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Request for clarification: when using YubiKey's chalresp, are there individual challenges for every stored password? #2026

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mirko opened this issue Apr 27, 2025 · 0 comments

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@mirko
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mirko commented Apr 27, 2025

As far as I understand how the Challenge-Response-Applet on the YubiKey works is: if you provide the YubiKey with the same challenge, you receive the same response.

I don't know exactly how KeePassDX handles things, but I assume during creation of the database, it concatenates (and probably hashes) the to be entered password and the response to a static challenge (probably randomly generated string stored on Android device? Plaintext? In its hardware wallet / enclave?). At least that's how for example dm-crypt/cryptsetup/luks does it when being used with a YubiKey.

That means: once $entity became aware of the response received from the HSM/YubiKey (assuming the challenge is a static string), the second factor is known and decrypting credentials from this very database does not need the HSM/YubiKey itself anymore.

It obviously could be, that there is its very own challenge generated and saved for every saved password, which would significantly improve things. But I didn't find any information about it.

Documentation/FAQ speaking of "master key" and "Yes, It is currently possible to unlock a database using your Yubikey." suggest, though, that this isn't the case.

Pointers and clarification would be highly appreciated! Respective documentation even more! Thanks! :)

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