Hands-On: Wireless Login With The New Mooltipass Mini BLE Secure Password Keeper

July 23, 2020 by Maya Posch 34 Comments

Remembering passwords is one of those things which one just cannot seem to escape. At the very least, we all need to remember a single password: namely the one for unlocking a password manager. These password managers come in a wide variety of forms and shapes, from software programs to little devices which one carries with them. The Mooltipass Mini BLE falls into the latter category: it is small enough to comfortably fit in a hand or pocket, yet capable of remembering all of your passwords.

Heading into its crowdfunding campaign, the Mooltipass Mini BLE is an evolution of the Mooltipass Mini device, which acts as a USB keyboard by default, entering log-in credentials for you. With the required browser extension installed, this process can also be automated when browsing to a known website. Any new credentials can also be saved automatically this way.

Where the Mooltipass Mini BLE differs from the original is in that it also adds a Bluetooth (BLE) mode, enabling it to be used easily with any BLE-capable device, including laptops and smartphones, without having to dig around for a USB cable and/or OTG adapter.

I have already been using the original Mooltipass Mini for a while, and the Mooltipass team was kind enough to send me a prototype Mooltipass Mini BLE for evaluation and comparison. Let’s take a look.

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Password Keeper Uses Off-The-Shelf Formfactor

February 19, 2020 by Lewin Day 25 Comments

With every website these days demanding the creation of an account, it can become difficult to remember so many logins. Each password should ideally be unique, lest a leak from your fantasy football game cost you thousands in stolen bitcoins. To help, [vcch] developed a password vault, using an interesting off-the-shelf platform.

The platform in question is the M5stickC, which packs an ESP32, color LCD, and battery into an attractive orange enclosure. It’s even got USB-C, making it a tool with an eye on the future. It serves as a quick way to get a basic IOT project up and running, without having to fuss about designing your own enclosure or basic power supply hardware.

On this platform, [vcch] created a tool to make keeping track of passwords easy. The PassStrong, as it’s called, can store a huge number of passwords, and communicates with the host PC over Bluetooth. The interface makes good use of the LCD, displaying the current mode and function of each button on the device for the user. It’s capable of working in both QWERTY and AZERTY environments, which should appeal to European users.

The M5StickC is a perfect choice in this regard, packing enough buttons and the required Bluetooth hardware to get the job done. No need to spend any time integrating modules – simply open the box and get to coding. We expect to see more developments in this space in future, and look forward to the efficiency gains this will bring to all kinds of projects!

Meet Lynx, A (costly) Offline Password Keeper

March 19, 2014 by Mathieu Stephan 28 Comments

Maybe because he didn’t want to wait for the Mooltipass to be produced, [davidhend] built himself his own offline password keeper, named Lynx.

It is based around an Arduino Pro 328, a 2.8″ TFT touch screen, an RFID card reader, an FTDI basic breakout and finally a li-ion battery. Lynx is therefore self-powered and uses an RFID card to later read the XOR-encrypted passwords located in a SD card. A USB serial connection is used to send the passwords to the computer, which also charges the battery. The current BoM cost is around $220 but we’re quite sure it can be made for much cheaper when not using pre-made boards. Looking at the official GitHub repository tells us that the XOR key is stored inside the microcontroller and that Lynx checks the RFID card code to allow encryption/decryption.

On a side note, we recently published a FAQ on the official Mooltipass GitHub. You’re welcome to let us know what questions we may have forgotten.