Removing data from the browser extension

shailesh17

Hi I'm having issues with the latest version of Chrome extension. It appears that the extension keeps all the passwords available even if you remove the entire 1password folder containing all your password files. I tried locking through the extension and it appears all the password are resident in the extension's memory. This is a severe problem because I keep my 1password directory store on a USB stick and don't want my logins accessible when you don't have the usb plugged in. In the previous versions of the extension, it did not cache, as soon as I remove the usb stick, the extension was no longer able to find passwords. Please help.

khad

The Chrome 16 extension is built to take advantage of the sandboxing in the browser and therefore cannot read the data directly. In order to accomplish this, the 1Password background process (Agile1pAgent.exe) keeps the data in the extension in sync with the main application. Browser extensions are not designed for "portable" use, so the only way to remove the data from the extension is to remove the extension. "Portable" use means no integration. [i]Integration[/i] requires an [i]integrated[/i] installation.



I'm sorry I don't have a better answer right now, but we'll keep your use case in mind as we move forward. Perhaps there is a simple solution which also respects the additional security browser that sandboxing brings.

shailesh17

Okay thanks for the reply. How is the Chrome 16 extension different from previous versions -- I didn't have this issue before, I was able to use it in the same manner I described. I did notice that one of the recent 1Password updates added the new background process -- is there a way I can opt out of using this background process? I'm sorry but I'm disappointed this "portable" use feature that worked so well for past few years is suddenly no longer working. It would be nice if there was an install option to keep the password store portable, even if it means not having the Chrome extension -- at least notify the end users during the upgrade process. I've uninstalled the Chrome extension and disabled & deleted the 1Password windows service. How does the background process manage multiple 1password data stores? I'm paranoid having all my password data sitting in memory even if its encrypted, therefore, I highly recommend your design remove this windows background process. Looking forward to seeing this happen in upcoming releases. Keep up the good work -- I've enjoyed using this app for many years across all platforms you have available, and looking forward to continued use for years to come!

khad

1Password was not designed and tested as a portable application. That said, it will work as a portable application. You just need to install and remove the browser extensions each time.



The background process is not an optional feature but a requirement due to the security model in modern browsers.



1Password manages the data exchange between itself and the browser extensions through [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WebSocket"]WebSocket[/url]. This allows the 1Password background process to communicate with the browser extensions while still respecting the sandboxing rules enforced by modern web browsers.



Attempting to use 1Password in Chrome or Safari without the background process is like trying to use a car without an engine. It was never designed to work that way and, frankly, will likely not turn out well for you. Without the background process 1Password cannot communicate with the browser extensions. If you [b]do not wish to use browser integration[/b], you may be fine without it, but like I said it was not designed to work that way. I can't promise there won't be unexpected side effects.



To be clear: this isn't something we just arbitrarily decided but a direction based on the security model in modern web browsers. You can read a bit more about this on our blog:



http://blog.agilebits.com/2011/07/javascript-grows-up-and-plays-in-a-sandbox/



Thanks for using 1Password! We look forward to many more years with you. <img src='http://forum.agilebits.com/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />