Password managers and/or operating systems can manage private keys just fine. websites shouldn't be concerned with how the keys are managed, or be able to make demands on how users store credentials, or know device details for users.
One thing I dislike even with systems like FIDO2 is that the websites/apps can block list your FIDO key's vendors. Similar trends suck. Passkeys are just one iteration in a long line of systems designed with corporate interests in mind.
The system validating the authentication needs only to verify that the credentials are correct. If users want to use TPMs, HSMs,etc.. or none at all, that's up to them. And no information, other than what is strictly required to verify the credential should be transmitted over the network. a signature of challenge data from the app should be sufficient. the user's public key shouldn't be signed at all by hardware, a trusted 3rd party,etc.. the registration process should take care of establishing public key trust to the authenticator/app. The whole thing feels insidious.
It's a death by thousand cuts that's finally starting to come together:
- Remote attestation like Play "integrity"
- Hardware backed DRM like Widevine
- No full access to filesystem on Android, and no access to filesystem at all on iOS
- No ability to run your own programs at all on iOS without Apple's permission.
- "Secure" boot on Android and iOS that do not allow running your own software
Ever wondered why Windows 11 have a TPM requirement? No, it's not just planned obsolescence.
If they get their way, user-owned computers running free software will never be usable again, and we'll lose the final escape hatch slowing down the enshittification of computers. The only hope we have is that they turn up the temperature a little too quickly that normies would catch on before it gets far enough.
Already I use BSD on an older laptop probably 40% of the time. Linux on my main system is there due to a hardware device issue BSD still have a minor problem with it. But for me right now, Linux seems to be heading in a wrong direction.
digiown•1h ago
KeepassXC implements passkey support, but they do not implement these anti-user features. As a result, they are being threatened with being banned via attestation:
https://github.com/keepassxreboot/keepassxc/issues/10406
https://github.com/keepassxreboot/keepassxc/issues/10407
Screw these "You'll own nothing and be happy" people. I'll own all my keys no matter what. The software I run on my device should never betray me to signal things like "this passkey is allowed to be backed up!".
cadamsdotcom•1h ago
Passwords are easy to understand, transparent and portable, and when used with good hygiene (always using password manager and generating unique & strong passwords for everything) there isn’t yet a strong case for anything else.
doubled112•6m ago
That said, I had a much easier time getting my kids onboard with a FIDO2 security key than I would have a password manager.
Enter your email and touch this is easy to understand.
giancarlostoro•1h ago
Edit: Reading one of those issues it sounds like they want the keys stored in an encrypted way, is that too much to ask for? I dont care about viewing it but it shouldnt be stored in a plain easy to open JSON.
digiown•1h ago
They are proposing an attestation scheme. I'm not sure the details are out yet, but the authenticator would presumably use one of the hardware security mechanisms (like a TPM bound key) to "certify" its own authenticity along with the challenge.
This will effectively ban all open-source implementations, and end user freedom if widely adopted. Fortunately for us it seems like Apple isn't cooperating here for now, and without Apple signing on, it wouldn't get anywhere.
digiown•1h ago
politelemon•1h ago
That's the key difference. If it mattered, they would make it part of the spec, not threaten a ban. That's even more concerning, there is a central group of people who get to decide who can and cannot use Passkeys.
Dedime•48m ago
frizlab•40m ago
TomasEkeli•24m ago
signal11•1h ago
Tech journalists should ask the FIDO Alliance if they’re just Google+Apple+Microsoft in a trenchcoat. Definitely not very open!
digiown•1h ago
Look, the spec says you can't export the keys to a file! Too bad, go re-register your 120 websites if you want to stop using iCloud/Google!
Groxx•31m ago
It's DRM, and it will go down exactly the same anti-user and anti-competitive route as every other DRM. Fight it with fervor.
politelemon•1h ago
This was my impression, and it explains why the original announcement involved companies that would benefit the most from keeping their users on a leash.
AndrewDucker•53m ago