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Pandora doesn't hash their passwords

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Re: Pandora doesn't hash their passwords

#51
post #31

Why are people still relying on developers to implement proper password security instead of using unique passwords?

Why are we still relying on passwords rather than a secure PKI key-based access method in which unique keys are generated for each remote system accessed?

Re: Pandora doesn't hash their passwords

#52
post #50
post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It has to be plaintext in the db, because they can't reverse the hash back to plaintext to send to you.

Not quite true. It could be (and probably is) encrypted in the database.

That doesn't make sense. Three days after you sign-up (i.e. no cache), if they are sending you your password, it can only be because it's plaintext. Unless they are bruteforcing the hash for your convenience... :-)

Re: Pandora doesn't hash their passwords

#53
post #50
post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It has to be plaintext in the db, because they can't reverse the hash back to plaintext to send to you.

Not quite true. It could be (and probably is) encrypted in the database.

Can you elaborate? I don't know any way to take a hashed password and get the plaintext version. When you log into any app i've worked on, we hash the pw you send and match it with the one in the db. This is why you have to get a password reset most of the time, because the company literally does not know your password.

Re: Pandora doesn't hash their passwords

#54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Simple, for every user that the hackers have, try their password for the associated email account, guaranteed they will gain access to many email accounts. Now they have access to their banking accounts.

This could happen, but do we have any evidence that it has? I'm being serious...I constantly hear about widespread leaks of passwords, but the most I hear about it is people having their email hacked by a botnet to...send spam. Have their been any large scale attacks to gain access to bank accounts to then clean them out somehow? On top of that, how does getting access to someone's bank account even help you? You hav…

Robbing a convenience store at gunpoint or illegally downloading torrents usually also "leave a trail." That doesn't mean nobody is willing to do it, and I definitely wouldn't feel safe if random people had access to my bank account just because if they did anything law enforcement might be able to catch them.

Re: Pandora doesn't hash their passwords

#55
post #53
post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not quite true. It could be (and probably is) encrypted in the database.

Can you elaborate? I don't know any way to take a hashed password and get the plaintext version. When you log into any app i've worked on, we hash the pw you send and match it with the one in the db. This is why you have to get a password reset most of the time, because the company literally does not know your password.

A cryptographic hash is one-directional (among other things).

However, encryption is the the same as hashing, and it can be decrypted. It is possible that they are not hashing your password, but encrypting it, before they put it into the database.

Re: Pandora doesn't hash their passwords

#56
post #53
post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not quite true. It could be (and probably is) encrypted in the database.

Can you elaborate? I don't know any way to take a hashed password and get the plaintext version. When you log into any app i've worked on, we hash the pw you send and match it with the one in the db. This is why you have to get a password reset most of the time, because the company literally does not know your password.

Encrypted, not hashed. As in, encrypted with a key that can be used to then decrypt it later.

Re: Pandora doesn't hash their passwords

#58
post #53
post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not quite true. It could be (and probably is) encrypted in the database.

Can you elaborate? I don't know any way to take a hashed password and get the plaintext version. When you log into any app i've worked on, we hash the pw you send and match it with the one in the db. This is why you have to get a password reset most of the time, because the company literally does not know your password.

[deleted]

Re: Pandora doesn't hash their passwords

#59
post #48

My jaw dropped. How does such a publicly visible website think it is okay to show users their password without them asking? It should now be assumed that every hacker on the planet knows about this vulnerability, and Pandora will see attacks against their database very soon. What we don't know is if Pandora is storing users' passwords in plaintext. It is possible that Pandora remembers your password server-side for y…

It has to be plaintext in the db, because they can't reverse the hash back to plaintext to send to you.

Actually, technically it doesn't have to be in the database at all. I don't know if anyone has looked carefully at the JavaScript, but it appears the password, unlike everything else, is populated from client side JavaScript. It could be stored in a cookie or HTML5 local store or any number of other ephemeral client side storage tricks. It would be set when you login, from your browser. The server might only store an HMAC.

Re: Pandora doesn't hash their passwords

#60
post #29

My jaw dropped. How does such a publicly visible website think it is okay to show users their password without them asking? It should now be assumed that every hacker on the planet knows about this vulnerability, and Pandora will see attacks against their database very soon. What we don't know is if Pandora is storing users' passwords in plaintext. It is possible that Pandora remembers your password server-side for y…

Even if they are just using saving it in session they aren't using https

That makes it even worse then. Every Pandora user connected via WiFi is at risk. I wonder if Pandora is usable in airports?
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