LastPass Users Vulnerable to Devastating Phishing Attack

[nash031]

After reading this, I checked out Sean Cassidy's page and then dug a little bit more into the preferences and tools on LastPass. There are a few other recommendations I gleaned from the various places that weren't specifically mentioned:

- Use Firefox. It's tougher to spoof, though not impossible, since it uses operating system looks/feels instead of browser-specific ones. While a code could probably determine which OS you're on and spoof it, it's a more complex problem. (This is all about being a harder target for this stuff).

- Inside LastPass, you have the option to turn off all notifications in the browser bar, thus if you turn them off (uncheck them all under preferences), and something pops as a notification, you know it's bogus.

- Only access and/or log in to LastPass using the button on your browser, not through a website.

[Lsbcal]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nash031 ... - Inside LastPass, you have the option to turn off all notifications in the browser bar, thus if you turn them off (uncheck them all under preferences), and something pops as a notification, you know it's bogus.

Wouldn't this mean that LastPass cannot ask you if you want to include a recent new login/pw in your LastPass account? In Firefox one gets a green strip across the top of the window asking if you want to include the most recent new login/pw. This is very convenient and I do not think it is a security issue.

Quote:

- Only access and/or log in to LastPass using the button on your browser, not through a website.

If you did this as a practice, then maybe the change to preferences would not be necessary?

[Alan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lsbcal Wouldn't this mean that LastPass cannot ask you if you want to include a recent new login/pw in your LastPass account? In Firefox one gets a green strip across the top of the window asking if you want to include the most recent new login/pw. This is very convenient and I do not think it is a security issue.

Yes, I believe this is correct, you have to add new sites manually. The convenience of that strip plays into the hackers' hands as it can apparently be "spoofed".

[tulak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nash031 - Only access and/or log in to LastPass using the button on your browser, not through a website.

This is what I will make sure to do going forward. I appreciate threads like this because they remind me not be lazy, especially when entering passwords.

In practice, I rarely enter my Lastpass password. On my PC it stays logged in and on my iOS devices I use Touch ID. I do this so infrequently where at one point I was logged out and couldn't remember my password. I eventually figured it out (thankfully), but it had me worried for a bit.

[nash031]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan Yes, I believe this is correct, you have to add new sites manually. The convenience of that strip plays into the hackers' hands as it can apparently be "spoofed".

Exactly. That handy notification banner is an example of what this guy is talking about spoofing, except it is a login notification. That means by turning all notification banners off, anything that pops up isn't from last pass. I'd rather click once or twice more and have the added security, personally.

[ClockWatcher]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nash031 - Inside LastPass, you have the option to turn off all notifications in the browser bar, thus if you turn them off (uncheck them all under preferences), and something pops as a notification, you know it's bogus.

Thank you for posting this option. I have been using LastPass for the last 5 to 6 years and like it very much. I had planned on only using the button on my browser, but now that I have turned off all of the notifications, I don't even need to be tempted to click on anything.

.

[Alan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClockWatcher Thank you for posting this option. I have been using LastPass for the last 5 to 6 years and like it very much. I had planned on only using the button on my browser, but now that I have turned off all of the notifications, I don't even need to be tempted to click on anything. .

I agree, it was great advice and only a small inconvenience to the user for added security.

[Lsbcal]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan Yes, I believe this is correct, you have to add new sites manually. The convenience of that strip plays into the hackers' hands as it can apparently be "spoofed".

Generally the strip appears only after one is logging out of a new site. So it would seem to me that the timing indicates it is not a spoof. But that is maybe a small quibble and I guess I have to reluctantly agree that the best thing is manually setting up a new login.

Also sometimes that green strip has not worked for me or has worked in an incorrect fashion on some sites. So I have to correct the entry manually anyway.

[Lsbcal]

Since we are talking about Lastpass, I want to mention one thing. I've set up my Lastpass so that if I want to see the password for an entry, I have to re-enter my Lastpass login. This is because should someone be able to see my Lastpass open vault, all the passwords won't be visible. For a phone with a fingerprint reader, this is easy to live with.

