OpenVPN Connect 3.2.2 private key password location

Official client software for OpenVPN Access Server and OpenVPN Cloud.
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kjansen387
OpenVpn Newbie
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Jul 05, 2021 10:26 am

OpenVPN Connect 3.2.2 private key password location

Post by kjansen387 » Mon Jul 05, 2021 11:12 am

Hello,

I've got a simple question of which I can't find the answer;

When a user chooses to save the encrypted private key password - where and how does OpenVPN Connect 3.2.2 for Windows store this ?

Thanks,
Klaas

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openvpn_inc
OpenVPN Inc.
Posts: 1333
Joined: Tue Feb 16, 2021 10:41 am

Re: OpenVPN Connect 3.2.2 private key password location

Post by openvpn_inc » Tue Jul 06, 2021 9:20 am

Hello Klaas,

When you import an encrypted private key into the OpenVPN Connect client program it will ask you for the password to decrypt it. It will then decrypt it, and send the unencrypted private key to the Windows user certificate store. However, Windows applies its own encryption of private keys here. Where it is kept is encrypted with a key tied to your Windows account which is in turn encrypted with your Windows login password.

With OpenVPN Connect there is at this time no way to store the private key in the Windows certificate store in such a way that a password is required each time to unlock it. But it's also not stored unencrypted - it's just encrypted in a different manner controlled by Windows.

Kind regards,
Johan
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