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I'm quite new to OpenPGP and am just starting to use it with Thunderbird.
When I encrypt a mail with a recipient's public key, using Thunderbird + Enigmail + OpenPGP, and send it, I can find the encrypted mail in my sent-folder. It is possible for me to decrypt (happens automatically) and read it, which is fine, but I wonder; how is this possible? Isn't this ciphertext only decryptable with the recipient's private key? Is it also decryptable with any of my keys (my public or private key)?
In the normal Thunderbird configuration, the emails are stored the way you send them, so if you send an encrypted email, it's also encrypted in your sent folder. (Note: there may be a way to configure Thunderbird or Enigmail differently, I don't know much about their configuration possibilities.)
Enigmail has an “Encrypt to self” preference (in the Sending tab; extensions.enigmail.encryptToSelf), which is on by default. With this preference turned on, all the emails you encrypt are encrypted for you (with the key configured in the applicable per-identity settings). Unless you've configured Thunderbird in an unusual way, this is what you're observing.
The underlying OpenPGP/GnuPG implementation can be configured for this as well, with the encrypt-to option in gpg.conf.
Add my own key to the recipients list under the Sending-tab.
– poplitea
Nov 28 '12 at 11:28
