VPN password copy?

Bassebus
Bassebus
Community Member
edited June 2019 in iOS

I use a VPN with OTP that requires the password to be entered as: password+otp-token

E.g:
Pass: foobar
Token: 123 456

Final pass: foobar123456

It would be nice with a ”copy password” feature which does this automagically....

Comments

  • AGAlumB
    AGAlumB
    1Password Alumni

    @Bassebus: When you fill a Login item which has a TOTP secret saved in it using 1Password, it automatically copies the TOTP code to the clipboard. So you could just paste that at the end of the already-filled password at that point. I hope this helps. Be sure to let me know if you have any other questions! :)

  • Bassebus
    Bassebus
    Community Member
    edited June 2019

    I’m using this when connecting with the built in VPN connection for IOS, (from Settings, not in Safari), as far as I know I cannot use autofill there?

    See screenshot:
    https://www.dropbox.com/s/0how0i2fqfib06o/IMG_5930.JPG?dl=0

  • AGAlumB
    AGAlumB
    1Password Alumni

    @Bassebus: Thanks for the illustration. There is literally nothing 1Password can do to fill in that prompt, since neither Autofill or Share [ ↑ ] extensions are available. Are you able to paste there at least? I use VPNs on iOS too, but they're configurable within their own apps -- which has the benefit of utilizing iOS Password Autofill. If this is something you struggle with frequently, I'd suggest reaching out to your VPN provider to get them to offer an app to make this easier -- heck, maybe they already have one! :)

  • Bassebus
    Bassebus
    Community Member

    Yes I'm able to paste.
    I guess my initial description was too weak:

    This is what I do:
    1. Open 1password app
    2. Go to the "site" in question
    3. Press password -> copy, this gives me "foobar" in copy
    4. I know need to remmeber :P (yeah bad memory) the 6 digits from the OTP (123456)
    5. Switch to SETTINGS
    6. Press connect on VPN
    7. paste password (now password box contains "foobar"
    8. enter the 6 digits (123456)
    9. press connect
    10. success

    Problems:
    A: I fail to remmeber 6 digits correcty
    B: OTP timer rolled to next token due to time taken to do steps 5-9 above

    My question:
    It would be nice, if there was a button in 1Password, that could copy a "vpn password string".
    I.e:
    1. Press the newly added button in 1password app that says "copy VPN string"
    2. 1Password now formats the copy string as "password + OTP", that is, the string i get copied is "foobar123456"
    3. Now i just need to go to settings, press connect on VPN, and paste my already finished string...

  • gazu
    gazu
    Community Member

    @Bassebus

    1Password generally don't introduce features for edge cases - it complicates software development and endangers the underlying engine (more code = more complexity = more risk).

    Your VPN is very unusual and insecure. Secure VPNs use public/private key certificates (such as OpenVPN) and don't rely upon a user entering a username and password to logon.

    iOS doesn't allow 1Password - or any other password manager - to use those dialog boxes. You can literally copy and paste: that's it.

    Like brenty said, you should really ask your VPN provider for an app or, better still, use a provider which supports OpenVPN.

  • Bassebus
    Bassebus
    Community Member
    edited June 2019

    I'm using the built in Cisco IPSEC client in my iPhone, this is by choice. I can just as easy use a dedicated client instead, but I have way less good experience with 3rd party clients for iOS.
    Also, I connect from other devices/computers and it's nice to have a generic VPN endpoint/configuration that works well for all clients.

    Also, my VPN is unusual? Say what?
    I use a combination of certificate + password + OTP.
    Please do tell me whats insecure about that?
    (I can turn off OTP and then problem solved, only need to copy PW from 1password, but then I just LOWERED my security).

    First you need to get a hold of my certificate, then you need my password, and on top of that you need a valid OTP. Security is WHY I want this feature.

    But yeah, I really can see how adding a "copy password+otp token" "complicates development" ;)
    I dont need 1password to be able to use the iOS box: I never asked for that.

    All I want is to be able to copy the PASSWORD AND THE OTP token at once. Not really rocket science level coding.
    Heck, I'll even pseudocode it for you:
    1. Add a "Copy PW+OTP" option to the menu strip
    2. NSPasteboard.general.setString(pwbox.text + otp.text, forType: .string)

    Concatenating PW+OTP is the "standard" way to do it for (legacy) VPN, please read up on this.
    I would even argue this is a better way to do it since you dont't need to have a client that has OTP support, concatenating pw+otp "always" works...

    https://discussions.agilebits.com/discussion/74155/concatenate-password-with-onetime-password

    See, someone else already asked for this. Too bad I missed that thread.
    That person even have the exact same problem as me, switching back and forth to copy/manually enter both pw+otp causes failure since the otp token might expire before all the copy/pasteing is done. "Edge case".. :)

  • Bassebus
    Bassebus
    Community Member

    I too would really like to see this feature, I even managed to create a duplicate thread.
    https://discussions.agilebits.com/discussion/comment/509886

    Please see the comments there if you need a more detailed explanation of my use case.

  • AGAlumB
    AGAlumB
    1Password Alumni

    @Bassebus: I don't think it would make sense for us to make a change in this area just for this specific use case. This is the first request of this kind on mobile that we've received, and even though it comes up on the desktop even there it is rare. However, one feature that can be useful in a wide range of contexts is Quick Copy, which works like this:

    1. Switch to 1Password
    2. Copy username
    3. Switch to app
    4. Paste username
    5. Switch back to 1Password
    6. (1Password automatically copies the password)
    7. Switch back to the app
    8. Paste the password
    9. Switch back to 1Password
    10. (1Password automatically copies the TOTP code, if present)
    11. Switch back to app
    12. Paste TOTP code (at the end of the password, in your case)

    That's something we introduced last year in version 7.0. Cheers! :)

  • Bassebus
    Bassebus
    Community Member

    Okay, thanks for the feedback.

  • ag_ana
    ag_ana
    1Password Alumni

    @Bassebus, on behalf of brenty, you are very welcome!
    If you have any other questions or feedback, please feel free to reach out anytime. :)

    Have a wonderful day!

This discussion has been closed.