Kobo account on laptop and Vox

49Kat · 12-10-2011, 09:48 PM

I posted this question on the Get Satisfaction site, but this is really bugging me and I'm not sure I can wait.

This evening I attempted to log into my Kobobook account on my laptop. I was told the e-mail or password wasn't valid. (I have no idea why that is.) I had the password reset. I logged in on the laptop. I was going to make a purchase using the 30% discount, only to find that the book I wanted wasn't eligible, so I did not complete the purchase.

Later, on the Vox, I went to the Store and made a purchase.

Why is it that changing the password on my laptop had no effect on the Vox? I would expect the Vox to ask me for the new password, but it didn't.

This bothers me because if the Vox were to ever be lost or stolen, I would want to cut off the finder's access to my Kobo account. I don't think I should have to deactivate my account on a computer. I would lose all my books then, wouldn't I, and that doesn't seem fair either. It should be enough to merely change my password so at least if someone found my Vox, they wouldn't be able to continue to make purchases on my credit card. Or start deleting books I had paid for or other nasty stuff like that...

Can anyone explain this?

I do have the Vox set to auto sync.

hieronymos · 12-10-2011, 09:57 PM

Did you restart the Vox before trying to purchase something? Usually, it doesn't hammer out your password every five minutes all over the world with every step you take, but only a kind of encrypted temporary authentication token. This is much more secure for your password than the other way round, actually.
If you did restart the Vox, then there is a problem. That token should be refreshed from time to time.

49Kat · 12-10-2011, 10:02 PM

No, I didn't restart the Vox. I'll try that and see what happens.

49Kat · 12-10-2011, 10:09 PM

Big problem. I've restarted the Vox and it is still allowing me to purchase from the Vox, even with the changed password.

Maybe I should add this to the bug sticky.

hieronymos · 12-10-2011, 10:21 PM

Yup. :-)

49Kat · 12-10-2011, 10:48 PM

Before I put it on the bug sticky, I'll see what the Kobo staff have to say. I would like to know how one can protect one's Kobo account. I certainly would expect to have to change the Kobo account password on the Vox if I had done so on a computer.

taming · 12-11-2011, 03:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 49Kat

Can anyone explain this?

Kat, you were not around when, not all that long ago, people had to sign into their account on the website every time they visited. I am betting someone decided to use a cookie that never expires perhaps not realizing that it doesn't "phone home" when invoked to see if it is still right.

It's a serious issue. I am surprised it is the first time it has come up.

PM James or Sameer about this. I am sure the info will get to the right people that way.

49Kat · 12-11-2011, 09:32 AM

Kobo has had a Wifi product for a while, as I understand it. This is my first Wifi tablet-type product. What do other wifi products do in this regard? I would think it would be standard, just purely basic that if you change an account password on a computer, that your devices that access that account should also have to use that new password. I would expect the wifi device to silently verify the password at the very least and require you to enter the new one if you've changed the password.

taming · 12-11-2011, 09:58 AM

I don't think it is an on-device issue. I think it is how the authentication is handled via the Kobo server. The cookie sent to the device is the cookie the server sends. It behaves according to the way the cookie is "programmed" (using that word in an imprecise way).

How about reporting it and seeing what happens, at this point?

oldyellr · 12-11-2011, 10:19 AM

I had a somewhat similar problem last week. You need an Adobe I.D. (email address and password) to borrow library books using Overdrive. I had the I.D. from before when I'd used the Adobe forum, so that was not a problem. However, when I later logged in at adobe.com on my PC to check my information, I saw it had not been completed and my date of birth was 1998 (default?). When I tried tried to update anything, the screen would just load and load forever and I couldn't do it. I tried this at different times with no change. However, when I logged in to adobe.com with my Vox browser, everything worked fine and I updated my info. After that, it worked fine on my PC also using Firefox. Very strange, but maybe it was a cookie thing.

49Kat · 12-11-2011, 12:05 PM

Well, I don't understand the nuts and bolts of it, I just want to know how I would protect my Kobo account in the event that the Vox is lost or stolen. At this point, I see no way of doing that other than deactivating the account from a PC.

taming · 12-11-2011, 02:14 PM

You can always remove your credit card information from your account.

