Gentoo Archives: gentoo-user

From: Mick <michaelkintzios@×××××.com>
To: gentoo-user@l.g.o
Subject: Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Coming up with a password that is very strong.
Date: Tue, 05 Feb 2019 07:06:39
Message-Id: 3852215.FY7U17W6id@dell_xps
In Reply to: Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Coming up with a password that is very strong. by Dale
1 On Monday, 4 February 2019 22:12:16 GMT Dale wrote:
2 > Neil Bothwick wrote:
3 > > On Mon, 4 Feb 2019 15:59:02 -0500, Rich Freeman wrote:
4 > >>> One reason I use LastPass, it is mobile. I can go to someone else's
5 > >>> computer, use LastPass to say make use of Paypal, Newegg, Ebay etc,
6 > >>> logoff and it is like I was never there.
7 > >>
8 > >> As much as I like Lastpass I would never do that. It isn't magic - it
9 > >> is javascript. If there is a compromise on your computer, then your
10 > >> password database will be compromised. This is true of other
11 > >> solutions like KeePassX and so on - if something roots your box then
12 > >> it will be compromised.
13 > >
14 > > I don't see what root has to do with it. If someone gains access to your
15 > > box, they can copy the database file and then take their time trying to
16 > > crack the password, but you don't need to be root to do that.
17 >
18 > I might point out, LastPass encrypts the password before sticking it in
19 > a file. It isn't visible or plain text. Even getting the file would
20 > still require some tools and cracking to get the password itself.
21 > Cracking the master password would likely be much easier and doesn't
22 > even require access to the box itself, Linux or windoze. Also, LastPass
23 > only stores the encrypted password on its servers. Even if LastPass is
24 > hacked, the passwords are still encrypted. It's one reason LastPass
25 > shouldn't have to worry about getting court orders to turn over
26 > passwords. It doesn't really have them. I would suspect that cracking
27 > a encrypted password is as difficult as is just poking at a password
28 > until it is guessed.
29 >
30 > Even if a person is using a perfect tool, cracking a password is always
31 > going to be possible. The tougher the password, the harder it will be
32 > and the longer it will take. Still, it can be done. Using these tools
33 > just makes it harder. I'm not aware of a perfect password tool. I
34 > doubt one exists or ever will either. ;-) It's still good to pick one,
35 > use it and try to be as secure as one can.
36 >
37 > Dale
38 >
39 > :-) :-)
40
41 A solution like LastPass et al., using a browser's javascript to access it,
42 under a single master passwd, theoretically would have so many side-channel
43 attacks no one would be wasting time to brute force anything.
44
45 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LastPass#Security_issues
46
47 You could use gpg/openssl to encrypt a number of files, which would contain
48 your different website/application passwds. For paranoid use cases you can
49 use asymmetric keys and store your private key out-of-band. Sure, it won't be
50 as convenient as LastPass, but I expect it would be more secure and unlikely
51 to be compromised by XSS vulnerabilities.
52
53 --
54 Regards,
55 Mick

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Replies

Subject Author
Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Coming up with a password that is very strong. Dale <rdalek1967@×××××.com>
Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Coming up with a password that is very strong. Neil Bothwick <neil@××××××××××.uk>