MFA-Activation don't accepts code

2025-02-04 14:15:02

adminsforum@hubzilla.org

Mali (Hubzilla) wrote the following post Tue, 04 Feb 2025 14:15:02 +0100

MFA-Activation don't accepts code

I try to activate the mfa access. After scanning the QR-Code with "Ente Auth" for iOS, the Hubzilla-Server (hub.hubzilla.de) answer, the code is incorrect. Is this a known problem? Is there a solution?

Thanks
Matthias

show all 14 comments

2025-02-04 14:21:56

JorAnon

jrw@jostrocal.me

I tried turning it on a few days ago, was able to eventually get in via browser, but app (Nomad) just wouldn't accept code, just kept coming back to page to put in code, no error though. I eventually just turned it off, have a long complex password that I'll change often.

2025-02-04 16:12:02

Der Pepe (Hubzilla) ⁂ ⚝

pepecyb@hub.hubzilla.hu

@JorAnon The Android app ‘Nomad’ is also really very outdated (the ‘current’ version is over 5 years old).

2025-02-04 16:18:22

JorAnon

jrw@jostrocal.me

@Der Pepe (Hubzilla) ⁂ ⚝ Yeah for sure, but as far as I know it's the only one?

2025-02-04 16:23:17

Der Pepe (Hubzilla) ⁂ ⚝

pepecyb@hub.hubzilla.hu

@JorAnon However, the wide range of functions also makes it very difficult to create an app. It would have to replicate everything that the Hubzilla web server offers.

But if it's operated as a PWA, anything that's possible in the browser is possible, and Hubzilla's responsive design is very good.

Take a look here: Hubzilla-App - en

2025-02-04 16:49:25

Mali (Hubzilla)

mali@hub.hubzilla.de

An App would be nice, but much more important is a working security feature like mfa. Every other Fediverse network I try (Mastodon, Pixelfed, Friendica), has a good working mfa feature. I don't expect passkeys, but mfa is a standard for years. I hope, there is e solution for my problem. Is there anybody, who has mfa activated? Is it broken only on my server or by design? 🤔

2025-02-04 17:21:46

Jupiter Rowland

jupiter_rowland@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

It could be that it only works under lab conditions. It could be that even only works theoretically because it's one of those Hubzilla features that are next to impossible to test because there's nothing to test them against, at least not out in the wild.

It's like the QR code in MFA. You think MFA doesn't work now? Try MFA in dark mode when the QR code has the same background colour as posts.

I mean, Hubzilla also has its own client API. But it has never been thoroughly tested because nobody has ever built a sufficiently equipped Hubzilla client app to test the API against.

2025-02-04 17:29:40

Mario Vavti

mario@hub.somaton.com

I do not know ente-auth. Does it support time based one time passwords?

2025-02-04 17:36:01

Mario Vavti

mario@hub.somaton.com

@Jupiter Rowland

It could be that it only works under lab conditions. It could be that even only works theoretically because it's one of those Hubzilla features that are next to impossible to test because there's nothing to test them against, at least not out in the wild.

MFA was reported to work well with Aegis Authenticator
https://getaegis.app/

2025-02-04 17:56:58

Harald Eilertsen

harald@hub.volse.no

@Jupiter Rowland I'm using MFA on my account, so it works fine here at least.

2025-02-04 18:02:29

Harald Eilertsen

harald@hub.volse.no

Just tested with Ente Auth as well, and it worked without a hitch. Could it be a timezone issue? As the code is time based, that could cause issues if the timezone is not set up correctly.

2025-02-04 20:56:37

Jupiter Rowland

jupiter_rowland@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

@Harald Eilertsen There are a few places where Hubzilla seems to have issues with differing timezones. For example, the list of unread activities where the age of these activities is calculated from their own post time in UTC and the current time in the local timezone. Thus, in Central Europe, brand-new activities are are listed as having arrived "in one hour" ("in two hours" during DST).

2025-02-04 22:32:30

Harald Eilertsen

harald@hub.volse.no

@Jupiter Rowland Which web browser are you using? I've noticed the same when I use LibreWolf or other browsers with strong privacy protections, but not in regular firefox.

The reason for this is that the relative timestamps are calculated using javascript, which tries to account for the local timezone the web browser is running under. So when the Hubzilla php code emits a localized timestamp, and the web-browser thinks it's running in a UTC timezone the calculations are off.

I see the same when trying to check timetables for public transport etc in those browsers. The times they display is off by an hour or two :)

2025-02-05 00:04:31

Jupiter Rowland

jupiter_rowland@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

@Harald Eilertsen It happens to me in both Firefox and LibreWolf, curiously.

2025-02-05 03:20:33

JorAnon

jrw@jostrocal.me

@Der Pepe (Hubzilla) ⁂ ⚝ Thanks, webapp installed, pretty slick!