Security Basics mailing list archives

Re: How secure is Email based password reset?


From: Martchukov Anton <vhlist () yandex ru>
Date: Thu, 8 May 2003 22:52:51 +0400

Wednesday, May 7, 2003, 6:18:56 PM, you wrote:

SJ> One of the ways to implement the password reset is to
SJ> 1. Ask the personal question
SJ> 2. if correctly answered, generates a unique temporary password
SJ> 3. Send the password over email to user.
SJ> 4. This would allow user to login once.

You'd better force user to change password manually after answering
instead of transferring a plain text password. If it's necessary to
validate user's e-mail, you may generate random page URL and send it to
user. When user goes there, he will be able to change password, after
right answer of cause. Maybe it's more secure?

-- 
Best regards,
 Martchukov Anton aka vh                    mailto:vhlist () yandex ru


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