PassVault - Minimal, Encrypted Password Manager

A privacy-first, minimal password manager with client-side AES-256 encryption. Built with Next.js, TypeScript, and MongoDB.

🚀 Live Demo

🌐 Live Application: https://your-passvault.vercel.app

Replace the URL above with your actual Vercel deployment URL after deploying

Demo Credentials (if you want to provide a demo account):

• Email: demo@passvault.com
• Password: DemoPass123!@#

📹 Video Demo

🎥 Watch Demo (60-90 seconds)

Upload your screen recording to YouTube, Loom, or any video platform and add the link here

🔒 Security & Encryption

PassVault uses client-side AES-256 encryption via the crypto-js library. This means:

• Your passwords are encrypted in your browser before being sent to the server
• The server only stores encrypted blobs - we never see your plaintext passwords
• Zero-knowledge architecture - your master password is the encryption key
• No password = No decryption - Even we can't recover your passwords

Encryption Library: crypto-js

We use crypto-js for client-side encryption:

// Encryption
const encrypted = CryptoJS.AES.encrypt(plaintext, masterPassword).toString();

// Decryption
const decrypted = CryptoJS.AES.decrypt(encrypted, masterPassword);
const plaintext = decrypted.toString(CryptoJS.enc.Utf8);

Why crypto-js?

• Widely adopted and battle-tested
• Pure JavaScript implementation
• Works in both browser and Node.js
• Simple API for AES-256 encryption
• No external dependencies

✨ Features

Core Features

• ✅ Password Generator - Customizable length (8-32), character types, exclude similar chars
• ✅ Encrypted Vault - Store passwords, usernames, URLs, and notes
• ✅ CRUD Operations - Create, read, update, delete vault items
• ✅ Auto-Clear Clipboard - Copied passwords clear after 15 seconds
• ✅ Search & Filter - Quickly find vault items
• ✅ JWT Authentication - Secure email/password auth

Security Features

• 🔐 Client-side AES-256 encryption
• 🔒 Zero-knowledge architecture
• 🛡️ Password strength validator
• 🔑 Secure password generator
• 🚫 No plaintext storage

🚀 Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+ and npm
• MongoDB Atlas account (free tier works)

Installation

1. Clone the repository

git clone <your-repo-url>
cd next-app

2. Install dependencies

npm install

3. Set up environment variables

cp .env.example .env.local

Edit .env.local with your configuration:

MONGODB_URI=mongodb+srv://username:password@cluster.mongodb.net/passvault?retryWrites=true&w=majority
JWT_SECRET=your-super-secret-random-string-here
NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_URL=http://localhost:3000

4. Run the development server

npm run dev

5. Open your browser Navigate to http://localhost:3000

📁 Project Structure

next-app/
├── src/
│   ├── app/
│   │   ├── api/
│   │   │   ├── auth/         # Authentication endpoints
│   │   │   │   ├── login/
│   │   │   │   └── signup/
│   │   │   └── vault/        # Vault CRUD endpoints
│   │   ├── auth/             # Auth pages
│   │   │   ├── login/
│   │   │   └── signup/
│   │   ├── dashboard/        # Main vault dashboard
│   │   ├── layout.tsx
│   │   └── page.tsx         # Landing page
│   ├── components/
│   │   ├── PasswordGenerator.tsx
│   │   ├── VaultItemCard.tsx
│   │   └── VaultItemForm.tsx
│   ├── lib/
│   │   ├── dbConnect.ts     # MongoDB connection
│   │   └── jwt.ts           # JWT utilities
│   ├── Model/
│   │   ├── User.model.ts
│   │   └── Vault.model.ts
│   ├── utils/
│   │   ├── encryption.ts    # AES encryption utilities
│   │   └── passwordGenerator.ts
│   ├── types/
│   │   └── index.ts
│   └── Schemas/             # Zod validation schemas
├── public/
├── .env.local
├── package.json
└── README.md

🎨 Tech Stack

Frontend

• Next.js 15 - React framework with App Router
• TypeScript - Type-safe development
• Tailwind CSS - Utility-first styling
• React Hooks - State management

Backend

• Next.js API Routes - Serverless API endpoints
• MongoDB Atlas - Cloud database
• Mongoose - MongoDB ODM

Security & Auth

• crypto-js - Client-side AES-256 encryption
• bcryptjs - Password hashing (server-side)
• jsonwebtoken - JWT authentication
• Zod - Schema validation

🔧 API Endpoints

Authentication

• POST /api/auth/signup - Register new user
• POST /api/auth/login - Login and get JWT token