Unless you really think there is a good chance that your Vox is going to be stolen today by someone who then will use it to download thousands of dollars of books using your account, you probably can wait just a bit longer for a response. I'm sure there will be one.

taming · 12-11-2011, 02:51 PM

Addressing the bigger picture issue, apps like Lookout Mobile Security Premium can do remote wipes of devices. I believe the pro version is $29/year. If my device were stolen, I would be worrying about more than just my Kobo device account.

49Kat · 12-11-2011, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taming

You can always remove your credit card information from your account.

Unless you really think there is a good chance that your Vox is going to be stolen today by someone who then will use it to download thousands of dollars of books using your account, you probably can wait just a bit longer for a response. I'm sure there will be one.

...

This is an issue that affects everyone who owns a Vox.

taming · 12-11-2011, 02:58 PM

I understand that Kat. I agree with you that it is important. I'm just giving you some other solutions since it seems so important that you get some sort of resolution today--which is a Sunday in our hemisphere--so not a likely day that anything thinky is going to happen.

12-10-2011, 09:48 PM	#1
49Kat Fanatic Posts: 580 Karma: 1309104 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: BC,Canada/NV, USA Device: iPad 9th Gen, iPhone 11, Paperwhite 10th Gen.	Kobo account on laptop and Vox I posted this question on the Get Satisfaction site, but this is really bugging me and I'm not sure I can wait. This evening I attempted to log into my Kobobook account on my laptop. I was told the e-mail or password wasn't valid. (I have no idea why that is.) I had the password reset. I logged in on the laptop. I was going to make a purchase using the 30% discount, only to find that the book I wanted wasn't eligible, so I did not complete the purchase. Later, on the Vox, I went to the Store and made a purchase. Why is it that changing the password on my laptop had no effect on the Vox? I would expect the Vox to ask me for the new password, but it didn't. This bothers me because if the Vox were to ever be lost or stolen, I would want to cut off the finder's access to my Kobo account. I don't think I should have to deactivate my account on a computer. I would lose all my books then, wouldn't I, and that doesn't seem fair either. It should be enough to merely change my password so at least if someone found my Vox, they wouldn't be able to continue to make purchases on my credit card. Or start deleting books I had paid for or other nasty stuff like that... Can anyone explain this? I do have the Vox set to auto sync.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Kobo Vox, Kobo preorder	shannont	Kobo Tablets	5	12-17-2012 09:52 PM
Transfer from Kobo to Kobo Vox	scherimm	Kobo Tablets	6	12-02-2011 08:23 AM
What Can the Kobo Vox Do?	pokee	Kobo Tablets	36	11-18-2011 03:00 AM
Kobo Account?	NOTLguy	Kobo Reader	4	11-15-2010 12:42 PM

12-10-2011, 09:57 PM	#2
hieronymos Groupie Posts: 186 Karma: 45172 Join Date: Nov 2011 Device: Kobo Vox	Did you restart the Vox before trying to purchase something? Usually, it doesn't hammer out your password every five minutes all over the world with every step you take, but only a kind of encrypted temporary authentication token. This is much more secure for your password than the other way round, actually. If you did restart the Vox, then there is a problem. That token should be refreshed from time to time.

12-10-2011, 10:02 PM	#3
49Kat Fanatic Posts: 580 Karma: 1309104 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: BC,Canada/NV, USA Device: iPad 9th Gen, iPhone 11, Paperwhite 10th Gen.	No, I didn't restart the Vox. I'll try that and see what happens.

12-10-2011, 10:09 PM	#4
49Kat Fanatic Posts: 580 Karma: 1309104 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: BC,Canada/NV, USA Device: iPad 9th Gen, iPhone 11, Paperwhite 10th Gen.	Big problem. I've restarted the Vox and it is still allowing me to purchase from the Vox, even with the changed password. Maybe I should add this to the bug sticky.

