1831575 - Clarify the "no primary password" explanation message

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(Core :: Security: PSM, enhancement)

Description

[Kai Engert [:KaiE:]]

When removing the primary password, the following message is shown:

"You have deleted your Primary Password. Your stored passwords and private keys will not be protected."

This will no longer be accurate when this string is used in Thunderbird, because users may have private keys that belong to OpenPGP keys, and those private keys might alternatively be protected using a passphrase that's independently set of the Primary Password.

Ideally I'd like to ask that the core string used by Firefox is changed, in a way that would avoid confusing Thunderbird users.

Bug 1831387 considers to replace the core string with a one that works better in Thunderbird, but maybe that's ugly to do?

Possible solutions for this bug:
(1) clarify that this text only talks about private keys of certificates:
"Your stored passwords and private keys of certificates will not be protected."

(2) completely drop the part
"Your stored passwords and private keys will not be protected."
and show the text
"You have deleted your Primary Password.", only.

Another thought: I know that Firefox is able to access certificates in the system OS store e.g. on Windows.

Maybe the text is already misleading today, because it gives the user the incorrect impression that system private keys will not be protected at all - when they might be protected by some OS mechanism? (I don't know if such a mechanism exists.)

If you'd agree with this argument, it would support option (2)

Comment 1

[Kai Engert [:KaiE:]]

https://searchfox.org/mozilla-central/rev/5c922d8b93b43c18bf65539bfc72a30f84989003/toolkit/locales/en-US/toolkit/preferences/preferences.ftl#12-13

Comment 2

[Kai Engert [:KaiE:]]

Attachment: Bug 1831575 - Clarify which private keys are not protected by the master password. r=keeler

Comment 3

[Kai Engert [:KaiE:]]

Attachment: Bug 1831575 - Don't mention private keys and passwords when dropping the primary password. r=keeler

Comment 4

[Kai Engert [:KaiE:]]

Dana, does one of these suggestions seem acceptable to you?
I've submitted two alternative phab revisions, in case you like one of them.

Comment 5

[Dana Keeler (she/her) (use needinfo) [:keeler]]

I think the "be more specific" option sounds good.

Comment 6

[Pulsebot]

Pushed by [e-mail]:
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/18ba3281fa5c
Clarify which private keys are not protected by the master password. r=keeler,fluent-reviewers,settings-reviewers,flod

Comment 7

[Norisz Fay [:noriszfay]]

https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/rev/18ba3281fa5c