1751289 - When using oauth2 with gmail, and you have to enter your password and select second step authentication, process is inaccessible with NVDA in Windows 10.

Status: RESOLVED WORKSFORME

(Thunderbird :: Security, defect)

Description

Steps to reproduce:

1. Thunderbird 64-bit where gmail account with OAUTH2 online and NVDA (for example version 2021.3) running.
2. Disconnect your network connection (may also require to set check new email period short enough).
3. Dialog asking your gmail account's password should appear (of course network connection is needed to proceed).
4. With NVDA you cannot be sure if focus is in the field where you should enter password or should you press tab key at first. Supposing you should proceed to next phase where I think you should press Next, then enter password again, but only information NVDA can provide is "unknown" when you tab around or sometimes prompt to enter your account's password. Using NVDA's object browsing you can find URL which refers to account login (URL changes depending on the step of authentication process).

Situation is similar in next steps. URL gives some information but not enough because you cannot know the content of current dialog.

Actual results:

It is practically impossible to go through the process with NVDA.

Expected results:

Something has happened somewhere - earlier screenreaders were able to read the content (maybe it required some tab pressess at first but then it was possible to read the content). I encountered this problems first time in 14th of december 2021. Then I succeeded with incoming mail server (NVDA found necessary information), but for outgoing mail it could not find it (I also tested then with Jaws 2021, but not the latest updates with no success). Yesterday I encountered the same problem again, but this time NVDA provided almost no information as described above.

I think it would be good if some others could also try this.

Comment 1

[rwk2095]

Thunderbird 91.8 (64-bit) update changes Authentication method from "normal password" to "Oauth2". This breaks authentication for POP3 access to gmail. Manually reverting Authentication method corrects the problem, but most users will not know that. The 91.8 build should not change Authentication method (or any other setting).

Comment 2

[otayhteytta]

A couple of days ago I had to enter my gmail credentials. This time process was accessible. Thunderbird version 105 and NVDA development version build from source. I am tend to suppose that this might work (if not yet with current NVDA version) likely with future version of NVDA.

Is there any reason to keep this bug open?

Comment 3

[rwk2095]

The problem I reported 8 months ago was fixed within a few days. I don't know if it was exactly the same problem as the OP, but it seemed to fit. My apologies if I hijacked somebody else's bug report. I have never used this system before, and I am not a developer. Thanks!

Comment 4

[Magnus Melin [:mkmelin]]

-> WFM then.

Comment 5

[otayhteytta]

Unfortunately this problem still exists.

It seems that sometimes screenreaders can properly detect dialogs presented during this process, but sometimes they cannot, and then for example NVDA tells "unknown". The situation is harmful because user should know how many tabs to press when type password etc.

Comment 6

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

Thanks otayhteytta. Are you still able to reproduce this with version 102 or 115?

Comment 7

[otayhteytta]

I tried with w10 and 102.15.1. I disabled network, and started thunderbird. It just announced alert that connection to google mail server failed. Credentials were not asked when I enabled network and started thunderbird. I do not know how login would work at the moment. Firefox was running.

I can do some additional tests but it may take some time.

Comment 8

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

I can do some additional tests but it may take some time.

That would be greatly appreciated. The key is to test with version 115, because no further patches will be going into version 102.

Comment 10

[otayhteytta]

Unfortunately I have understood that there are some accessibility issues with version 115 so I am not about to update version 115 at the moment. But when I have updated to version 115 (or what the version then is), I am about to test this.

Comment 11

[David]

Works for me. For those who have issues, are you using the installed version of NVDA? Did you try to run the COM registration fixing tool?

Comment 12

[Rich Caloggero]

I can confirm that every so often, the comm registration fixing tool needs to be run in order to get access to the oauth login in Thunderbird 102. After running this tool you need to restart thunderbird. After some time (perhaps a couple months), process fails again and the tool needs to be run again.

Comment 13

[Ali Savas]

I will test it with Thunderbird Daily as soon as I am home and have time. Could possibly test tonight already.

Comment 14

[Ali Savas]

Works fine for me now. I can now add Google accounts with a screen reader. Tested with Thunderbird Daily 119.0a1 (2023-09-22) (64-bit).

Comment 15

[otayhteytta]

(In reply to Ali Savas from comment #14)

Works fine for me now. I can now add Google accounts with a screen reader. Tested with Thunderbird Daily 119.0a1 (2023-09-22) (64-bit).

I have understood that after some time process likely fails and comm registration fixing tool has to be run. What causes this? Why comm registration has to be fixed. I suppose that it is not usual that for given program registration should be fixed many times.

Comment 16

[Ali Savas]

(In reply to otayhteytta from comment #15)

I have understood that after some time process likely fails and comm registration fixing tool has to be run. What causes this? Why comm registration has to be fixed. I suppose that it is not usual that for given program registration should be fixed many times.

I tested it with JAWS and not with NVDA. Here a normal browser window opened where I could do the authorization. With which version of Thunderbird does your described scenario happen? Please note that no more big changes will go into 102.