Researchers Expose 27 Critical Vulnerabilities in Top Password Manager Solutions

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Researchers Expose Critical Flaws in Popular Password Managers

A recent study has revealed significant vulnerabilities in several major password managers, including Bitwarden, LastPass, and Dashlane. The research, conducted by a team from ETH Zurich and the Università della Svizzera italiana, demonstrates how compromised servers and design flaws can be exploited to access encrypted vault data.

Successful Attacks and Vulnerabilities

The researchers successfully executed 27 attacks against the three password managers, compromising the security of the encrypted data stored within. The attacks were made possible due to a lack of ciphertext integrity and cryptographic binding, which allowed hackers to manipulate metadata and sensitive data.

One of the most concerning vulnerabilities discovered was the ability to swap login credentials, including usernames, passwords, and URLs, between different accounts. This field swap attack, which affected Bitwarden and LastPass, could allow hackers to obtain decrypted passwords by tricking the app into loading a website icon.

Attacks on Features and Legacy Security Methods

Other attacks targeted features such as account recovery and sharing. In one instance, a compromised server could force a user to join a fake organization, allowing the hacker to obtain the user’s master key. Additionally, the researchers found that legacy security methods, still active for backward compatibility, could be exploited to force a key derivation function (KDF) downgrade, enabling hackers to guess data byte-by-byte.

Categorization of Attacks and Causes of Vulnerabilities

The researchers categorized the attacks into four groups based on the password manager feature exploited. The vulnerabilities were found to be caused by a range of factors, including a lack of authentication, inadequate encryption, and poor key management.

Most Secure Password Manager and Recommendations

While Bitwarden, LastPass, and Dashlane were found to be vulnerable to various attacks, 1Password emerged as the most secure password manager. The researchers attributed this to 1Password’s use of a Secret Key, a random code that remains on the user’s device, making server-side attacks mathematically impossible.

In response to the study’s findings, the vendors have begun patching the vulnerabilities. Dashlane and Bitwarden have already released fixes to harden their systems and remove legacy cryptography. Users are advised to update their apps immediately to ensure maximum protection.

To further enhance security, researchers recommend using a Secret Key or a hardware security key, such as a YubiKey, which adds a physical layer of security that cannot be bypassed by a remote hacker. Additionally, vendors are urged to ensure solid foundations and novel definitions to capture security in this setting.

Conclusion

The study’s findings highlight the importance of robust security measures in protecting sensitive data. While password managers are designed to provide an additional layer of security, they are not foolproof and can be vulnerable to sophisticated attacks. As such, users must remain vigilant and take steps to maximize their protection.

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