Mozilla Firefox launched nine years ago a star feature: a master password to encrypt all passwords stored in your browser. However, now according to the latest reports, Mozilla Firefox’s weak master password encryption can be hacked in just 1 minute.
Firefox’s Weak Master Password Encryption Can Be Hacked In Just 1 Minute
Mozilla Firefox launched nine years ago a star feature: a master password to encrypt all passwords stored in your browser. Instead of saving them in text-easily hackable-encrypts and stores them securely, or at least it should be.
However, nine years ago a security expert already raised the alarm and nobody paid much attention to him, until now. Apparently, as Mozilla recognizes, the Firefox master password is potentially unsafe because it uses soft SHA-1 encryption and is too easy to dodge to save your passwords.
With a good CPU, you can crack the encryption key in just a 1 minute, something that several security analysts have pointed out is a very important error. However, using weak encryption for your passwords is still better than using none and saving keys as text.
According to Wladimir Palant, the expert who has resurrected the issue, it is practically not worth using this feature, although he adds that the developer is already working to replace it with a much stronger one. It will be called LockBox and will be available as an extension for Firefox with its next update.
Currently, Google Chrome is the favourite browser in the world by far. Firefox, like Safari, Edge and other alternatives such as Opera, strives to capture as much market share as possible with innovative features, especially security. However, they can not knock the giant down.
With the arrival of Firefox Quantum, this browser became the fastest on the market, although it still has much to improve. This vulnerability in the Firefox master password is a problem, although it is even more so with no encryption or tool to protect users from problems such as the fraudulent mining of cryptocurrencies.
So, what do you think about this? Simply share all your views and thoughts in the comment section below.