Vault

• GET /api/vault - Get all vault items (requires auth)
• POST /api/vault - Create vault item (requires auth)
• PUT /api/vault/[id] - Update vault item (requires auth)
• DELETE /api/vault/[id] - Delete vault item (requires auth)

🧪 Usage Flow

1. Sign Up - Create account with email, username, and master password
2. Login - Authenticate with email and master password
3. Generate Password - Use the generator to create strong passwords
4. Add Item - Store credentials with encryption
5. Manage Vault - Search, edit, delete, and copy passwords
6. Logout - Secure logout clears local storage

🌐 Deployment

Quick Deploy to Vercel

Manual Deployment Steps

1. Prepare MongoDB Atlas

1. Create a free account at MongoDB Atlas
2. Create a new cluster (free M0 tier available)
3. Create a database user with read/write permissions
4. Network Access: Add your IP or 0.0.0.0/0 (allow from anywhere)
5. Get your connection string:

   mongodb+srv://username:password@cluster0.xxxxx.mongodb.net/passvault?retryWrites=true&w=majority
   

2. Deploy to Vercel

1. Push to GitHub:

   git init
   git add .
   git commit -m "Initial commit - PassVault"
   git remote add origin https://github.com/yourusername/passvault.git
   git push -u origin main

2. Import to Vercel:

   • Go to Vercel Dashboard
   • Click "Add New" → "Project"
   • Import your GitHub repository
   • Configure project settings:
     • Framework Preset: Next.js
     • Root Directory: ./
     • Build Command: npm run build
     • Output Directory: .next

3. Add Environment Variables:

   MONGODB_URI=mongodb+srv://username:password@cluster.mongodb.net/passvault?retryWrites=true&w=majority
   JWT_SECRET=your-super-secret-random-string-min-32-chars
   NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_URL=https://your-app.vercel.app

   Generate JWT_SECRET:

   # On Linux/Mac/Git Bash
   openssl rand -base64 32

4. Deploy:

   • Click "Deploy"
   • Wait 2-3 minutes
   • Your app will be live at https://your-app.vercel.app

3. Post-Deployment

1. Update NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_URL with your actual Vercel URL
2. Test the application:
   • Sign up with a test account
   • Add a vault item
   • Verify encryption in MongoDB
3. Update README with your live URL

Alternative Deployment Options

Deploy to Netlify

npm run build
# Upload .next folder to Netlify

Deploy to Railway

• Connect GitHub repository
• Add environment variables
• Deploy automatically

Docker Deployment

FROM node:18-alpine
WORKDIR /app
COPY package*.json ./
RUN npm install
COPY . .
RUN npm run build
CMD ["npm", "start"]

For detailed deployment instructions, see DEPLOYMENT.md

🛡️ Security Best Practices

• ✅ Use a strong, unique master password
• ✅ Never share your master password
• ✅ Enable 2FA on your email account
• ✅ Regularly update your passwords
• ✅ Use the password generator for new accounts
• ✅ Log out when using shared devices

📝 Encryption Note

How PassVault Protects Your Data:

1. Client-Side Encryption: When you save a password, it's encrypted in your browser using your master password as the key
2. Server Storage: Only the encrypted blob is stored in MongoDB - never plaintext
3. Decryption: When you view your vault, items are decrypted locally using your master password
4. Zero-Knowledge: The server has no way to decrypt your data without your master password

Important: If you forget your master password, your data cannot be recovered. This is by design for maximum security

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🔗 Links

• 🌐 Live Demo: https://your-passvault.vercel.app (Update after deployment)
• 📹 Video Demo: Watch on YouTube (Add your 60-90 sec demo)
• 📂 GitHub Repository: https://github.com/viraj-gavade/Secure-Valut
• 📚 Documentation:
  • DEPLOYMENT.md - Detailed deployment guide
  • CRYPTO_NOTE.md - Encryption architecture
  • TESTING.md - Testing guide
  • QUICKSTART.md - Quick start checklist

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📊 Project Status

• ✅ Core Features: Complete
• ✅ Security: Client-side AES-256 encryption implemented
• ✅ Authentication: JWT-based auth working
• ✅ Documentation: Complete with guides
• ⏳ Deployment: Ready to deploy to Vercel
• ⏳ Demo Video: To be recorded

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🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/AmazingFeature)
5. Open a Pull Request

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📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

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📧 Contact & Support

• GitHub: @viraj-gavade
• Repository: Secure-Valut
• Issues: Report a bug

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🙏 Acknowledgments

• Built with Next.js
• Styled with Tailwind CSS
• Encrypted with crypto-js
• Deployed on Vercel

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🔐 PassVault - Your secrets, encrypted and safe.