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cogeary

Member

Registered: 2012-09-16

Posts: 22

NetworkManager password security

Hi all,
Using NetworkManager on GNOME Desktop, I've a curiosity and a practical question:

From what I understand, NetworkManager defaults to storing network passwords in plaintext in /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/<ssid.nmconnection>. rw access for each of these files is given only to root. But after saving a network connection, the user can choose to instead "Store the password only for this user" (option in the GNOME GUI), which will store the password with gnome-keyring instead.

- It seems more secure to store network passphrases in the keyring—then they could only be accessed after unlocking the user's keyring. Is this right? Are there any reasons from a security perspective why the default behavior might be preferred?

- Is there any way to change nm's default to save in the keyring?

ewaller

Administrator

From: Pasadena, CA

Registered: 2009-07-13

Posts: 20,701

Re: NetworkManager password security

I ssh into my box when I am away from home.  If it reboots (perhaps because I asked it to), it needs to establish a network connection all by its lonesome without someone there to log in and unlock the keyring.

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