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When you connect to a new SSID network via the network manager applet, the key for that network is stored in gnome-keyring under the "login" keychain.

But when you then change (edit) that network to be "Available to all users", the password moves somewhere else. I'd like to know where, because if it's a PEAP network, that's effectively your Active Directory password.

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Background I tick most WIFI networks as "available to all users" not to actually make them available (it's a single-user laptop anyway), but rather to prevent anyone from seeing my password for that network in clear text simply by right clicking on the network, clicking on security tab and ticking "show password". This is because when you make a network "available to all users", the act of editing that network triggers a system prompt via policykit.

This is the same reason I instantly un-install Seahorse after a fresh install. Crazy security risk allowing this.

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up vote 6 down vote accepted

I don't have an wifi to check it right now, but according to http://live.gnome.org/NetworkManager/SystemSettings , system connections should be stored at /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/ .

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And now confirmed. The system-connections directory holds all your WIFI networks that are ticked "Available to All Users", with the PSK in cleartext. However, it's readable only by root, which is good enough for my use case. Magic - thanks! – Scaine Jan 23 '11 at 14:08

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