Is there a Google Authenticator desktop client?

Question

I am using Google Authenticator for 2-step authentication. I like how I can use a code and verify my account using my phone:

I realize that the app was designed to run on a device other than a computer to increase security for the computer (in case that it is lost or stolen), but I would like to know if there is a way I can run Google Authenticator on my Macbook.

Now, per the Google Authenticator Page it will not run on a desktop:

What devices does Google Authenticator work on?

• Android version 2.1 or later
• BlackBerry OS 4.5 - 6.0
• iPhone iOS 3.1.3 or later

However there are several emulators for developers and so I wonder if it is possible to run one of these emulators and then run Google Authenticator with that. I do realize this is not a best practice - but I'm less worried about my laptop getting stolen and more worried about someone just hacking the account.

So my question is this: Is it possible to run it on the desktop, even though it is not meant to be / not recommended?

Answer 1

Install oath-toolkit via brew, generate your keys with:

oathtool --totp -b <your_secret>

To get your secret, use the 'change phone' option in Google. You can get your key by clicking the 'manually enter the key' link.

Answer 2

There is a Self Hostable Web App at https://github.com/gbraad/html5-google-authenticator This is not secure on an internet facing machine, but you can load this on a completely offline Machine and you'd be safe.

Answer 3

JAuth is a good alternative - Java based (has Windows, Linux, and OS X installers), small and portable. I keep a copy on a USB drive.

Answer 4

Yes. You can use WinAuth. Works fine for me.

Answer 5

Try Authy: https://www.authy.com/.

It works for many 2fa accounts, including Google. Authy supports multiple platforms, including PC.

Note: Google seems to only provide a QR code for adding accounts. This means it's easiest to add your Google account via the Authy Android app. However, once you do that, you can also access it from the PC Authy app.

Answer 6

Forget the others if you have to deal with more than one key, pass or any other kind of information. It is always a question how do you use it. The easiest method is to use an password management tool (please do not use online services for such things, LastPass has been hacked too).

Here is my suggestion (works on Linux, Mac, Android), this one is for Windows users:

1. Download latest KeePass (currently 2.32) and set your DB up (please secure it with more than just an pass, an certificate makes it all more secure as example)
2. Download TrayTOTP Plugin for KeePass and copy it into plugins folder located in KeePass installation folder.

3. For an entry in KeePass, create two custom strings for your keepass entry:

   First string: TOTP Seed
   Second string: TOTP Settings

   Under TOTP Seed, you should place your seed key. For settings, many are confused, especially newbies. By default (and most use defaults) new key is always created every 30 seconds and has length of 6 characters. That means, if not explicitly set, then TOTP Settings should have:

   30;6
   

   30: Stands for seconds
   6: Stands for length of a key

   I know only couple services where you can choose or set it manually, Kraken Exchange is one of them, when you secure your account, you can choose length up to 8 characters and totp settings would be 30;8

4. Change Autotype :) , there are two types of pages and how they verify.

   First: You can enter username, password and 2FA key.
   Second: You need to enter username and password, after pressing enter/submitting, second page/frame shows asking for 2FA.

   For first case, edit your KeePass entry by changing autotype options. Click on "Override default sequence" which is:

   {USERNAME}{TAB}{PASSWORD}{ENTER}
   

   and add pressing additional TAB, then placing TOTP key and then pressing ENTER:

   {USERNAME}{TAB}{PASSWORD}{TAB}{TOTP}{ENTER}
   

   For second case, we need to send user and pass, then wait 1-3 seconds (I will set here 5 seconds) and then 2FA key:

   {USERNAME}{TAB}{PASSWORD}{ENTER}{DELAY 5000}{TOTP}
   

That's it. Press CTRL+V or right click and perform autotype, that's it.

Answer 7

You could use Oracle's VirtualBox, Android x86 OS, and then install the Authenticator. This would essentially give you the Google Authenticator on a desktop.

VirtualBox: https://www.virtualbox.org/

Android x86: http://www.android-x86.org/

Answer 8

There's also a Firefox OS app version. It doesn't need Firefox to run first, and you can actually install Firefox portable so it doesn't impact your system.

https://marketplace.firefox.com/app/gauth/

Answer 9

I hacked together an oath-toolkit integration with a CLI that works in Quicksilver too. The CLI Bash Script and .otpkeys Configuration File example can be found in the Quicksilver and OTP: Together At Last blog post.

