Google’s synchronized passkeys can be stolen in ‘Pass‑ta‑key’ attacks

Passkeys were supposed to make stolen passwords a thing of the past. No password to phish, no secret to reuse, and no string of characters sitting in a database waiting to be leaked.

Over time, it’s thought that passkeys will replace passwords entirely. But what happens when malware steals the master key?

Researchers have found a way for malware to hijack passkey-protected accounts through Google Password Manager, highlighting an important exception: passkeys can be very secure but the software surrounding them still has weaknesses.

What are passkeys?

Passkeys are a password replacement based on public‑key cryptography. Instead of a secret you remember and type, each account gets a key pair where the private key never leaves your devices, and the website only ever sees the public key and signed challenges.