Ask HN: Can't Access 1Password Without Apple ID?

2 points by OafTobark 10 years ago | 11 comments

So this has never happened before. I tried Googling around and couldn't confirm this has happened to anyone else.

I tried to launch 1Password on my Mac (as I always do). I was prompted to log in with my Apple ID by the App Store. Something about 1Password was purchased using a different computer so they needed to verify my Apple ID to ensure I made the purchase (I bought this a long time ago so wonder why this is coming up now). Oddly enough, this never happened before. The request is fine and all since I did buy it through the App Store originally except for one giant problem...

All my passwords are random insanely long passwords auto-generated by 1Password. I don't memorize that stuff (including my Apple ID) and that's the whole point of using 1Password in the first place. The very thing that has all my passwords is inaccessible because the stupid App Store requires Apple ID verification before proceeding (a catch-22). If I don't verify and log-in, the application effectively never launches.

Thankfully I have 1Password access on my other devices and was able to login and verify, but I can already imagine a scenario where this could have been blocked on everything.

Anyone else encounter anything like this?

BjoernKW 10 years ago |

Today, this happened to me, too. Very weird and very annoying indeed.

Authenticating to a service such as the App Store via password without using a password manager feels very anachronistic and insecure.

This always makes me think that there has to be a better solution than passwords for authentication. Password managers such as 1Password are great but they still are a work-around for an essentially broken system. Plus as long as there's no close OS integration we'll always run into situations like this.

chrisked 10 years ago |

Could it be some malware? I remember some phishing attempt recently with an apple iCloud prompt. Have to search to find the story. Couldn't find at first try. Will update here once found.

OafTobark 10 years ago | |

I initially thought the same thing (although never had any malware I knew of on any of my Macs ever) so I tried entering false passwords which came back as failed log-ins. It was only after entering the correct one later did it verify and the application finally launched so unless they had a way to authenticate actual Apple ID accounts as well, highly unlikely to be malware.

nchelluri 10 years ago | | |

Well, if you want to go down that route, there's no reason they couldn't just submit the login form at https://appleid.apple.com/ to test your credentials.

laveur 10 years ago |

Are you sure it wasn't asking you to log in to your iCloud account if you where using iCloud to share your password data?

OafTobark 10 years ago | |

100% positive. I don't use iCloud to sync my password data.

DerekL 10 years ago |

Yes, but with BBEdit, not 1Password. It happened tonight.

OafTobark 10 years ago | |

First time it happened to you too? I wonder if this will be a norm.

DerekL 10 years ago | | |

It looks like this is the reason: “All Mac Store Apps Stopped Working Due To Expired Security Certificate” http://techcrunch.com/2015/11/12/all-mac-store-apps-stopped-... https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10554700

motyar 10 years ago |

I got same for 'Download Shuttle'