[Bug]: Unable to decrypt - stuck on "This file is encrypted" message despite E2E password accepted #2535

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opened 2026-02-28 20:17:27 -06:00 by GiteaMirror · 8 comments
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Originally created by @edwardcwang on GitHub (Oct 12, 2025).

Verified issue does not already exist?

  • I have searched and found no existing issue

What happened?

I am trying to open a file on an Actual instance from a new browser, and stuck on the below screen despite the E2E password being accepted. The server login is accepted without issue.
After entering the correct E2E password, I get back to the "Downloading..." screen, and then the exact same screen (no red "Unable to decrypt file with this password. Please try again" message or any other errors).
No relevant information in the console.

This is different from #4698 where there is a distinct "Unable to decrypt file with this password. Please try again" error message.
I also get "Unable to decrypt file with this password. Please try again" if I intentionally enter a wrong password instead of the correct E2E password.

This file is encrypted
We don’t have a key that encrypts or decrypts this file. Enter the password for this file to create the key for encryption. Learn more

How can we reproduce the issue?

Get to the below screen, enter correct E2E password, get back to the same screen after "Downloading..."

This file is encrypted
We don’t have a key that encrypts or decrypts this file. Enter the password for this file to create the key for encryption. Learn more

Where are you hosting Actual?

Docker

What browsers are you seeing the problem on?

Firefox, Chrome

Operating System

Linux

Originally created by @edwardcwang on GitHub (Oct 12, 2025). ### Verified issue does not already exist? - [x] I have searched and found no existing issue ### What happened? I am trying to open a file on an Actual instance from a new browser, and stuck on the below screen despite the E2E password being accepted. The server login is accepted without issue. After entering the correct E2E password, I get back to the "Downloading..." screen, and then the exact same screen (no red "Unable to decrypt file with this password. Please try again" message or any other errors). No relevant information in the console. This is different from #4698 where there is a distinct "Unable to decrypt file with this password. Please try again" error message. I also get "Unable to decrypt file with this password. Please try again" if I intentionally enter a wrong password instead of the correct E2E password. ``` This file is encrypted We don’t have a key that encrypts or decrypts this file. Enter the password for this file to create the key for encryption. Learn more ``` ### How can we reproduce the issue? Get to the below screen, enter correct E2E password, get back to the same screen after "Downloading..." ``` This file is encrypted We don’t have a key that encrypts or decrypts this file. Enter the password for this file to create the key for encryption. Learn more ``` ### Where are you hosting Actual? Docker ### What browsers are you seeing the problem on? Firefox, Chrome ### Operating System Linux
GiteaMirror added the needs infobug labels 2026-02-28 20:17:27 -06:00
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@MatissJanis commented on GitHub (Oct 12, 2025):

👋 anything in the browser and server logs you could share?

@MatissJanis commented on GitHub (Oct 12, 2025): 👋 anything in the browser **and** server logs you could share?
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@edwardcwang commented on GitHub (Oct 12, 2025):

Thank you much for looking into this, and I greatly appreciate your help!

On the server - nothing except Listening on :::[port]...
On the browser - nothing useful in the browser console. The network logs yield a pattern of user-get-key download-user-file get-user-file-info validate. If I enter the wrong E2E password it just triggers user-get-key and none of the subsequent network activity.

Image
@edwardcwang commented on GitHub (Oct 12, 2025): Thank you much for looking into this, and I greatly appreciate your help! On the server - nothing except `Listening on :::[port]...` On the browser - nothing useful in the browser console. The network logs yield a pattern of `user-get-key download-user-file get-user-file-info validate`. If I enter the wrong E2E password it just triggers `user-get-key` and none of the subsequent network activity. <img width="1298" height="531" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/cc40062d-bd8a-4364-8af5-4c96ee1eaf47" />
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@MatissJanis commented on GitHub (Oct 12, 2025):

There's nothing obvious wrong there. I don't really have any immediate ideas. I'd love to debug further, but then I would need the URL and passwords.

Also: did you try opening in incognito? Did that result in the same problem?

@MatissJanis commented on GitHub (Oct 12, 2025): There's nothing obvious wrong there. I don't really have any immediate ideas. I'd love to debug further, but then I would need the URL and passwords. Also: did you try opening in incognito? Did that result in the same problem?
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@edwardcwang commented on GitHub (Oct 12, 2025):

Yes, I tried at least both Firefox and Chrome, with and without incognito, sans success.

@edwardcwang commented on GitHub (Oct 12, 2025): Yes, I tried at least both Firefox and Chrome, with and without incognito, sans success.
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@MatissJanis commented on GitHub (Oct 12, 2025):

Unfortunatelly there is nothing else we can do to assist here unless you are able to provide a reproduction (either via test budget file or via your real budget file).

@MatissJanis commented on GitHub (Oct 12, 2025): Unfortunatelly there is nothing else we can do to assist here unless you are able to provide a reproduction (either via test budget file or via your real budget file).
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@edwardcwang commented on GitHub (Oct 12, 2025):

The modal is triggered by https://github.com/actualbudget/actual/blob/21105fc/packages/desktop-client/src/budgetfiles/budgetfilesSlice.ts#L334 right? Any ideas why it's triggering but not providing any specific error messages?

@edwardcwang commented on GitHub (Oct 12, 2025): The modal is triggered by https://github.com/actualbudget/actual/blob/21105fc/packages/desktop-client/src/budgetfiles/budgetfilesSlice.ts#L334 right? Any ideas why it's triggering but not providing any specific error messages?
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@MatissJanis commented on GitHub (Oct 12, 2025):

No ideas. The only way I can help is if you can provide a reproduction.

@MatissJanis commented on GitHub (Oct 12, 2025): No ideas. The only way I can help is if you can provide a reproduction.
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@github-actions[bot] commented on GitHub (Oct 24, 2025):

This issue has been automatically closed because there have been no comments for 7 days after the "needs info" label was added. If you still need help, please feel free to reopen the issue with the requested information.

@github-actions[bot] commented on GitHub (Oct 24, 2025): This issue has been automatically closed because there have been no comments for 7 days after the "needs info" label was added. If you still need help, please feel free to reopen the issue with the requested information.
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Reference: github-starred/actual#2535