🔐 Simple Password Manager

A secure, offline password manager built with modern web technologies. Keep all your passwords safe with military-grade encryption while enjoying a beautiful, intuitive interface.

✨ Features

Security First

• AES-256 encryption with PBKDF2 - Military-grade security with 100,000 iterations
• Advanced brute-force protection - Automatic lockout after failed attempts
• Persistent security tracking - Protection survives app restarts
• Offline-only operation - Your data never leaves your device
• Zero-knowledge architecture - Your master password is never stored
• Open source - Security experts can verify the code

Beautiful Interface

• Modern design with smooth animations and intuitive navigation
• Multiple themes - Light, dark, and system themes
• Responsive layout that adapts to your screen size
• Drag-and-drop organization for effortless password management

Powerful Features

• Unlimited password storage organized in folders
• Advanced password generator with customizable options
• Global search across all entries and folders
• KeePass import - Migrate from existing KeePass databases
• Keyboard shortcuts for power users
• Multi-window support - Open multiple databases simultaneously
• Auto-save functionality - Never lose your work
• Custom icons for folders and entries
• Password strength indicator - Know how secure your passwords are
• Copy to clipboard with automatic clearing for security

🚀 Quick Start

Installation

Download the latest release for your platform:

• Windows: Download the .exe installer
• macOS: Download the .dmg package
• Linux: Download the .AppImage file

Download Latest Release

First Use

1. Launch the application
2. Create a new database or import from KeePass
3. Set your master password (this is the only password you'll need to remember)
4. Choose where to save your encrypted database file
5. Start adding your passwords with the built-in generator

⚙️ How It Works

Security Architecture

Your passwords are protected by multiple layers of security:

Encryption: AES-256 encryption with PBKDF2 key derivation (100,000 iterations) and unique salt per database. This makes brute-force attacks computationally infeasible.

Key Derivation: Your master password is never stored. Instead, it's used with PBKDF2 to derive the encryption key on-demand, with a unique salt for each database.

Brute-Force Protection: The application tracks failed login attempts and implements progressive lockouts:

• 1-2 failed attempts: Warning displayed
• 3-5 failed attempts: Temporary lockout (5-30 seconds)
• 6-9 failed attempts: Extended lockout (1-30 minutes)
• 10+ failed attempts: Permanent database lockout

User-Specific Locking: Security tracking is tied to the user running the application. If one user locks a database, other users on the same system can still access it with the correct master password. This prevents one user from accidentally locking out others from shared databases.

Attack Persistence: Security tracking survives application restarts and system reboots, preventing attackers from bypassing protections by restarting the app.

Database Format

All data is stored in encrypted .pmdb files that contain:

• Your password entries with usernames, URLs, and notes
• Folder structure for organization
• Entry metadata like creation and modification dates
• Cryptographic salt for enhanced security
• Version information for future compatibility

Security Storage: Failed attempt tracking is stored separately in an encrypted security file, preventing tampering while maintaining your privacy.

Offline Operation

The application works completely offline. No internet connection is required, and your data never leaves your device unless you choose to back it up yourself.

📖 User Guide

Adding Passwords

1. Click the + button in the toolbar
2. Fill in the website, username, and password
3. Use the password generator for strong, unique passwords
4. Add notes for security questions or additional information
5. Choose a folder to organize your entry

Organizing with Folders

• Create folders by right-clicking in the sidebar
• Drag and drop entries between folders
• Nest folders for detailed organization
• Add custom icons to folders for visual recognition

Searching

• Use global search with Ctrl+F to find anything
• Search works across titles, usernames, URLs, and notes
• Results are highlighted and easy to navigate

Keyboard Shortcuts

Action	Shortcut
New database	Ctrl+N
Open database	Ctrl+O
Save	Ctrl+S
Add entry	Ctrl+Alt+Win+N
Search	Ctrl+F
Password generator	Ctrl+G
Close/Cancel	Escape

Importing from KeePass

1. Create a new database or open an existing one
2. Click "Import from KeePass" in the welcome screen
3. Select your .kdbx file and enter the password
4. All entries and folders will be imported automatically

🔧 Advanced Features

Themes and Customization

• Light theme for daytime use
• Dark theme for low-light environments
• System theme that follows your OS preference
• Resizable sidebar to fit your workflow

Performance

The application is optimized for large databases:

• Virtual scrolling for smooth performance with thousands of entries
• Efficient search with instant results
• Optimized rendering for smooth animations
• Memory management - Efficient handling of large password databases
• Fast startup - Quick application launch times
• Responsive UI - Smooth interactions even with large datasets

Multi-Window Support

• Open multiple databases simultaneously
• Independent windows for different purposes
• Secure isolation between database instances

