Keepassxc-browser: Opening KeepassXC in infinte loop

[smoyth]

Expected Behavior

Extension should open one copy of KeepassXC per browser profile with extension enabled.

Current Behavior

It opens infinite copies, about one every second. I have a screen recording I can share if you send me your Google ID.

I am not sure if this is related to the fact that I have two browser profiles using the extension. I have had this working before but sometimes this happens. Haven't been able to isolate what makes it happen. I tried just opening one of the browser profiles but the same thing happens. I tried closing all tabs and starting chrome with just the plain home page, same thing. I tried checking the 'only open one instance' box in KeepassXC but then it is just a race with the extension opening them and KeepassXC shutting them down, making the computer unusable.

Possible Solution

Steps to Reproduce (for bugs)

Not sure honestly. Posting here without the full repro steps in the hope that someone with more knowledge of the internals can help me reproduce.

Debug info

KeePassXC - 2.4.1
KeePassXC-Browser - 1.4.4
Operating system: Mac
Browser: Chrome

[varjolintu]

Please try the updated version 1.4.5 and see if it fixes the issue.

[alexanderadam]

@varjolintu it doesn't. The behaviour still exists.

The system becomes unusable in the moment I activate the extension.

[varjolintu]

So this probably happens when you are not using the proxy. Otherwise the KeePassXC shouldn't be launched.

As a workaround, disable the automatic reconnect from the settings. And use the proxy if possible.

[alexanderadam]

Disabling Settings > Automatically reconnect to KeePassXC. works for the permanent opening/closing issue.

But now I have a different issue that causes KeePassXC being unusable.

[varjolintu]

I'll see to this problem but eventually we are going to move the whole reconnect feature inside the proxy, so that's priority one. Everyone having issues, just disable the automatic reconnect.

[alexanderadam]

@varjolintu I'm not sure whether it's the same or a different issue:

Keepass now stops opening and closing all the time but I can't connect to it anymore. When I click on the KeepassXC browser it says checking status for a short moment, the native KeePassXC instance focusses and the KeePassXC browser modal closes.

Meaning it is impossible to connect.
Is this the same issue or should I create another issue for that?

[varjolintu]

@alexanderadam Are you using proxy or not? If not, KeePassXC needs to be closed before making a reconnect. Native Messaging cannot connect to an existing process.

[alexanderadam]

@varjolintu I'm not sure. How can I check that?

I don't think I changed or configured anything regarding the connect. Or can I somehow install an older version of the extension that worked?

[varjolintu]

@alexanderadam KeePassXC's settings -> Browser Integration -> Advanced (tab) -> [x] Use a proxy application between KeePassXC and browser extension.

[alexanderadam]

@varjolintu with the proxy setting it is working again.

Yesterday it worked totally fine so I guess the default connection (without a proxy) broke with the last update?

What are the risks of using the proxy? Because the README says:

Using native messaging directly is a more secure as it ensures the traffic between KeePassXC and KeePassXC-Browser is direct.

[varjolintu]

@alexanderadam It's not a big risk after all. The messages are still encrypted all over and are transferred only locally. With proxy everything works better and you can leave KeePassXC open in the background or open it when you want to. It's not ideal (to not to use the proxy) and let your browser handle the KeePassXC process. But some want to do it that way.

[alexanderadam]

It's not ideal (to not to use the proxy) and let your browser handle the KeePassXC process. But some want to do it that way.

On the other hand it worked perfectly fine until yesterday :wink:

[varjolintu]

@alexanderadam I'll check what causes this, of course :)

[alexanderadam]

@varjolintu thank you so much. :raised_hands:
Not only for looking into this issue but also for your fast responses and your _amazing_ work in general!

[smoyth]

Hear hear!

[varjolintu]

1.4.6 is now released. It force-disables the Auto-Reconnect and it's considered as an experimental feature. Use at your own risk.

If no proxy is used, please check the checkbox "Start only a single instance of KeePassXC" from the application settings. With that setting a new KeePassXC is launched every time KeePassXC is closed if Auto-Reconnect is enabled, but it will not spawn multiple processes. I couldn't reproduce the issue in the first message of the issue thread.

If you have upgraded to KeePassXC 2.4.2 it has a problem with linking keepassxc-proxy correctly on macOS. You can install libsodium via Homebrew for a workaround.