Resolving "SG_IO: bad/missing sense data" after running ATA SE on a WD My Passport USB HDD
USB storage bridges may expose ATA commands via SCSI/ATA Translation (SAT), but ATA Security behavior varies by bridge and firmware. Without an explicit vendor guarantee, reported capabilities alone do not confirm that a command can pass through the bridge and execute successfully on the drive.
To avoid orphaning data on the platters in the event of lockout, a 1 TB WD My Passport USB HDD was zeroed with dd then queried for ATA Security support:
hdparm -I /dev/sdX
/dev/sdX:
ATA device, with non-removable media
Model Number: WDC WD10JMVW-11AJGS1
...
Security:
Master password revision code = 48059
supported
not enabled
not locked
not frozen
not expired: security count
supported: enhanced erase
332min for SECURITY ERASE UNIT. 2min for ENHANCED SECURITY ERASE UNIT.
...Setting a password appeared to work:
hdparm --user-master u --security-set-pass p /dev/sdX
security_password: "p"
/dev/sdX:
Issuing SECURITY_SET_PASS command, password="p", user=user, mode=highbut issuing SECURITY ERASE failed:
hdparm --user-master u --security-erase p /dev/sdX
security_password: "p"
/dev/sdX:
Issuing SECURITY_ERASE command, password="p", user=user
SG_IO: bad/missing sense data, sb[]: 70 00 05 00 00 00 00 0a 00 00 00 00 24 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
SG_IO: bad/missing sense data, sb[]: 70 00 05 00 00 00 00 0a 00 00 00 00 24 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00hdparm -I /dev/sdX initially continued to return the correct device information. However, after disconnecting and reconnecting the drive, it reported only:
/dev/sdX:
ATA device, with non-removable media
Standards:
Likely used: 1
Configuration:
Logical max current
cylinders 0 0
heads 0 0
sectors/track 0 0
--
Logical/Physical Sector size: 512 bytes
device size with M = 1024*1024: 0 MBytes
device size with M = 1000*1000: 0 MBytes
cache/buffer size = unknown
Capabilities:
IORDY not likely
Cannot perform double-word IO
R/W multiple sector transfer: not supported
DMA: not supported
PIO: pio0
Attempting to unlock also failed:
hdparm --user-master u --security-unlock p /dev/sdX
security_password: "p"
/dev/sdX:
Issuing SECURITY_UNLOCK command, password="p", user=user
SG_IO: bad/missing sense data, sb[]: 70 00 05 00 00 00 00 0a 00 00 00 00 24 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00WD Drive Utilities restored access to the drive:
Launch WD Drive Utilities; the Unlock Drive prompt will appear:
The password set with
hdparmwill not be accepted; enter any password five times to reveal an erase option (the Drive Erase icon remains unavailable while the drive is locked):
Set volume name and format, acknowledge the warning, and click Erase Drive. The utility erases and reinitializes the drive, restoring access:
Update
Restore access to the drive without leaving Linux by using the erase function in 0-duke's WD My Passport Drive Hardware Encryption Utility for Linux:
wdpassport-utils.py --device /dev/sdX
Device: /dev/sdX
Security status: Locked
Encryption type: Full Disk EncryptionAttempting to unlock the drive using the password set with hdparm fails, just as it does in WD's own utility:
wdpassport-utils.py --device /dev/sdX --unlock
[wdpassport] password for /dev/sdX:
[!] Key hash parameters are not valid.Erasing the drive, however, restores access:
wdpassport-utils.py --device /dev/sdX --erase[+] All data on /dev/sdX will be lost. Are you sure you want to continue? [y/N] y [*] Device erased. You need to create a new partition on the device (Hint: fdisk and mkfs)hdparm -I /dev/sdX/dev/sdX: ATA device, with non-removable media Model Number: WDC WD10JMVW-11AJGS1 ... device size with M = 1000*1000: 1000171 MBytes (1000 GB) cache/buffer size = 8192 KBytes Nominal Media Rotation Rate: 5400 ...
Related
unable to dd, smartmon, fdisk or anything on a working external Western Digital Hard Drive
What USB to IDE adapter that can send the ATA Secure Erase command?
❧ 2026-09-12