Briefly, this error occurs when Elasticsearch is unable to load the encryption key required to start the crypto service. This could be due to incorrect file permissions, a missing key file, or a misconfigured path to the key file. To resolve this issue, you can check the file permissions and ensure that Elasticsearch has the necessary access. If the key file is missing, you need to generate a new one. If the path to the key file is incorrect, you need to correct it in the configuration.
This guide will help you check for common problems that cause the log ” failed to start crypto service. could not load encryption key ” to appear. To understand the issues related to this log, read the explanation below about the following Elasticsearch concepts: plugin.
Log Context
Log “failed to start crypto service. could not load encryption key” class name is CryptoService.java. We extracted the following from Elasticsearch source code for those seeking an in-depth context :
}
SecretKey systemKey = readSystemKey(in);
try {
encryptionKey = encryptionKey(systemKey; keyLength; keyAlgorithm);
} catch (NoSuchAlgorithmException nsae) {
throw new ElasticsearchException("failed to start crypto service. could not load encryption key"; nsae);
}
}
assert encryptionKey != null : "the encryption key should never be null";
}
