How to recover passwords from logins.json
Hi,
I upgraded from FF 57 to 64. All my saved logins are unavailable. The logins.json is still there, filled with details with all the encrypted creds I expect. Prefs shows there are no saved logins and there is no longer a master password set (there was).
As I understand it key3.db used to hold the master password, but now this is in key4.db. key4.db has been created during installation but clearly does not give access.
I have tried deleting key4.db and restarting, hoping an automatic migration would rerun. key4.db was recreated but no change.
Stopped AV file and web protection (Avast). No change.
Run FF 57 again, with and without key4.db. No change.
Restored key3.db, logins.json, cert8.db from backup, run FF 57 again. No change.
Possibly unrelated oddity: shortly after upgrading and before I noticed the password issue, FF64 refused to connect to *any* https site (I think it said authority was not recognised), including Mozilla, with no way of ignoring the error. Other browsers were fine with the same sites. Restarted AV and FF 64 and it worked again.
Is there a way to recover creds? I do know the master password.
Thanks for any help.
All Replies (9)
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Firefox uses the logins.json and key3.db for login data. With v58+ the key4.db file is used.
Corrected Error :-/
Modified by FredMcD
In new installations of Firefox, logins.json and key4.db are paired. It sounds like the migration from logins.json+key3.db to logins.json+key4.db did not work, but I'm not sure why or how to trigger a re-run.
Where did you find the backups?
Is there an "Old Firefox Data" folder on your desktop?
Do you run Kaspersky? There have been recent threads about unwanted Master Password prompts with Kaspersky, so there may have been some changes in how it interacts with Firefox.
FredMcD said
Firefox uses the logins.json and key3.db for login data. With v58+ the key4.db file is not used.
Interesting, then, that there was no key4.db with my installation of v57 and installing/running actually v64 created one. But perhaps I misunderstand and key4.db is used for something else in v64.
Unfortunately, of the tools you suggest all but one is Windows only and the remaining one insists on there being a key4.db. So, no use there.
jscher2000 said
Where did you find the backups?
Is there an "Old Firefox Data" folder on your desktop?
The backups are in Time Machine and there is no old FF data folder on the desktop.
jscher2000 said
Do you run Kaspersky?
No, I don't run Kaspersky. I did see people had problems with it so tried disabling my Avast in case that was causing a similar issue.
I did enter my OS details when I posted the question, but they don't seem to appear. Apologies for that.
I'm on MacOS 10.13.6.
FredMcD said
With v58+ the key4.db file is used.
Sorry, I make a misteek, mistook, mischief . . . . Error.
After Firefox v58, the key3 is no longer used. Instead, the key4 file is used. Sorry :-(
What files do you have in the Time Machine backup?
Are there logins.json and key4.db files from a time that the passwords worked?
If you have a matching logins.json and key4.db as backup then first try to place these files in a profile folder. If the backup includes key3.db then try this key file with logins.json and make sure to remove key4.db. You can also try this in a new profile.
FredMcD said
Sorry, I make a misteek, mistook, mischief . . . . Error.
Aha! That makes more sense - thanks for coughing to it :)
cor-el said
What files do you have in the Time Machine backup? ...
Although I'd already tried this, your reply prompted me to try again. I went one date further back in my backup history, restored logins.json and key3.db and re-ran FF57. The passwords were now deciphered and available. Shut down FF57, run FF64 and the migration apparently re-ran - the passwords are now deciphered and available in FF64.
So thank you, all, who prompted me to keep trying.