🛡️ Security Best Practices

Master Password

• Use a strong, unique master password (16+ characters recommended)
• Consider using a passphrase with multiple words
• Never share your master password with anyone
• Keep it in a secure location if written down
• Remember: After 10 failed attempts, your database will be permanently locked

Backup Strategy

• Regular backups of your .pmdb file
• Multiple backup locations (USB drive, encrypted cloud storage)
• Test backups periodically to ensure they work
• Keep backups secure with the same care as your main file
• Security files: Don't backup the security tracking files (they reset protections)

Password Generation

• Use the built-in generator for all new passwords
• Enable all character types for maximum security
• Use long passwords (16+ characters when possible)
• Generate unique passwords for every account
• Monitor password strength with the built-in entropy calculator

Understanding Database Lockout

How Lockout Works: The application protects against brute-force attacks by tracking failed login attempts for each database file. When you enter an incorrect master password repeatedly, the system implements progressive lockouts:

1. Attempts 1-2: Simple warning with remaining attempts shown
2. Attempts 3-5: Short lockouts (5-30 seconds) to slow down attacks
3. Attempts 6-9: Extended lockouts (1-30 minutes) for persistent attacks
4. Attempt 10+: Permanent lockout - database becomes inaccessible

Important: The lockout is user-specific and tied to your user account on the computer. If you lock a database, other users on the same system can still access it with the correct master password.

Security File Location: The lockout information is stored in an encrypted security file in your application data folder:

• Windows: C:\Users\[YourName]\AppData\Roaming\simple-password-manager\security.encrypted
• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/simple-password-manager/security.encrypted
• Linux: ~/.config/simple-password-manager/security.encrypted

Lockout Recovery

If your database becomes permanently locked:

1. Locate the security file: The exact path is shown in the lockout message
2. Close the application completely
3. Delete the security file (usually security.encrypted in app data folder)
4. Restart the application - lockout will be reset
5. Use correct master password to avoid re-lockout

Recovery Examples:

# Windows (Command Prompt)
del "C:\Users\[YourName]\AppData\Roaming\simple-password-manager\security.encrypted"

# macOS/Linux (Terminal)
rm ~/.config/simple-password-manager/security.encrypted

Important Notes:

• Deleting the security file resets ALL lockout protections for ALL databases
• Other users on the same computer are not affected by your lockout
• Keep your master password secure to avoid lockouts entirely
• The database file itself is never damaged - only access is restricted

🔧 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Application won't start

• Download the correct version for your operating system
• Check if antivirus software is blocking the application
• Try running as administrator (Windows) or check security settings (macOS)

Cannot open database

• Verify your master password is correct (case-sensitive)
• Check that the database file hasn't been corrupted
• Try copying the file to a different location
• Check for lockout: Look for security warnings in the login screen

Database permanently locked

• Don't panic: Your data is safe, just protected from brute-force attacks
• User-specific: Only affects your user account - others can still access the database
• Find security file: Look for the path shown in the error message
• Delete security file: Remove security.encrypted from app data folder
• Restart app: Lockout protection will be reset for all databases
• Use correct password: Be extra careful to avoid re-lockout

Import not working

• Ensure the KeePass file opens correctly in KeePass first
• Verify you're using the correct password for the import
• Try importing a smaller test database first

Getting Help

For additional support:

1. Check existing issues
2. Create a new issue with details
3. Include your operating system and app version

Never share your master password or database files in support requests.

💻 Development

Technology Stack

• Electron 37.2.1 - Cross-platform desktop application framework
• React 18.3.1 - Modern UI library with hooks
• Tailwind CSS 3.4.13 - Utility-first CSS framework
• CryptoJS 4.2.0 - Encryption library for AES-256 with PBKDF2
• Electron Store - Secure settings storage
• Node.js Crypto - System-level cryptographic operations

Building from Source

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/jonax1337/simple-password-manager.git
cd simple-password-manager

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Development mode
npm run dev

# Build for production
npm run build
npm run electron-build

Project Structure

src/
├── components/
│   ├── screens/         # Main application screens
│   ├── dialogs/         # Modal dialogs
│   └── ui/              # Reusable UI components
├── hooks/               # Custom React hooks
├── contexts/            # React context providers
└── utils/               # Utility functions

public/
├── electron.js          # Main Electron process
├── preload.js          # Secure preload script
└── icons/              # Application icons

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Follow the existing code style
4. Test your changes thoroughly
5. Submit a pull request with a clear description

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE for details.

🔒 Privacy

This application:

• Does not collect any personal data
• Does not connect to the internet
• Does not send any telemetry or analytics
• Stores all data locally on your device