longpass

rule-based passphrase generator with custom Diceware-ish dictionaries

Overview

While Diceware is the way to go when you need to be sure your passphrase is secure, sometimes you need to generate them in bulk, and comply with policies about mixed-case and special characters.

This script imports the Python secrets module to ensure that it uses the most secure random number generator available on your platform.

Files

longpass -- Python script to generate strong wordlist-based passphrases that follow a defined pattern. Can be installed anywhere.
lib/longpass/*.txt -- a wide variety of wordlists, both short and long, as well as the list of pre-defined patterns in patterns.txt. Script only looks for them in ~/lib/longpass at the moment.
dot-longpass.txt -- sample ~/.longpass file containing complete passphrase-generation recipes in ConfigParser format.
diceware/diceware-jp.txt -- Japanese Diceware wordlist, extracted from JMDict_e using make-japanese.rb -d
make-japanese.rb -- extracts common non-katakana words from JMDict_e for use as a wordlist.

Obsolete Ruby version

longpass.rb -- mostly the same functionality, but required caching due to the overhead of TOML parsing in Ruby.
rulesets/* -- TOML rulesets for the Ruby version.

Usage

# default output is 6 words chosen from the EFF 5-dice list
#
% longpass --count 5
mulch eraser sudden zestfully fit straw
powdering saggy pep remorse humorous coral
porthole crimp proxy footer splotchy language
handling improvise quaintly anagram nursery struggle
jawline strive wiry espionage settling humming

# list all predefined patterns and available wordlists,
# including the count of unique words in each list and the
# calculated entropy bits from using them.
#
% longpass -l
Predefined patterns:
  1 a a a a
  2 a a a a a
  3 a a a a a a
  4 aa aa aa
  5 aa aa aa aa
  6 ab ab ab
  7 ab ab ab ab
  8 aaaa aaaa aaaa aaaa
  9 aaab aaba abaa baaa
 10 aaaa aaaa aaaa aaaa bcdd
 11 aaab aaba abaa baaa cdee
 12 aaaaa aaaaa aaaaa aaaaa
 13 aaaaa abaaa aabaa aaaba

Available wordlists:
 Count   Bits  Name
  1296  10.34  adj
    54   5.75  alphanum
  7776  12.92  beale
  7776  12.92  diceware
    10   3.32  digit
  1296  10.34  eff4-1
  1296  10.34  eff4-2
  1296  10.34  eff4-3
  7776  12.92  eff5
  7776  12.92  finnish
  2048  11.00  german
    16   4.00  hex
  7776  12.92  japanese
  7776  12.92  noun
     5   2.32  op
    95   6.57  printable
    28   4.81  punct
    12   3.58  syl-a
    48   5.58  syl-b
  7776  12.92  tolkien
   384   8.58  us-fem
   384   8.58  us-male
   384   8.58  us-sur
    10   3.32  var

# return a string of four 4-digit lower-case hex numbers
# separated by dashes. (assumes `lib/longpass/patterns.txt`
# has "aaaa aaaa aaaa aaaa" as pattern #8)
# 
% longpass -c1 -p8 -j- hex
3296-0364-5a62-46bf

# returns 5-word passphrases combining five wordlists, shuffled for
# a few bits of extra entropy, guaranteed to contain both upper and
# lower-case letters. Also prints the estimated entropy at the beginning
# of each line. (assumes pattern #11 contains "aaab aaba abaa baaa cdee")
#
% longpass -c 5 -sem -p11 alphanum punct var op digit
107.48 G^xg 6Sp! (Ry9 qU=y Y+29
107.48 YGh& <N29 N#SF K+87 d5/N
107.48 2<8A C+00 (6EX zu#K pry]
107.48 dv,A F(v9 &dfC T=72 U7G^
107.48 :svw tku{ es[8 v:Z6 Y/73

# does the exact same thing using a recipe from `~/.longpass`
#
% longpass -r spunky -c 5 -e
107.48 Q-65 rB<U 7@8b 9B9@ .efh
107.48 Z=86 ;Tzy jhD: Rd?b f+RT
107.48 7as^ /uQP Q-64 K!bY c8!e
107.48 En't C/26 7&nT KuQ$ ,6Nx
107.48 t<b5 )7uA gKb) MC+h C*93

# lists all recipes defined in `~/.longpass`
#
% longpass -R
Defined rulesets:
  easy
  spunky
  shorthex
  longhex
  smorg

# mixes 11 different wordlists to create 9-word passphrases that
# should be long and strong enough for anyone (~127 bits of entropy).
#
% longpass -r smorg -c 3
stilt campen TcVG A/02 priscilla refract patrick bloated ellis
eier roderick lee A=43 modest tribute kristin outshoot eRSK
T=43 gestalt winter unnerving walton jUa8 beth mister andre

% time longpass -c 100000 eff5 > /dev/null

real    0m1.190s
user    0m0.920s
sys     0m0.200s

Notes