Why password required for AiProtection Alert Preference email?

[Neil Horowitz]

When configuring AiProtection Alert Preferences on my RT-AC66U B1 router, where I am supposed to provide an email address to receive alerts I am also asked to provide the email account’s password. Why is this? A password is not required for the router to send me an alert email.

 

[AndreiV]

The password is required by the email provider as you are logging in to their system.

The most commonly used provider is GMail , the username and password required are your GMail account log in.

 

[Neil Horowitz]

I don’t understand. The router doesn’t need my gmail account password to send me an email. I need the password to log into my account to read my email.

 

[AndreiV]

I don’t understand. The router doesn’t need my gmail account password to send me an email. I need the password to log into my account to read my email.

The router uses an app to connect to your Google Account , just like WhatsApp, Viber and others use for your data backups , or to allow your sign in to another service with your Google account.

You have to provide your Google/Gmail Log in.

In your Google Account settings you'll need to select :

" Allow less secure apps: ON "

 

[Odkrys]

The service use gmail smtp server.
not anonymous email.

 

[jtp10181]

Yeah I never enabled that, wasn't comfortable putting my Google password in there. I don't understand why they don't have an advanced option to configure an SMTP server. Many ISPs you can send email through them without even logging in since they can verify it came from a trusted source on their network. That's how I am sending the update notifications and ab-solution emails.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[retzer]

Yeah I never enabled that, wasn't comfortable putting my Google password in there.

Yeah, I saw this too. I figured it wanted my Google pw but like you I didn't feel comfortable with it. Plus I'm suspecting it's not going to alert me in real time during any attack anyway so I didn't really see the point.

 

[RMerlin]

Just create a new GMail account and dedicated it for usage by the router. That account and its password is only used to authenticate yourself when sending an Email, it doesn't need to be the same address as to the one to which you send the email.

 

[eastavin]

The reason a password option is offered is that many moons ago the organizations that offer free or paid email tired of spammers abusing their services and the email networks by sending great masses of anonymous email on their backs. They got together and developed a set of validation requirements for messages to pass through their networks and having a validated source (password) was one of those...and so over the years the big guys stopped accepting or transiting emails from unvalidated sources. Probably over 10 years ago by now I think.. long enough I cant remember the RFC that applies. That is approximately how we got to today. Perhaps someone recalls the exact history as I cant.

That said there still are anonymous email servers out there that will send such messages. It just wont be the big guys.

Another issue you might discover if you go to the trouble of setting up such a pathway is that the big guys have spam blockers setup to auto trash such email if it is sent to their users from an anonymous server. So it never arrives. Good hobby though if you are determined to send anonymously.

Much easier to just setup an extra email address with your favourite free email company and just autoforward all Asus messages to your desired destination. Then there is much less risk of your main email getting compromised.

 

[Sephula]

Do you guys know if it transmits the password over a secure channel? Or, does it send it in the clear? This could be tested since it now sends you a test/confirmation message when it gets setup/changed.

 

[RMerlin]

Do you guys know if it transmits the password over a secure channel? Or, does it send it in the clear? This could be tested since it now sends you a test/confirmation message when it gets setup/changed.

Google only allows TLS/SSL AFAIK, so the password is encrypted. I don't know any more details however, Asus kept that portion of the code closed source.

 

[Skeptical.me]

I made a gmail account just for alert preferences and I'm wondering if the "allow less secure apps" feature still works with 2FA turned on?

 

[martinr]

I made a gmail account just for alert preferences and I'm wondering if the "allow less secure apps" feature still works with 2FA turned on?

I’m pretty that’s what I have set up. And it still works: I’ve had a couple AIProtection emails lately (a rare event since installing Diversion and Skynet). If you want to test, these are the sites referenced in my recent alert emails:


http://www.autodoc.bg/

m.autodoc.bg

http://2n8w.app.link/

http://hatshoes.com/

shockingly.store

and this one used to work

http://brokercdn.com/

but I think it since got pulled into Skynet by Ban AIProtect.


Of course, you need to have a bit of patience: the email alerts can take time to arrive

 

[Skeptical.me]

I’m pretty that’s what I have set up. And it still works: I’ve had a couple AIProtection emails lately (a rare event since installing Diversion and Skynet). If you want to test, these are the sites referenced in my recent alert emails:


http://www.autodoc.bg/

m.autodoc.bg

http://2n8w.app.link/

http://hatshoes.com/

shockingly.store

and this one used to work

http://brokercdn.com/

but I think it since got pulled into Skynet by Ban AIProtect.


Of course, you need to have a bit of patience: the email alerts can take time to arrive

Thanks, Martin.

I followed those links and AiProtect blocked them successfully.

Only problem is that I got no email to the new gmail account

I'll try it again with the 2FA disabled.

Edit: Alerts from the router only work when 2FA is turned OFF in the Google account.

 

[Skeptical.me]

shockingly.store went to a russian site

http://www.autodoc.bg/ went to a russian site


m.autodoc.bg went to an apache page

 

[martinr]

Thanks, Martin.

I followed those links and AiProtect blocked them successfully.

Only problem is that I got no email to the new gmail account

I'll try it again with the 2FA disabled.

Edit: Alerts from the router only work when 2FA is turned OFF in the Google account.

I just checked: I’ve had 2FA enabled on that account since 2016, so I must be using the app password in the alert section on the router.

 

[Skeptical.me]

I just checked: I’ve had 2FA enabled on that account since 2016, so I must be using the app password in the alert section on the router.

Ahh, yeah.

Application Specific Passwords

I had forgotten about them. I've been using Protonmail since it was in beta, they don't have ASP's.

I'll use one of those.

 

[spiff72]

I just set this up on my new CT-8 mesh system, turned off settings for safe browsing in Chrome, and the routers blocker appears to be working (as I get the counters in the router config pages), but I have yet to get any emails from the system yet (about 15 minutes later).

I created a dedicated gmail account for just this purpose, and I will set up a rule to forward the emails to my regular gmail account once I see one come through.

How long does it take for the router to actually send the emails? I am sure I put the right credentials in, but every time I click the alert preference in the router config, the email address is populated, but password is blank. Is this normal?

 

[ATLga]

I just set this up on my new CT-8 mesh system, turned off settings for safe browsing in Chrome, and the routers blocker appears to be working (as I get the counters in the router config pages), but I have yet to get any emails from the system yet (about 15 minutes later).

I created a dedicated gmail account for just this purpose, and I will set up a rule to forward the emails to my regular gmail account once I see one come through.

How long does it take for the router to actually send the emails? I am sure I put the right credentials in, but every time I click the alert preference in the router config, the email address is populated, but password is blank. Is this normal?

The emails being sent are about as hit or miss as the actual blocking being done; in my experience.

 

[AndreiV]

How long does it take for the router to actually send the emails?

You will never get an email unless you set your Google Account properly .

In your Google Account settings you must select ;

" Allow less secure apps: ON "

I am sure I put the right credentials in, but every time I click the alert preference in the router config, the email address is populated, but password is blank. Is this normal?

Yes the password being blank is normal.