There are 28 error code for sqlite3_exec. The one we are actually looking for is: https://www.sqlite.org/rescode.html#notadb. It is reasonable to check for this particular code and throw in the case of others. But if we do so then we must update the code that was landed 7 moths ago which checks whether encryption key is correct. But there is one thing to note here. SQLCipher documentation does not specify https://www.sqlite.org/rescode.html#notadb. It was error code I was always seeing when testing, so it is my guess that https://www.sqlite.org/rescode.html#notadb is a code returned when running select on encrypted database without correct encryption key set.

It is not incorrect but indeed inconsistent. When we exit in 368-371 we continue to execute the body of SQLiteQueryExecutor->migrate() which calls set_encryption_key and then sqlite3_open(...). This creates new database that is encrypted from the beginning. Here we do not exit but call sqlite3_open(...) (which creates new unencrypted database) and run encrypting code. The logic is not incorrect since we exit validate_encryption function with new encrypted database. But we should be consistent here end return after deleting database. Then we will exit validate_encryption without any database and let rest of SQLiteQueryExecutor->migrate() create new encrypted one.

https://www.zetetic.net/sqlcipher/sqlcipher-api/#testing-the-key
We used this way of encryption key correctness validation in D2874

Should have clarified that I wanted you to link the docs from the code comment