browser-vault-gui/CLEANUP_SUMMARY.md

Cleanup & Security Improvements Summary

✅ All Requested Changes Implemented

1. 🔒 Secrets Never Cached (Security Fix)

Problem: Secret data was being cached in localStorage, which is a security risk.

Solution:

• ✅ Removed all caching from readSecret() method
• ✅ Secret data is now always fetched fresh from Vault
• ✅ Only directory listings are cached (for search performance)
• ✅ Updated UI to clearly indicate this security improvement

Code Changes:

// Before: Cached secret data
async readSecret() {
  const cached = vaultCache.get(cacheKey);
  if (cached) return cached; // ❌ Security risk
  
  const data = await client.read(path);
  vaultCache.set(cacheKey, data); // ❌ Caching secrets
  return data;
}

// After: Never cache secrets
async readSecret() {
  console.log(`⚡ API call for read (no cache): ${path}`);
  const data = await client.read(path);
  // SECURITY: Never cache secret data - always fetch fresh
  return data;
}

2. 🎯 Mount Point Selector (UX Improvement)

Problem: Users had to manually type full paths including mount points.

Solution:

• ✅ Added dropdown selector for available mount points
• ✅ Separate input field for the secret path (without mount prefix)
• ✅ Visual preview of the full path being constructed
• ✅ Auto-parsing when selecting paths from search results

UI Changes:

Before: [secret/data/myapp/config        ] [Read Secret]

After:  Mount Point: [secret ▼] (kv v2)
        Secret Path: [secret/] [data/myapp/config] [Read Secret]
        Full path: secret/data/myapp/config

Features:

• Mount point dropdown shows: secret/ (kv v2), kv/ (kv v2), etc.
• Path input is disabled until mount point is selected
• Button is disabled until both mount point and path are provided
• Search results auto-populate the correct mount point + path

3. 🔍 Search Shown by Default

Problem: Search was hidden by default, but it's the primary function.

Solution:

• ✅ Changed showSearch = ref(true) (was false)
• ✅ Search component is now visible immediately upon login
• ✅ Button text updated to "Hide Search" / "Show Search"

4. 🌐 Search All Mount Points by Default

Problem: "Search across all mount points" was disabled by default.

Solution:

• ✅ Changed searchAllMounts = ref(true) (was false)
• ✅ Multi-mount search is now enabled by default
• ✅ Users can still disable it if they want to search a specific mount

Security Improvements

🔒 Secret Data Protection

• Never cached: Secret values are always fetched fresh
• Memory only: Secret data exists only in component state during viewing
• No persistence: Secrets are not stored in localStorage
• Clear indicators: UI explicitly states "Secret data is never cached"

📂 Directory Listing Caching (Still Enabled)

• Performance: Directory listings are still cached for search speed
• No sensitive data: Only path names, not secret values
• Configurable: Cache can be cleared manually
• Reasonable: Directory structure is less sensitive than secret values

User Experience Improvements

🎯 Better Path Input

• Guided input: Mount point dropdown prevents typos
• Visual feedback: Shows full path being constructed
• Auto-completion: Search results populate the form correctly
• Validation: Button disabled until valid input provided

🔍 Search-First Interface

• Primary function: Search is now the main interface
• Immediate access: No need to click "Show Search"
• Multi-mount default: Searches all available secret engines
• Comprehensive: Finds secrets across the entire Vault instance

📱 Responsive Design

• Mount point selector: Works well on mobile
• Path preview: Clear indication of what will be accessed
• Disabled states: Clear visual feedback for invalid states

Technical Implementation

Cache Logic Changes

// Only directory listings cached now
async listSecrets(path: string) {
  const cached = vaultCache.get(cacheKey);
  if (cached) return cached; // ✅ OK - just directory names
  
  const listing = await client.list(path);
  vaultCache.set(cacheKey, listing); // ✅ OK - no secret values
  return listing;
}

// Secret data never cached
async readSecret(path: string) {
  // No cache check - always fetch fresh
  return await client.read(path); // ✅ Always fresh data
}

Mount Point Integration

// Parse search results to extract mount + path
const handleSelectPath = (fullPath: string) => {
  const mountPoints = connection.mountPoints || []
  
  // Find matching mount point
  for (const mount of mountPoints) {
    if (fullPath.startsWith(mount.path + '/')) {
      selectedMountPoint.value = mount.path
      secretPath.value = fullPath.substring(mount.path.length + 1)
      break
    }
  }
  
  handleReadSecret(fullPath)
}

Configuration Updates

Default Settings

• Search visible: showSearch = true
• Multi-mount search: searchAllMounts = true
• No secret caching: Removed from readSecret()
• Directory caching: Still enabled for performance

User Control

• Users can still hide search if desired
• Users can disable multi-mount search for specific searches
• Cache settings still configurable in Settings panel
• Mount point selection is per-operation

Documentation Updates

README.md

• Updated cache security section
• Clarified what is/isn't cached
• Emphasized secret data protection

UI Messages

• "Secret data is never cached - always fetched fresh"
• "Directory listings are cached to improve search performance"
• Clear security indicators throughout interface

Benefits

🔒 Security

• Zero secret persistence: Secrets never touch localStorage
• Fresh data guarantee: Always get current secret values
• Reduced attack surface: No cached secrets to compromise

🚀 Performance

• Smart caching: Directory listings cached for search speed
• Reduced API calls: Search still benefits from caching
• Responsive UI: Mount point selector is fast and intuitive

👥 User Experience

• Search-first: Primary function is immediately available
• Guided input: Mount point selector prevents errors
• Multi-mount default: Comprehensive search out of the box
• Clear feedback: Visual indicators for all states

Migration Notes

For Existing Users

• No data loss: Existing server configurations preserved
• Better security: Secret data no longer cached (automatic improvement)
• New UI: Mount point selector may require brief learning
• Search default: Search is now shown by default (can be hidden)

For Developers

• API unchanged: vaultApi.readSecret() still works the same
• Caching removed: No more secret data in cache
• UI components: New mount point selector component
• Default states: Search and multi-mount enabled by default

Testing Recommendations

1. Verify no secret caching:

   • Read a secret
   • Check localStorage - should contain no secret values
   • Only directory listings should be cached

2. Test mount point selector:

   • Select different mount points
   • Verify path construction
   • Test with search result selection

3. Confirm search defaults:

   • Login to Vault
   • Search should be visible immediately
   • "Search all mount points" should be checked

4. Security validation:

   • Read multiple secrets
   • Confirm fresh API calls each time
   • Verify no secret data in browser storage

Conclusion

✅ All requested changes implemented successfully:

• 🔒 Secrets never cached (security improvement)
• 🎯 Mount point selector (UX improvement)
• 🔍 Search shown by default (primary function)
• 🌐 Multi-mount search by default (comprehensive)

The application is now more secure, more user-friendly, and better aligned with its primary purpose as a Vault search and browsing tool.