To do this: under Alerts in Advanced Settings, in "Re-prompt for your LastPass master password before you:" check the box for "Access a Site's password"

[Alan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lsbcal Since we are talking about Lastpass, I want to mention one thing. I've set up my Lastpass so that if I want to see the password for an entry, I have to re-enter my Lastpass login. This is because should someone be able to see my Lastpass open vault, all the passwords won't be visible. For a phone with a fingerprint reader, this is easy to live with. To do this: under Alerts in Advanced Settings, in "Re-prompt for your LastPass master password before you:" check the box for "Access a Site's password"

Good advice. This is something I have done from the start. I've only just disabled the in-browser window as a result of this thread.

[tulak]

Great advice on this thread. Limiting show password is a good idea. I'm glad it was mentioned.

I've also disabled notifications and I'm not going to miss it one bit. A lot of sites that I visited where I already had a username/password would cause Lastpass to post a notification. I ignore it, but it's always annoyed me (and I've been too lazy to figure out how to get rid of it). Now I have the perfect solution: disable notifications completely.

[tulak]

Another security feature I've used since day one is to limit from what country my account can be accessed. It's always set for the US and when I travel, I enable countries that I'll be visiting and disable them when I get back. It probably isn't a lot of protection, but I figure everything helps.

[Lsbcal]

Good idea. I have it set to US too. No need to give those Eastern European hackers any advantages.

[Chuckanut]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kiki Another security feature I've used since day one is to limit from what country my account can be accessed. It's always set for the US and when I travel, I enable countries that I'll be visiting and disable them when I get back. It probably isn't a lot of protection, but I figure everything helps.

+1

I do the same thing. Given that many of these criminals operate from overseas, this makes perfect sense.

[Alan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kiki Another security feature I've used since day one is to limit from what country my account can be accessed. It's always set for the US and when I travel, I enable countries that I'll be visiting and disable them when I get back. It probably isn't a lot of protection, but I figure everything helps.

I also do this. Nice feature.

[tulak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuckanut +1 I do the same thing. Given that many of these criminals operate from overseas, this makes perfect sense.

True, but it's pretty easy to go through a VPN. I'm sure the people doing this are technical enough to figure that out, so the added protection is most likely limited.

[Alan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kiki True, but it's pretty easy to go through a VPN. I'm sure the people doing this are technical enough to figure that out, so the added protection is most likely limited.

True, but every little helps.

When we go to the UK and Europe in April it will be for 6 months so I'll turn off access from US ip addresses while we are over there.

[Lsbcal]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan True, but every little helps. When we go to the UK and Europe in April it will be for 6 months so I'll turn off access from US ip addresses while we are over there.

Quick question for you or anyone who has been in Europe for an extended period. We were in Italy in September and my Nexus 7 tablet went a little wonky. It did a system update which I did not want but went through anyway while there possibly because I did not cancel the notification. In the future I would cancel any such notification until home. When I got home it was still acting up even with a patient Google engineer's assistance. So did a factory reset and reinstall. Actually the factory reset helped a bit in other ways but it was a pain to go through all this.

Pretty much stayed off wifi with the Nexus 5 phone and it had no problems.

Anyone have problems after using various hotel wifi in Europe?

[Chuckanut]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kiki True, but it's pretty easy to go through a VPN. I'm sure the people doing this are technical enough to figure that out, so the added protection is most likely limited.

Added protection is usually limited. Nothing new there.

A determined professional thief can get into my house no matter how well I lock it up. That doesn't mean I leave the front door unlocked and the back windows open for any lesser skilled criminal to enter my house.

Like my old grandpappy used to say "Never let the perfect become the enemy of the good."

[Alan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lsbcal Quick question for you or anyone who has been in Europe for an extended period. We were in Italy in September and my Nexus 7 tablet went a little wonky. It did a system update which I did not want but went through anyway while there possibly because I did not cancel the notification. In the future I would cancel any such notification until home. When I got home it was still acting up even with a patient Google engineer's assistance. So did a factory reset and reinstall. Actually the factory reset helped a bit in other ways but it was a pain to go through all this. Pretty much stayed off wifi with the Nexus 5 phone and it had no problems. Anyone have problems after using various hotel wifi in Europe?

In 2013 we spent 5 months in Europe, 9 different countries, and used the wifi in hotels and cafes a lot. Never had a problem with with my iPad, but I don't believe I did an O/S upgrade in that time.