I understand why the sharing aspect and automatic import features were designed, but passwords should always be encrypted. The fact that I can simply download an application, create a random account with an unverified email address, view all of the accounts associated with that PC, and uninstall the application to remove any traces is extremely concerning.

The feature should be limited to transfering URLs, usernames, and email addresses only. The user than can than choose to enter their passwords. Alternatively, the user should be prompted to reenter the passwords for each account they wish to import. Presumably these would be their own accounts thereby maintaining the security of their family, friends, and peers / coworkers.

Best,
Navin

<<Essentially a person with access to another person's computer (i.e. IT staff, computer repair technician, family / friend, contractor, etc.) can essentially perform the aforementioned steps and voila be able to gain access to important email, social media, payments, etc.>>

The FAQ explains why physically local attacks are not within the browser's threat model:
https://dev.chromium.org/Home/chromium-security/security-faq#TOC-Why-aren-t-physically-local-attacks-in-Chrome-s-threat-model-

If multiple users share a single PC, each user should use an individual Operating System Login Account (e.g. a "User Account" on Windows). That way, the OS is responsible for isolating information between the individual users. Sharing a single OS login account with untrusted parties is never safe, on any OS, with any browser, for the reasons described in the FAQ.

I definitely understand your point in a corporate setting, but in the real world it does not work like that. People share computers all the time. Even something as simple as having a shared computer in a meeting room for presentations (I tried it at a client's). In enterprise infrastructures, higher standards are definitely adhered to. I largely work with small to mid-sized business where a vulnerability like this can leave them exposed.

I don't think passwords should be this easy to discover whether malicious and intentional or accidental. If a password is saved within Chrome, it should be restricted for use within the application (i.e. to login to specific websites) and encrypted if shared with other applications.

As elawrence@ says, physically-local attacks aren't covered by our security policy

This bug has been closed for more than 14 weeks. Removing security view restrictions.

For more details visit https://www.chromium.org/issue-tracking/autotriage - Your friendly Sheriffbot