PassVault - Encrypted Password Manager

A secure, desktop-based password manager built with Java Swing that uses military-grade AES-256-GCM encryption.

Features

✅ Master Password Protection - Create a strong master password on first use ✅ AES-256-GCM Encryption - Military-grade encryption for all stored passwords ✅ PBKDF2 Key Derivation - Secure password-to-encryption-key conversion ✅ Password Strength Analysis - Real-time strength indicator (Weak/Medium/Strong/Very Strong) ✅ Password Generator - Generate random strong passwords with customizable parameters ✅ Secure Clipboard - Passwords auto-clear from clipboard after 30 seconds ✅ Search & Filter - Quickly find entries by name, username, or URL ✅ Password Metadata - Track when passwords were created and last modified ✅ Clean UI - Modern dashboard with sidebar, topbar, and organized tables

System Requirements

• Java 21 or higher
• 50 MB free disk space
• Windows, macOS, or Linux

Installation

From JAR File

java -jar PassVault.jar

Building from Source

1. Install Java 21 and Maven
2. Navigate to the project directory
3. Run:

mvn clean install
mvn package

4. The executable JAR will be in target/PassVault.jar

First Launch

1. Setup Master Password: On first launch, you'll be prompted to create a master password

   • Minimum 8 characters
   • Strength indicator shows quality in real-time
   • This password encrypts all your stored passwords

2. Main Dashboard: After setup, you'll see:

   • Sidebar: Quick action buttons (Add, Edit, Delete, Generate, Copy, Lock)
   • Topbar: Vault status, entry count, last used date, lock button
   • Main Table: All stored password entries with strength indicators

Usage

Adding a Password Entry

1. Click ➕ Add Entry in the sidebar
2. Fill in: Name, Username/Email, Password, URL (optional)
3. Password strength is shown in real-time
4. Click Generate to create a strong random password
5. Click Save to encrypt and store

Editing an Entry

1. Select an entry in the table
2. Click ✏️ Edit Entry or double-click the row
3. Modify fields as needed
4. Click Save

Deleting an Entry

1. Select an entry
2. Click 🗑️ Delete Entry
3. Confirm deletion

Generating Passwords

1. Click 🔧 Generate Password
2. Customize length (8-32 characters)
3. Toggle character types: lowercase, uppercase, digits, symbols
4. Click ✓ Use This to copy to clipboard

Copying Passwords

1. Select an entry
2. Click 📋 Copy Password
3. Password copies to clipboard (auto-clears after 30 seconds)

Searching

1. Use the search bar at the top
2. Enter a name, username, or URL
3. Results filter in real-time

Locking the Vault

1. Click 🔐 Lock button in top-right
2. This returns you to login screen
3. Master password required to unlock

Technical Details

Encryption

• Algorithm: AES-256 in GCM mode (authenticated encryption)
• Key Derivation: PBKDF2-SHA256 with 65,536 iterations
• IV: 12-byte random nonce per entry
• Authentication Tag: 128-bit GCM tag

Password Strength Calculation

• Length ≥8 chars: +1
• Length ≥12 chars: +1
• Length ≥16 chars: +1
• Contains lowercase: +1
• Contains uppercase: +1
• Contains digits: +1
• Contains symbols: +1

Scoring:

• 0-2 points = Weak (red)
• 3-4 points = Medium (orange)
• 5-6 points = Strong (green)
• 7+ points = Very Strong (dark green)

Data Storage

• All data stored in ~/.passvault/ directory
• vault.json - Encrypted password entries
• config.json - Master password hash and metadata
• No data sent to cloud or external servers

Security Notes

⚠️ Important:

1. Your master password is never stored - only a hash
2. All passwords are encrypted with AES-256-GCM
3. Encryption keys are derived only when needed and cleared from memory
4. The application is fully offline - no network calls
5. Data persists only on your local machine
6. If you forget your master password, there is a provision with one security question.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Action	Shortcut
Login/Unlock	Enter
Generate Password	Click button
Copy Password	Click button
Edit Entry	Double-click row

Troubleshooting

"Cannot find JDK"

• Install Java 21 from java.oracle.com
• Set JAVA_HOME environment variable

"JAR won't run"

• Ensure Java 21: java -version
• Try: java -jar PassVault.jar

File Structure

PassVault/
├── src/main/java/com/passvault/
│   ├── Main.java                  # Entry point
│   ├── AuthService.java           # Master password auth
│   ├── VaultService.java          # Password entry management
│   ├── StorageManager.java        # File I/O & encryption
│   ├── EncryptionService.java     # AES-256-GCM crypto
│   ├── PasswordEntry.java         # Password data model
│   ├── PasswordGenerator.java     # Random password gen
│   └── ui/
│       ├── LoginFrame.java        # Login/setup screen
│       ├── VaultFrame.java        # Main dashboard
│       ├── AddEditDialog.java     # Entry editor modal
│       └── PasswordGeneratorDialog.java  # Password gen dialog
├── pom.xml                        # Maven configuration
└── README.md                      # This file

Dependencies

• Gson (2.10.1) - JSON serialization
• Java Swing - UI framework (built-in)
• Java Cryptography - AES, PBKDF2 (built-in)