COMMAND

    Padlock-IT

SYSTEMS AFFECTED

    Win systems using Padlock-IT 1.01

PROBLEM

    ET  from  LoWNOISE  posted  following.   PadLock-it  is  a utility
    program for Windows 95, 98 and NT. It remembers all your passwords
    in a single,  easy to use  interface.  It  protects your passwords
    using encryption and fixes many loop holes in windows applications
    password  management.   Well,  you  don't  have  to  be  a guru on
    cryptoanalisys to realize something's wrong about PadLock-it.   It
    has a really cool  GUI and it's easy  to use, but its  opening new
    problems on password managment.

    First, remeber that now all  the passwords will be encrypted  on 1
    file called Padlock-it.dat  so any person  can grab this  file and
    analize it using just a text editor.  Example of Padlock-it.dat:

        [General]
        Version=1.01
        MP=588b1c441a

        [Options]
        TrayIcon=1
        Confirm=0
        Startup=1
        Quick Tips=1

        [Accounts]
        prueba=4a0e54f8„…4a0e54f8625f
        prueba1=5d2bd3e4e7„…4a169a9f8901
        prueba2=4a169a9f„…3db126d6f1fc83a4
        enter=588b1c441a„…588b1c441a
        noise=5554c02c0b„…5554c02c0b

    First problem.   They are not  using a random  seed between userid
    and his password.  Example:

        prueba = 4a169a9f__ 4a169a9f8900
                 root       root98

    If there are some  weak passwords you can  guess what is the  weak
    password for  a especified  USER.   Remember that  is easy to have
    some USER IDs just because other programs will give u that kind of
    info.

    Second problem. They are not using a random seed between accounts.
    Example:

        prueba1= 5d2bd3e4e7__ 4a169a9f8901
                 admin        root98

    So here is more help to have an idea to find the passwords.

    Third problem.  You can  know the first letter (and  sometimes the
    second too)  of any  user id  and the  password (this  include the
    master password).  Well, there  is no random seed (important  part
    on any crypto-thing).  So here is it a very little table:

        1st letter     encrypted
            a              5d
            b              5f
            c              5e
            d              59
            e              58
            f              5a
            g              5b
            h              51
            i              50
            j              52
            k              53
            l              57
            m              56
            n              55
            o              54
            p              48
            q              49
            r              4a
            s              4b
            t              4d
            u              4c
            v              4f
            w              4e
            x              46
            y              47
            z              44

    Another problem.  You know how many characters are in the user  id
    and the password and the master password.  Count the characters on
    the encrypted password, divide it by 2.  Example:

        prueba=4a0e54f8„…4a0e54f8625f
               r***      r*****

        prueba1=5d2bd3e4e7„…4a169a9f8901
                a****       r*****

    Yet another problem.  They say (in their HELP):

            I can only enter 5 characters for my master
            password, why?

            The evaluation version of PadLock-it
            is limited to 40 bit encryption, only US
            full versions of PadLock-it support 128
            bit encryption, which translates into 16
            character passwords.

    So, you know the first letter  of the MP and a brute  force attack
    is easy to do to find the next 4 characters.

    Problems goes on.  They say (HELP again):

            I forgot my master password, can I get it
            back?

            No, PadLock-it uses a state of the art security
            that is unbreakable, no one can get your master
            password. Not even the developers of PadLock-it.

    When you enter to edit an account, Padlock-IT decrypts the  userid
    and it shows you them in clear text.  The MP uses the same twofish
    encryption without seed like the accounts:

        [General]
        Version=1.01
        MP=588b1c441a    "guess the password"

        [Accounts]
        enter=588b1c441a„…588b1c441a
              "enter"     "enter"

    The MP  just works  to authenticate  you, it  has no  job on later
    encryption.  If someone decrypts the user id, he can break the MP.

SOLUTION

    Nothing yet.