12-10-2011, 10:21 PM	#5
hieronymos Groupie Posts: 186 Karma: 45172 Join Date: Nov 2011 Device: Kobo Vox	Yup. :-)

12-10-2011, 10:48 PM	#6
49Kat Fanatic Posts: 580 Karma: 1309104 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: BC,Canada/NV, USA Device: iPad 9th Gen, iPhone 11, Paperwhite 10th Gen.	Before I put it on the bug sticky, I'll see what the Kobo staff have to say. I would like to know how one can protect one's Kobo account. I certainly would expect to have to change the Kobo account password on the Vox if I had done so on a computer.

12-11-2011, 09:32 AM	#8
49Kat Fanatic Posts: 580 Karma: 1309104 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: BC,Canada/NV, USA Device: iPad 9th Gen, iPhone 11, Paperwhite 10th Gen.	Kobo has had a Wifi product for a while, as I understand it. This is my first Wifi tablet-type product. What do other wifi products do in this regard? I would think it would be standard, just purely basic that if you change an account password on a computer, that your devices that access that account should also have to use that new password. I would expect the wifi device to silently verify the password at the very least and require you to enter the new one if you've changed the password.

12-11-2011, 09:58 AM	#9
taming Trying for calm & polite Posts: 4,012 Karma: 9455193 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mostly in Canada Device: kobo original, WiFI, Touch, Glo, and Aura	I don't think it is an on-device issue. I think it is how the authentication is handled via the Kobo server. The cookie sent to the device is the cookie the server sends. It behaves according to the way the cookie is "programmed" (using that word in an imprecise way). How about reporting it and seeing what happens, at this point?

12-11-2011, 10:19 AM	#10
oldyellr Evangelist Posts: 484 Karma: 26106 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Vox, Amazon Fire 7	I had a somewhat similar problem last week. You need an Adobe I.D. (email address and password) to borrow library books using Overdrive. I had the I.D. from before when I'd used the Adobe forum, so that was not a problem. However, when I later logged in at adobe.com on my PC to check my information, I saw it had not been completed and my date of birth was 1998 (default?). When I tried tried to update anything, the screen would just load and load forever and I couldn't do it. I tried this at different times with no change. However, when I logged in to adobe.com with my Vox browser, everything worked fine and I updated my info. After that, it worked fine on my PC also using Firefox. Very strange, but maybe it was a cookie thing.

12-11-2011, 12:05 PM	#11
49Kat Fanatic Posts: 580 Karma: 1309104 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: BC,Canada/NV, USA Device: iPad 9th Gen, iPhone 11, Paperwhite 10th Gen.	Well, I don't understand the nuts and bolts of it, I just want to know how I would protect my Kobo account in the event that the Vox is lost or stolen. At this point, I see no way of doing that other than deactivating the account from a PC.

12-11-2011, 02:14 PM	#12
taming Trying for calm & polite Posts: 4,012 Karma: 9455193 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mostly in Canada Device: kobo original, WiFI, Touch, Glo, and Aura	You can always remove your credit card information from your account. Unless you really think there is a good chance that your Vox is going to be stolen today by someone who then will use it to download thousands of dollars of books using your account, you probably can wait just a bit longer for a response. I'm sure there will be one.

Advert

Advert

12-11-2011, 02:51 PM	#13
taming Trying for calm & polite Posts: 4,012 Karma: 9455193 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mostly in Canada Device: kobo original, WiFI, Touch, Glo, and Aura	Addressing the bigger picture issue, apps like Lookout Mobile Security Premium can do remote wipes of devices. I believe the pro version is $29/year. If my device were stolen, I would be worrying about more than just my Kobo device account.

12-11-2011, 02:58 PM	#15
taming Trying for calm & polite Posts: 4,012 Karma: 9455193 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mostly in Canada Device: kobo original, WiFI, Touch, Glo, and Aura	I understand that Kat. I agree with you that it is important. I'm just giving you some other solutions since it seems so important that you get some sort of resolution today--which is a Sunday in our hemisphere--so not a likely day that anything thinky is going to happen.