Re: [TSVN] UnCheck Save Authentication

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 18:43:32 +0200,
SteveKing <steveking@gmx.ch> wrote:

S> OM> I'll try to write a patched version to demo how it could be done.
S>
S> If you do, you have to make sure it works on all platforms which
S> Subversion runs on. They won't accept any changes which are specific to
S> an OS.

Sure. I can do Win32 and Linux. Hope there is not too much exotic
platforms. My patch, if I go as far, would obvioulsy require some
external help for other platforms.

S> > 2) Storing clear-text is stupid. I know I will have to write this with
S> > other words not to be rude, but that is a stupid security mistake. No
S> > file system security can solve this, except using an encrypted
S> > file-system (which will require the user to type a single master
S> > password from time to time). And that is exactly what I suggest SVN
S> > should have.
S>
S> A "master" password isn't good either. I mean, where would you store that?

Nowhere of course, except in my head. The whole idea is to ask the user
for the password each time it is required and not memory-cached (expired
for instance). But is *only* asking for *a* single password. Very
different than asking for a login and a password possibly different
depending on which server the connection is made to.

S> If those auth data is ever going to be encrypted, then I suggest using
S> the built-in mechanisms of the underlying OS. I don't know if Linux has
S> something like that, but on Windows there's a protected storage where
S> all data is automatically encrypted and only readable by the logged on
S> user. See the DPAPI for details.

AFAIK, DPAPI is a Windows 2000/XP thing. We could also use NTFS
encryption capabilities. Not available everywhere too. Everywhere where
I work, yes. But isn't TSVN and SVN available for Win95 for instance ?

S> Hmmm - now that I think about it, there might be a chance that TSVN
S> could implement its own authentication store. But this will take a lot
S> of time (if ever possible) since I first have to dig through the
S> subversion source code...

I'll have a look in there over the next days to see how that part of
subversion code is architected.

-- 
Olivier Mascia
---------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe, e-mail: dev-unsubscribe@tortoisesvn.tigris.org
For additional commands, e-mail: dev-help@tortoisesvn.tigris.org