You'll need your secret keys so you can put them into the config.

Bash Script:

#!/bin/bash
scriptname=`basename $0`
if [ -z $1 ]
then
    echo "$scriptname: Service Name Req'd"
    echo ""
    echo "Usage:"
    echo "   otp google"
    echo ""
    echo "Configuration: $HOME/.otpkeys"
    echo "Format: name=key"
    exit
fi
otpkey=` grep ^$1 $HOME/.otpkeys | cut -d"=" -f 2 | sed "s/ //g" `
if [ -z $otpkey ]
then
    echo "$scriptname: Bad Service Name"
    exit
fi
/usr/local/bin/oathtool --totp -b $otpkey

Configuration File example for .otpkeys -- spaces are stripped.

google=a743 mike k3b4 rm5k z8a9 q6f5 id1k bxk1
facebook=OWBV Q9LF POQ2 MKYU
evernote=UKPPIDEALLKPYTT9
dropbox=iop4 xbox asia b0ss ninj a9

Usage -- specify the full or partial service name from the config, anchored to the beginning of the service name. E.g. 'goo' will work for google, but 'oogl' will not.

iso : ~ --> otp google
196379
iso : ~ --> otp goo
612384

Answer 10

Disclaimer: I'm the Author :-)

https://qoomon.github.io/otp-authenticator-webapp/

Its a google authenticator web app.

This is a static website hosted on github pages. You could just use my version or fork the gh-pages branch and hosted on your own github page.

No External Services are used, local JavaScript execution only

Features

• generate totp codes
• show remaining valid seconds for totp code
• parse otpauth URLs in 'secret' input field
• generate otpauth URL QR code
• accept request parameters
  • secret
  • account
  • issuer

Here is an Example

Answer 11

On MAC (OSX) you can use Alfred* and the GAuth-Workflow to get the Google Authenticator on your Desktop.

• Workflows are only supported with the (paid) Powerpack version.

Answer 12

I'm surprised that no one mentions the following 2 apps.

Authenticator - Happy Two-Factor Verifying! / $2.99

OTP Manager / Free

Answer 13

YubiKey offers a hardware solution (an USB dongle) that's capable of doing OATH-TOTP.

There's also a Windows helper program:

http://www.yubico.com/applications/internet-services/gmail/

Answer 14

There's a Chrome app that's compatible: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/gauth-authenticator/ilgcnhelpchnceeipipijaljkblbcobl?hl=en

Answer 15

You can use my script: otp.py

The downside of it is that:

1. you'll see a proper countdown only when the first code expires :)
2. this zenity popup doesn't allow copy & paste (this is a big limitation IMO)
3. it was working on Mac, but Cocoa Dialog was retired and it doesn't work anymore.
4. perhaps it can be adapted to work on Windows, by installing Zenity on Windows (which is possible).

Answer 16

I'm just getting up to speed with this myself, but it appears that there is now a google-authenticator command-line interface that's distributed with the PAM module at https://github.com/google/google-authenticator-libpam.

Some further information on setup (aimed at use with ssh on CentOS) can be found in an article at https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/how-to-set-up-multi-factor-authentication-for-ssh-on-centos-7.

Answer 17

There is an open-source authenticator implementation: https://github.com/Authenticator-Extension/Authenticator.

Answer 18

Open-sourced keeweb has OTP option built-in, on top of the password manager + autogen pass. Works on MacOSX and as a WebApp

https://github.com/keeweb/keeweb

Answer 19

For Python user, there is a little tool called mfa available through PyPI. Just install it using pip install mfa.

https://github.com/limeburst/mfa

Answer 20

If you wrote down the seed for your sites and have Python (easy to install on Mac/Windows/linux), you can use this command line script, which also tries to hide the seed from inadvertent bad use: twisted2sv.

Answer 21

Use this Python simple script to get authentication code all you have to do is add your secret when prompt.

https://github.com/abhishek-bharadwaj/Authenticator/blob/master/Authenticator.py