Re: Secure Storage of Secrets in Windows

From: Bronek Kozicki (bronekat_private)
Date: Thu May 20 1999 - 10:14:49 PDT

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    To disable password caching in  Windows NT one should set following
    registry value to 0. By default it's not set, and assumed to be 10 .
    
    Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
    Key: Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
    Name: CachedLogonsCount
    Type: REG_DWORD
    Value: 0 to 50
    
    Information about this registry value can be found in KB, article
    Q172931.
    
    Bronek Kozicki
    
    - --------------------------------------------------
    ICQ UID: 25404796            PGP KeyID: 0x4A30FA9A
    07EE 10E6 978C 6B33 5208  094E BD61 9067 4A30 FA9A
    
    
    
    - -----Original Message-----
    From: Bugtraq List [mailto:BUGTRAQat_private]On Behalf Of Nick
    FitzGerald
    Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 1999 2:35 PM
    To: BUGTRAQat_private
    Subject: Re: Secure Storage of Secrets in Windows
    
    
    > The Win32 API provides such service. Although in the past it was
    > found that its encryption was rather weak Microsoft claims to have
    > fixed it, no one else has claimed otherwise, and its better than
    > nothing. (References:
    > http://www.netsys.com/firewalls/firewalls-9512/0442.html
    > http://www.geek-girl.com/bugtraq/1995_4/0138.html ).
    >
    > So here is a reminder to Windows application programs that you can
    > use WNetCachePassword and WNetGetCachedPassword, which in some
    > documentation MS calls the Master Password API.
    
    Indeed.
    
    And for admins who wish to prevent user machines from caching
    passwords the following Win9x REG file may be useful:
    
       REGEDIT4
    
    
    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\
    Network]
       "DisablePwdCaching"=dword:00000001
    
    Apply that to a client machine then nuke all PWL files in the Windows
    dir and you need not worry whether future vulnerabilities might open
    you to exposure from cached passwords.
    
    I imagine there is something similar for NT.  Anyone know the
    details?
    
    
    Regards,
    
    Nick FitzGerald
    
    
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