- cross-posted to:
- opensource@lemmy.ml
- cross-posted to:
- opensource@lemmy.ml
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/12744832
As I updated the version to 1.4.0 , adding the ‘import’ feature I am sharing this here.
I made this extension because I couldn’t find one that wouldn’t ask for too much permissions (such as accessing all websites data).
Eventually I found it nice to have a TOTP that can really be audited, the code is 649 lines of JS, 214 CSS and 52 HTML. Feel free to fork, copy part of it, contribute or just request fix/features.
I have used it for more than a year every day and it works nicely.
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I struggle to think of a situation where I would willingly undermine TOTP security by storing the secrets in my web browser.
Before using this for anything you can’t afford to lose, I suggest thinking twice. And then twice again.
Edit to elaborate:
Web browsers are probably the single most targeted component in a desktop computer, have an enormous attack surface, and suffer from an unending stream of vulnerabilities and exploits discovered practically every month. Storing your 2FA secrets there is akin to putting a second lock on your door and hiding the key under the doormat.
And no, encrypting the secrets in the browser for storage-at-rest does not solve this problem, because it also delegates decryption to the browser. That means an exploited browser can access all of your secrets as soon as you request a TOTP from any of them. Closing it won’t help, because an exploited browser can trivially save or give away a copy of the password you entered, or the decryption key that was generated from it, or the secrets themselves, so your secrets are then compromised forever.
2FA generators are generally built as stand-alone programs for good reason. Even the ones that offer a browser extension don’t let it access the secret storage.
Really, think twice before depending on this design for anything important.
It’s also an extension with 1 review, by a no-name developer, with only 12 installs… definitely would trust that…
Well this is 600 lines of code, if you cannot audit that you can indeed ignore it for now. Once again this is the only auditable code out there and not asking for unrelated permissions.
It might be safe, it might work well and all, but it does defeat the point of 2FA, so I wouldn’t want people to even know about it before they explored undeniably better and safer options, like Authenticator apps for their phones.
But to be fair, many people around the world only have one single device, so 2FA becomes a difficulty. But that’s the point where I’m not knowledgable enough anymore to see what the best way of going about it is.
From my gut feeling, I’d rather put a dedicated TOTP App on a device than to use a browser extension.
Thank you for your constructive comment.
Indeed many people thinks 2FA as 2 devices. I am not sure where that came from and what specifically make people think that way. Despite all my research and experience using 2 devices solve no specific security problem. I think there is a whole topic to be argued on this (should I make a blog post on this?).
As for me I have Aegis on my smartphone (really perfect nothing to say). But I have many unwanted/unnecessary 2FA to go through every day (for the last 3 years). I am cleaning my cookie/connection every time I close my web browser and I am not keeping my computer on all the time. Therefore those 2FA needs to be done a lot (I mean at least 3 time a day). I do not interact much with my smartphone, also this is the least secure device I own so web browser extension is an OK way. I used to have a python script I could have run from one of my IoT through ssh. So far I don’t see any vector of attack this would prevent compared to browser extension.
I see hundreds of thousands of users using other extensions that I wouldn’t run on my system and I am sharing a better solution, nothing perfect, nothing that requires mass adoption.
2FA being on a separate device is simply the most secure way of doing it. An attacker who gets access to some passwords for my accounts can’t do a whole lot without also physically stealing my phone.
It’s simply an extra hurdle for malicious actors to go through.
Though I guess in most cases, having any 2FA at all will probably already turn off a majority of attackers.
can’t do a whole lot without also physically stealing my phone.
??? Theres a while bunch of loopholes they can exploit without having access to your phone, here’s must one.
https://www.netspi.com/blog/technical/web-application-penetration-testing/why-totp-wont-cut-it/
I do it the way you do it as well but am under no illusion it’s bomb proof.
Every software started with 0 reviews, by a no-name developer, with only 1 installs.
This is a privacy community. Half the posters here think their toaster is listening to their thoughts. Browser extensions are a serious and known vector for malware, installing one from a no-name developer and handing it your tfa codes is a high level of blind trust.
So basically… completely remove the purpose of 2FA?
Does it, tho? It’s like “smth you know + smth you have” (although knowing or being able to remember most paswords is also quite often a bad idea, but I digress); so you have a device and know [the password for the password manager which knows] the password.
Besides, given that logic, to not defeat the purpose of 2fa you’ll have to have another smartphone just to run aegis or something
There is an irony in password managers that stores your password but need a password (passphrase would be better). A password for your passwords. Fundamentally this is because the only secured space, only you can get in and no one else, is your own brain.
Most password leaks are usually caused by bad implementations on the server side. I have an authentication protocol to avoid many password leakages I’d like to share one day (double salt, one from client, one on server so password is never shared to the server).
