Chrome extension intermittently loses access with desktop app

[ppslim]

Steps To Reproduce

Precise steps are as of yet not confirmed, the following is the most common observation on the problem, as well as my current configuration.

1. Have the desktop app installed.
2. Configure desktop app for

• Vault timeout: On system sleep
• Timeout action: Lock
• Unlock with Windows Hello enabled
• Allow browser integration enabled

3. Have the Chrome browser extension enabled
4. Configure extension for

• Unlock with biometrics enabled
• Vault timeout: On system lock
• Timeout action: Lock

5. The Chrome extension is installed on 3x Chrome user profiles. All 3x profiles are open at the same time (one per window) and the extension is active and functional in all three of them, all with the above config.
6. Allow the system to sleep
7. Wake the system and at some point, encounter the need to use the browser extension. Be that auto-fill, passkey, or simply opening the vault in the extension.

Expected Result

When the extension access is needed, the following is expected

• The extension icon should have the lock symbol indicating it is locked
• The unlock panel is offered when the extension is selected
• On clicking Unlock with biometrics, the desktop integration is initiated and Windows hello prompts for applicable input (in my case, fingerprint)
• The vault is unlocked and I can proceed to interact per the original intent

Actual Result

Intermittently, the expected result is not met, but a consistent failure occurs when it does as follows

• The extension icon does not reflect a lock symbol. This is the most obvious sign of all problems that follow
• When clicked, the unlock panel consistently displays as normal
• Clicking Unlock with biometrics, nothing happens. No Windows Hello prompt is supplied, no any error indication
• As the vault remains locked, it is not possible to access it or proceed with original task

Screenshots or Videos

No response

Additional Context

This is intermittent. I have been unable to narrow down the triggering condition, beyond knowing it occurs following a laptop being locked, such as screen timeout, lid being closed. I can confidently state it is always following a "system lock" condition.

As noted, I have three Chrome user profiles open. This problem appears to impact each profile independently. It may happen in one profile, but not simultaneously in the others. It has been observed to happen in more than one profile at the same time.

To work around this, disabling and re-enabling the Chrome extension will resolve it. That is, right click the BitWarden extension icon in the top right of the Chrome window, select Manage extension, toggle the extension to off, immediately toggle it back to on, the extension now reflects as locked and clicking Unlock with biometrics works normally. This action needs to be performed once per current user profile that is suffering from it.

Operating System

Windows

Operating System Version

11 23H2 22631.4169

Web Browser

Chrome

Browser Version

128.0.6613.121 (Official Build) (64-bit)

Build Version

Desktop 2024.8.2, Chrome 2024.9.0 - no updates pending

Issue Tracking Info

• I understand that work is tracked outside of Github. A PR will be linked to this issue should one be opened to address it, but Bitwarden doesn't use fields like "assigned", "milestone", or "project" to track progress.

[ppslim]

I forgot to add, this is not a new problem. This has been occurring for at least 6 months per my recollection. The only recent change is that I no longer need to add a step of "Unlock desktop app" per #9945

[Krychaz]

Hello there,

Will you try uninstalling the application, removing any leftover data, powering off and on your device and re-installing? Does this issue still persist?

Guide to the leftover data: https://bitwarden.com/help/data-storage/#on-your-local-machine

Let me know if that helps.

[ppslim]

I have initiated this. Pending any further reproduction, is there any additional debug I can collect from either the desktop app, or the Chrome extension?

[ppslim]

I can now confirm this has not helped the situation.

As of right now, two of the open user profiles in Chrome can access the vault and are unlocked correctly. However, the 3rd offers the symptoms of the problem, that is no lock symbol on the extension icon, and attempting to unlock with biometrics does nothing.

I will add one extra detail about the extension when it experiences this symptom that I failed to mentioned at the start.

When in this state and clicking the extension icon to display the lock screen. Rather than click to unlock using biometrics, instead enter the master password to unlock instead. On doing so, the following additional symptoms are observed.

• On hitting enter after entering the password to unlock, the display looks like it has does nothing. No message to indicate failure, no progress spinner to indicate it is attempting something.
• After it reaches the state in the prior bullet item, and selecting away from the display (so the extension panel is removed from display), on clicking the extension icon now, the display is the vault screen (not the lock screen), but it just sits with the loading spinner displayed indefinitely and does not display the vault. It does indicate the account that is logged in though.

[JustaPeriod]

Also experiencing the same issue in a Chromium browser. Using Windows Hello biometrics, and have both the extension and the desktop app installed. The extension displays as locked. When I click the "Unlock with Windows Hello" it spins for a quarter of a second and then nothing happens.

If I type my password in and click Unlock nothing happens. Clicking out of it and back into it after doing so shows the vault screen but it's stuck loading. This is the same as what @ppslim commented he was experiencing above. Oddly, I can use the search in this state but autofill does not work. After 30-45 seconds or so, I can click back into the extension and it appears to be fully working.

I cannot confirm whether screen timeout is causing the issue as mentioned in the OP but I do have a screen timeout on my system, too.

[JustaPeriod]

I am unsure if this is fixed but I haven't experienced this issue for weeks now.

[ppslim]

Oddly, I had not experienced this for a period of time myself.

However, I did encounter this again yesterday, which was the first time in at least 2 weeks (sadly, I can't be more definitive with the prior point it was last observed)