Neowin Login Not Secure?

By +BudMan
in Site & Forum Issues

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Grand Master

+BudMan MVC

Posted
  • MVC
Posted

So reading a thread and came across this statement

"Even the neowin login page is not encrypted"

Now I thought to myself - that can not be true.. I know the page itself is not fully encrypted, but that is not an issue the sending of the username and password could be using a https post, etc.

So figured I would take a look see.... Oddly enough, the post for the login looks to be in the clear from the page source

    <form action="https://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?app=core&module=global&section=login&do=process" method="post" id='login'>

Now I said -- hmmm, I know a little bit about html, but maybe I am missing something and I am looking at it wrong or something. So I did what I know better and that is looking at network sniffs... So I took one while logging in..

And what you know - my password right there in the clear?? That is not a very safe practice... I know its only a forum and such, and I agree you sure don't have to encrypt the whole site - but not the sending of the username and password?? That needs to be corrected!!

Now my password is complex random - but I assure you it was in the clear.

post-14624-0-50929000-1361862547.png

Not sure what that auth part is there I highlighted, but hid it as well.

So am I correct in that everyone that is logging into neowin is sending username and password in clear??

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https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1138606-neowin-login-not-secure/
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Grand Master

+BudMan MVC

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  • MVC
Posted

Yep. May be an IPB issue

I don't think so - I looked on their website, and their form shows it being posted via HTTPS

<form action="[url="view-source:https://www.invisionpower.com/clients/index.php?app=core&module=global&section=login&do=process"]https://www.invisionpower.com/clients/index.php?app=core&module=global&section=login&do=process[/url]" method="[url=""]post[/url]" id='[url=""]login[/url]'>

I am hoping someone just forgot the S there -- but that seems unlikely because you can not access neowin.net via https at all. So maybe they don't have a cert to use?

Experienced

Kelxin

Posted
Posted

Most systems that "care" if their accounts could get hacked or not use an SSL connection for at least the login page. Honestly, what damage can really be done on this forum if someone hacks your account? HOPEFULLY people here are smart enough not to use the password on this site on any of their other more important web logins.

Grand Master

+BudMan MVC

Posted
  • Author
  • MVC
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I hear yah - it is just a forum.. But personal info about the account could be gleaned form the users control panel. And yeah again great info the password you use here should not be the same as your other logins, etc. But it is still very bad practice, I can not believe it was done on purpose - it must be some oversite somewhere??

Experienced

Kelxin

Posted
Posted

I completely agree, hell, every login page that I've coded the password gets hashed and salted before ever even being submitted to the server, and that ALL gets sent across a SSL encrypted connection. Maybe the server admin doesn't want to pay for a cert? lol

Guest

Posted
Posted

I would imagine the option to use https on the login page is an option in the admin area of IPB. I can't can't find a manual though for IPB.

I can see what your saying but I use lots of sites and I would imagine well over half are not secure. Still, if IPB has a flick switch to enable it maybe it should be enabled. Certs are cheap enough these days. Free is cheap right? :)

I use a different random password for every site I use, still there is information about me (email) that a normal user can't see without my password.

Will be interesting to see what the dev's say.

Experienced

Kelxin

Posted
Posted

Did some research, by default IPB wants to use an SSL connection, and all of the passwords are hashed in MD5 in the database, but are sent in plain text in the hopes that the sysadmin used an SSL connection for the login page.

Experienced

Kelxin

Posted
Posted

Hrm, I think I have about 20ish passwords for my own uses, then a unique password for each of my 200+ clients servers ... Somedays I feel like bashing my head against a wall trying to remember one... but hey, its definitely more secure than some of the other options in the world.

Mentor

nekkidtruth

Posted
Posted

I suppose I'm more surprised it's taken 13 years to discover this (massive?) flaw, but I've alerted Redmak and DaveLegg to have a look.

Thanks BudMan.

I LOL'd at 13 years. What does that say about this "technically savvy" community? Haha :shifty:

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Grand Master

Steven P. Administrators

Posted
  • Administrators
Posted

Touche. However, doesn't make it any less humorous. ;)

It's humorous that you don't understand that this isn't actually a huge problem, and can only be resolved by purchasing an expensive SSL certificate for 3 servers, or have a free one cry about it being self signed (creating an unnecessary browser alert for my site).

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