just a single secret key, or
      • You have configured the plugin wrongly.
    2. The “secret key tag” is one of the packet tags that are part of the OpenPGP format. The tag is not found in your case which is why I believe that something is wrongly configured (e.g., by passing in the secret key in a bad format).
    3. Again, 0xffffffff is not the expected tag but the one that’s actually found in your case. The expected tag is the “Secret-Key Packet” which would be 0x5.

    Some more pointers that might actually help you get the issue fixed: