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This bug affects 1 person(s).
 264
IDProjectCategoryView StatusLast Update
10373Bug reportsSecuritypublic2020-03-13 18:46
Reportergmambro Assigned Tocdorin  
PriorityhighSeverityminor 
Status closedResolutionopen 
Product Version2.06+ 
Summary10373: Partial survey saving sends cleartext password in notification email
Description

When a partial survey answers are saved an email is sent containing the chosen password in clear text. More over the user is not warned in advance that his/her password will be sent in clear over a potentially unsecured channel.

The given link should contain a token or a hash instead of a password and the password should not be printed in the email (unless it is a password recovery procedure)

Additional Information

https://github.com/LimeSurvey/LimeSurvey/blob/cf4667ac0aa2f08176bd7216f864a3f62b76b357/application/libraries/Save.php#L198

TagsNo tags attached.
Bug heat264
Complete LimeSurvey version number (& build)07702db54e77ce5ff4fc486f86b4
I will donate to the project if issue is resolvedNo
Browserany
Database type & versionany
Server OS (if known)any
Webserver software & version (if known)any
PHP Versionany

Relationships

has duplicate 11631 closedc_schmitz Version 2.50+: Partial survey saving sends clear text password in notification email 

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Activities

ollehar

ollehar

2016-02-10 17:07

administrator   ~34833

What good would a token or hash be?

Maybe add a checkbox? "Send password to my mail in clear-text."

ollehar

ollehar

2016-02-10 17:08

administrator   ~34834

Need discussion.

gmambro

gmambro

2016-02-10 17:14

reporter   ~34835

Token or hash to avoid sending password in clear-text, even in the generated URL.
Checkbox can be a partial solution, with a warning to the user that the chosen password will shown in clear, so he/she can avoid using sensible passwords (users love reusing passwords)

ollehar

ollehar

2016-02-10 17:21

administrator   ~34837

Yes, but how would you use the token/hash? Unless the user has a secret key he/she has to remember to unhash the token (then we have to use two-way hash algorithm), it's useless.

gmambro

gmambro

2016-02-11 09:38

reporter   ~34879

Case token: the user enters only the email address, LS creates a random password (ala token) and uses it as it done now (pro: no risk the user discloses a valid/sensible password)

Case hash: the user enters a password, the password is optionally sent the user (e.g. he/she can with a checkbox). The URL becomes something like this

"/survey/index/sid/{$surveyid}/loadall/reload/scid/{$scid}/loadname/".rawurlencode ($_POST['savename'])."/loadhash/".rawurlencode (hash('sha256',$_POST['savepass'])."/lang/".rawurlencode (App()->language)

DenisChenu

DenisChenu

2016-02-11 10:12

developer   ~34885

Hi,

If we hashing password : we can not send a link to retake it. We need to tested hashed password vs DB password.

Maybe move "save" system in a core plugin allow different solution more easily.

gmambro

gmambro

2016-02-11 10:19

reporter   ~34888

IMHO password are already stored as hash
$saved_control->access_code = hash('sha256',$_POST['savepass']);

DenisChenu

DenisChenu

2016-02-24 13:02

developer   ~35649

@gmambro : yes and we test
hash('sha256',$_GET['pass'])==$storedpass.

We don't have to send hashed password clearly : it's the same issue .

An option to show or not the password in save link ?

c_schmitz

c_schmitz

2016-02-24 14:05

administrator   ~35652

We can just hash the hash and embed it in the link.

DenisChenu

DenisChenu

2016-02-24 14:08

developer   ~35653

Last edited: 2016-02-24 14:09

But c_schmitz : it's the same : send the hashed password is a security issue too.

One time hash is another idea with delay.

c_schmitz

c_schmitz

2016-02-24 14:16

administrator   ~35656

Last edited: 2016-02-24 14:16

It sure is, but we are not a banking application - but many users use the same password for several purposes - hash of a hash is much better than a clear text password and cannot be cracked by a rainbow table approach.

DenisChenu

DenisChenu

2016-02-24 14:23

developer   ~35657

Maybe best : link to load + information

Somethink like that:
"Link to load your survey ".Yii::app()->getController()->createAbsoluteUrl("/survey/index/sid/{$surveyid}/loadall/reload")

Just remove any onfoirmation : leave only the reload link ?

c_schmitz

c_schmitz

2016-02-24 14:28

administrator   ~35658

They will forget their password for sure, lowering the response rate.

DenisChenu

DenisChenu

2016-02-24 15:02

developer   ~35662

OK,

But then hash it with something other : date or random.

And add the date/random in saved table.

Think we don't have to send just hashed password : hashed pasword is same for same password. Different hash for different save with sema password seem better.

ollehar

ollehar

2016-02-24 15:24

administrator   ~35663

+1 for salts.

c_schmitz

c_schmitz

2020-03-13 18:46

administrator   ~56468

This version of LimeSurvey is not longer supported. Please check so that the issue is fixed in a more recent version of LimeSurvey. If it's not, please reopen this bug report. Thank you.

Issue History

Date Modified Username Field Change
2016-02-10 10:12 gmambro New Issue
2016-02-10 17:07 ollehar Note Added: 34833
2016-02-10 17:08 ollehar Note Added: 34834
2016-02-10 17:08 ollehar Assigned To => ollehar
2016-02-10 17:08 ollehar Status new => acknowledged
2016-02-10 17:14 gmambro Note Added: 34835
2016-02-10 17:21 ollehar Note Added: 34837
2016-02-11 09:38 gmambro Note Added: 34879
2016-02-11 10:12 DenisChenu Note Added: 34885
2016-02-11 10:19 gmambro Note Added: 34888
2016-02-24 12:19 c_schmitz Assigned To ollehar => c_schmitz
2016-02-24 12:19 c_schmitz Status acknowledged => assigned
2016-02-24 12:19 c_schmitz Fixed in Version => 2.5
2016-02-24 12:20 c_schmitz Fixed in Version 2.5 =>
2016-02-24 13:02 DenisChenu Note Added: 35649
2016-02-24 14:05 c_schmitz Note Added: 35652
2016-02-24 14:08 DenisChenu Note Added: 35653
2016-02-24 14:09 DenisChenu Note Edited: 35653
2016-02-24 14:16 c_schmitz Note Added: 35656
2016-02-24 14:16 c_schmitz Note Edited: 35656
2016-02-24 14:23 DenisChenu Note Added: 35657
2016-02-24 14:28 c_schmitz Note Added: 35658
2016-02-24 15:02 DenisChenu Note Added: 35662
2016-02-24 15:24 ollehar Note Added: 35663
2016-02-24 15:30 c_schmitz Summary Partial survey answers saving uses clear password => Partial survey saving sends cleartext password in notification email
2016-04-04 13:22 c_schmitz Status assigned => acknowledged
2016-04-04 13:22 c_schmitz Priority normal => high
2016-04-04 13:24 c_schmitz Assigned To c_schmitz =>
2016-09-07 13:07 c_schmitz Relationship added has duplicate 11631
2019-09-23 12:18 c_schmitz Status acknowledged => confirmed
2019-11-14 21:39 cdorin Assigned To => cdorin
2019-11-14 21:39 cdorin Status confirmed => assigned
2020-03-13 18:46 c_schmitz Note Added: 56468
2020-03-13 18:46 c_schmitz Status assigned => closed