Firefox: Disable display of passwords in clear text

This document (7005618) is provided subject to the disclaimer at the end of this document.

Environment

SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 11
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 Service Pack 3

Situation

On Firefox a user can store passwords for sites, they visited.
Edit -> Firefox Preferences -> Security -> "Saved Passwords..." displays the "Site" and the "Username".
Selecting the option "Show Passwords" displays the passwords in clear text.

A Master Password can be set to protect site passwords and other information. The Master Password needs to be set individually and requires extra administration time and effort, especially in a larger network.

To ease the administrative effort, GConf was changed and now provides the functionality to lock down the "show saved password" option with Firefox on SUSE Linux Enterprise.

Resolution

On SUSE Linux Enterprise 11 and Firefox 3.5.7 and SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 Service Pack3 and Firefox 3.4.2, the functionality is fully implemented.

1. Append the line:
pref("config.use_system_prefs", true);
to
/usr/lib[64]/firefox/defaults/preferences/firefox-SLE.js

2. Open a terminal and enter:
gconftool-2 --direct --config-source xml:readwrite:/etc/gconf/gconf.xml.mandatory --type bool --set /apps/firefox/lockdown/disable_show_passwords True
(all written in one line)

3. Log out and log back into to the Gnome or KDE session

4. Start Firefox, open Firefox Preferences -> Security -> Saved Passwords and notice that the "Show Passwords" button is grayed out and can't be selected anymore.

To disable the "lockdown" enter:
gconftool-2 --direct --config-source xml:readwrite:/etc/gconf/gconf.xml.mandatory --type bool --set /apps/firefox/lockdown/disable_show_passwords False

To unset the option, enter:
gconftool-2 --direct --config-source xml:readwrite:/etc/gconf/gconf.xml.mandatory --unset /apps/firefox/lockdown/disable_show_passwords

On SUSE Linux Enterprise Server/Desktop 10 SP3 the paths to the files have to be adjusted.

1. Append the line:
pref("config.use_system_prefs", true);
to
/usr/lib/firefox/defaults/preferences/firefox-SLE.js

2. Open a terminal and enter:
gconftool-2 --direct --config-source xml:readwrite:/etc/opt/gnome/gconf/gconf.xml.mandatory --type bool --set /apps/firefox/lockdown/disable_show_passwords True

Disclaimer

This Support Knowledgebase provides a valuable tool for SUSE customers and parties interested in our products and solutions to acquire information, ideas and learn from one another. Materials are provided for informational, personal or non-commercial use within your organization and are presented "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND.