this post was submitted on 04 Mar 2024
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Privacy
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Thank you for your constructive comment.
Indeed many people thinks 2FA as 2 devices. I am not sure where that came from and what specifically make people think that way. Despite all my research and experience using 2 devices solve no specific security problem. I think there is a whole topic to be argued on this (should I make a blog post on this?).
As for me I have Aegis on my smartphone (really perfect nothing to say). But I have many unwanted/unnecessary 2FA to go through every day (for the last 3 years). I am cleaning my cookie/connection every time I close my web browser and I am not keeping my computer on all the time. Therefore those 2FA needs to be done a lot (I mean at least 3 time a day). I do not interact much with my smartphone, also this is the least secure device I own so web browser extension is an OK way. I used to have a python script I could have run from one of my IoT through ssh. So far I don't see any vector of attack this would prevent compared to browser extension.
I see hundreds of thousands of users using other extensions that I wouldn't run on my system and I am sharing a better solution, nothing perfect, nothing that requires mass adoption.
Thanks a lot! I selectively keep cookies for login sites, which is not a good solution.
The threat is websites escaping the browser sandbox and reading stuff. I dont know if this is really that realistic though.
Websites have no way to creep into your browser, extensions included. Usually it is the other way around. Such a leak would be catastrophic for the browser (thinks of all the password manager). At least here it is not even a password manager but only the TOTP so you still have your password as security (still this will never happen realistically).
2FA being on a separate device is simply the most secure way of doing it. An attacker who gets access to some passwords for my accounts can't do a whole lot without also physically stealing my phone.
It's simply an extra hurdle for malicious actors to go through.
Though I guess in most cases, having any 2FA at all will probably already turn off a majority of attackers.
??? Theres a while bunch of loopholes they can exploit without having access to your phone, here's must one.
https://www.netspi.com/blog/technical/web-application-penetration-testing/why-totp-wont-cut-it/
I do it the way you do it as well but am under no illusion it's bomb proof.
I could've worded it better, that's for sure.
An attacker needs some form of access to your separate device. That describes it more accurately.