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Hackers Can Retrieve Master Passwords from KeePass Memory

May 18, 2023 By Heinrich Long — 7 Comments
Hackers Can Retrieve Master Passwords from KeePass Memory

KeePass, a widely-used open-source password manager, saves user input in retrievable memory strings, including master passwords that protect the user’s credentials.

The problem stems from how KeePass handles user-typed content in forms, creating memory strings containing all the master password’s characters except for the first one.

The vulnerability, now tracked as CVE-2023-32784, was discovered by a security researcher who published a KeePass 2.X password dumper on GitHub two weeks ago to demonstrate the exploitation possibility. The tool retrieves data from the KeePass memory dump containing the sensitive info and delivers the potential password candidates to the users in readable plaintext form.

The Master Password Dumper will work no matter where the memory comes from (process dump, swap file, hibernation file, or RAM dump) or whether the workspace is locked, and may even retrieve secrets from RAM shortly after the program’s (KeePass) termination.

Impact on KeePass

The impact on users of the software is undeniably severe, as anyone holding the master password may unlock the software’s password database and retrieve all credentials for all online accounts of the impacted user.

However, several mitigating factors in CVE-2023-32784 somewhat lessen its impact, at least for most of the regular users of the application.

First, the flaw only impacts KeePass 2.X, including its latest version, 2.53.1. However, a significant portion of the KeePass userbase still uses KeePass 1.X, which isn’t vulnerable.

Secondly, the flaw may only be triggered by someone with physical access to the target’s computer or somebody who has stolen their target’s hard drive. With those scenarios excluded, the only possible way to exploit CVE-2023-32784 would be to deploy malware on the target system, which can be prevented if good practices are followed.

Thirdly, if the user sets their master password by pasting it on the KeePass form instead of typing it, the mentioned memory strings will not contain sensitive data, so nothing will be retrievable.

Upcoming Fixes

Dominik Reichl, the main developer of KeePass, said the fixes have already been implemented on a development snapshot of the software, and the first tests indicate they can effectively prevent the exploitation of the flaw.

The creator of the KeePass Master Password Dumper tool has confirmed that the fixes work as expected, and the attack can not be reproduced in the newest version of the software.

The fixes are expected to be incorporated in version KeePass 2.54, which Reichl promised to make available by July 2023 and possibly earlier.

Related Articles:

  • KeePass Review
  • Google Reveals Attack Chains Used in Spyware Campaigns
  • Flaw in Telegram Gives Attackers Access to macOS Camera
  • Best Password Manager Apps
  • NordLocker Review

About Heinrich Long

Heinrich is an associate editor for RestorePrivacy and veteran expert in the digital privacy field. He was born in a small town in the Midwest (USA) before setting sail for offshore destinations. Although he long chafed at the global loss of online privacy, after Edward Snowden’s revelations in 2013, Heinrich realized it was time to join the good fight for digital privacy rights. Heinrich enjoys traveling the world, while also keeping his location and digital tracks covered.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nikola

    May 23, 2023

    Can we safely sat that if you don’t want your passwords to be known to other people, you must write them only on paper and keep it in safe place?

    Even more, is this sufficient? For example, what if a hacker retrieve my passwords not from KeePass, but while I type them when I try to log in my accounts?

    What will solve this type of security problems? Possibly logging in with face recognition technology?

    But if face recognition solves this security problem, then what about privacy? Let’s say that some people would want both security and privacy. What about them?

    My humble opinion is that there are no technological solutions to such problems. But, there may be other, non-technological solutions.

    Reply
  2. Major Tom

    May 19, 2023

    1Password, Bitwarden, and AI Roboform FTW!

    Reply
  3. User

    May 19, 2023

    Thanks for the information provided Heinrich. I did not know about it. I am sure KeePass will fix it soon.

    Reply
    • LaughingLlama

      May 19, 2023

      I bet some clueless folks will stick with KeePass, which is always making headlines for the wrong reasons.

      Reply
  4. Super Sven

    May 19, 2023

    I believe NordPass and Dashlane are the best password manager one can get. I personally use Dashlane Premium Version and it works well. Password Manager is the most essential and number one service for me, more than any other including VPN. Because Managing above hundred passwords and generating unique password for each one of them is a humongous task and along with that I also have to secure my documents, several other important peace of information etc and so Dashlane is the most essential to me.

    Reply
  5. Robert Larsen

    May 19, 2023

    Presumably this issue doesn’t affect KeePass alternatives such as KeePassXC?

    Reply
    • Sven Taylor

      May 19, 2023

      That’s correct.

      Reply

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