Two factor authentication

[Ivan Banic]

Hello everyone,

I have a huge problem, I was going to set up two factor authentication for Admin accounts, and before I've managed to set up everything else, IPB log out my account and now I'm stuck with this. There are no questions to set up, and no answers.

How to reverse everything?

[Richard Arch]

I've tried to set this up on my test site to help you but I cant find where you add the answers to the questions.

[Richard Arch]

[Ivan Banic]

Basically, since I have not defined questions before turning on two factor authentication, now I'm in infinite loop. IPB want answers on question, but I did not setup questions. This shouldn't be possible!

Edited January 16, 2023 by Ivan Banic

[Marc]

You can switch off 2 factor authentication by creating a constants.php file with the following contents in it

<?php

define('DISABLE_MFA',True);

Once you have got in, you can disable and enable whatever you want, and remove when done.

[Richard Arch]

Ah nice, where can you find these switches/settings?

[Jim M]

22 minutes ago, Richard Arch said:

Ah nice, where can you find these switches/settings?

🙂 

 

[Richard Arch]

Thanks and to get back on topic is there an issue with enabling security questions as I couldn't find where you add the answers?

 

[Randy Calvert]

12 minutes ago, Richard Arch said:

Thanks and to get back on topic is there an issue with enabling security questions as I couldn't find where you add the answers?

 

You don't add answers in the ACP.  It's unique to whatever is picked by the user when they setup MFA.  If your security question is "What street did you grow up on?" ...  the answer would be different for me than it would be for you.  

You don't want to ask questions like "What is 2+2?" because ANYONE could answer that.  It should be a question that has a unique value to the person.  

[Richard Arch]

Ah of course, the answers are recorded when the Member first logs in and sets themselves up with 2FA.

It makes sense now, thanks 🙂 

 

[Richard Arch]

2 hours ago, Ivan Banic said:

Basically, since I have not defined questions before turning on two factor authentication, now I'm in infinite loop. IPB want answers on question, but I did not setup questions. This shouldn't be possible!

Ivan's makes a good point, it would be better if the software didn't enable the 2FA until there was 3 or however many questions are required in the setup.

[Mark H]

EDIT: Apparently I'm blind today. 

You do first have to enable Security Questions, and then set them up in the ACP.

After it's enabled, click the small gear icon next to the word "Enabled" to configure and create the questions.

[Richard Arch]

Yes, its possible to enable and not have any questions set up.  Unfortunately, for Ivan he got distracted before adding the questions then time out leaving him stuck.

[Marc]

Glad to see the cause of the issue was found in any case there, Richard