passbolt/passbolt_api · error · CakeException

The data entered are not correct

Error message

The data entered are not correct: {0}

What it means

GpgKeyImportController::validateData executes GpgKeyForm on the posted key-import data and, when validation fails, throws CakeException 'The data entered are not correct: {0}' containing flattened, semicolon-joined errors, and stores the form result as formExecuteResult. It guards the WebInstaller step where an existing OpenPGP key is imported instead of generated.

Solutions

1. Check the {0} error details in the message for the exact failing rule.
2. Paste the complete ASCII-armored key including '-----BEGIN PGP ... KEY BLOCK-----' and matching END line, in the correct field.
3. Re-export with gpg --armor --export-secret-keys <fingerprint> (or --export for public) and copy the full block verbatim.
4. Ensure the key matches what the step expects (e.g. private server key) and the name/email rules pass.

Example fix

// before
{'armored_key': 'AB12CD34'}  // fingerprint, not a key block
// after
{'armored_key': '-----BEGIN PGP PRIVATE KEY BLOCK-----\n...\n-----END PGP PRIVATE KEY BLOCK-----'}

if (!armoredKey.includes('-----BEGIN PGP')) throw new Error('not an ASCII-armored key block');
if (!armoredKey.includes('-----END PGP')) throw new Error('armored block is truncated');
if (/<|&|>/.test(armoredKey)) throw new Error('armored key contains HTML-escaped characters');

function isArmoredKey(s) {
  return typeof s === 'string' &&
    s.includes('-----BEGIN PGP') && s.includes('-----END PGP');
}

try {
  await post('/install/gpg_key_import', { armored_key: armoredKey });
} catch (e) {
  if (String(e.message).startsWith('The data entered are not correct:')) {
    // the {0} suffix lists the failing rules; verify the armored block and retry
  }
  throw e;
}

When it happens

Trigger: POSTing the WebInstaller GPG key import step with a missing/empty armored key, a payload that is not a valid ASCII-armored key block, or failing GpgKeyForm rules — execute() returns false.

Common situations: Pasting a fingerprint or key ID instead of the full armored block; copy/paste stripping the BEGIN/END PGP lines or introducing HTML entities; importing a public key where a private key is required; wrong field name in scripted requests.

Understand the failure class

Background: "Invalid ... format", "must be in format X", "does not look like a ..." — invalid argument format errors across CLI tools and libraries — this error's family across 17 libraries.

Related errors

• The data entered are not correct
• A valid OpenPGP key must be provided.
• Could not import the user OpenPGP key.
• Could not validate message data.
• Could not validate user data.

AI-assisted analysis of passbolt/passbolt_api@31c1bbc10f (2026-09-17). Data as JSON: /api/errors/39acb6411375acaa. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at plugins/PassboltCe/WebInstaller/src/Controller/GpgKeyImportController.php:46

    public function initialize(): void
    {
        parent::initialize();
        $this->stepInfo['template'] = 'Pages/gpg_key_import';
        $this->stepInfo['generate_key_cta'] = '/install/gpg_key';
    }

    /**
     * @inheritDoc
     */
    protected function validateData(array $data): void
    {
        $form = new GpgKeyForm();
        $confIsValid = $form->execute($data);
        $this->set('formExecuteResult', $form);
        if (!$confIsValid) {
            $errors = Hash::flatten($form->getErrors());
            $errorMessage = implode('; ', $errors);
            throw new CakeException(__('The data entered are not correct: {0}', $errorMessage));
        }
    }
}

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