🔐 Password Manager App VaultKey

A sleek and secure open-source desktop password manager called VaultKey — with encryption, dark/light mode toggle, clipboard support, and more.

---

✨ Features

• 🌙 Dark Mode & Light Mode toggle with icon-based switch (🌞 / 🌚)
• 🔐 AES Encryption using cryptography to securely store passwords
• 🎲 Strong Password Generator (letters, symbols, numbers)
• 🔎 Search Functionality to retrieve saved credentials by website
• 💾 Local JSON Storage (encrypted)
• 📋 Clipboard Copy for generated passwords
• 🖼️ Polished Tkinter GUI with custom icons and colors
• 💻 Fully compatible with PyInstaller for .exe packaging

---

📸 Screenshots

Dark Mode	Light Mode

---

🗂️ Folder Structure

VaultKey-Password_manager/
├── main.py                   # Main GUI and app logic
├── core/
│   ├── password_logic.py     # PasswordGenerator class
│   └── crypto_util.py        # Encryptor class for encryption/decryption
├── assets/
│   ├── logo.png              # App logo
│   ├── sun.png               # Light mode icon
│   ├── moon.png              # Dark mode icon
│   └── (no sensitive data)   # password_data.json and secret.key are not stored here
├── requirements.txt          # Python dependencies
├── README.md                 # You're reading it!
└── .gitignore                # Prevents sensitive files from being tracked

📁 Note: On first run, VaultKey automatically creates and stores:

• "password_data.json"
• "secret.key"

in the system folder:

C:\Users\<YourUsername>\AppData\Roaming\VaultKey\

---

🚀 Getting Started

💡 Pro Tip:
Use python main.py during development for faster testing. Build the .exe only for final deployment or sharing with others.

1. Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/Harsh-Belekar/VaultKey-Password_manager.git

cd VaultKey-Password_manager

2. Install dependencies

pip install -r requirements.txt

3. Run the app

python main.py

---

🛠 Technologies Used

• tkinter — GUI framework
• pyperclip — Clipboard integration
• cryptography — AES encryption for password security
• json — Data storage format

---

🧪 Build Executable (Windows)

• Use PyInstaller to convert the app into a standalone executable:

python -m PyInstaller --onefile --windowed --icon=assets/logo.ico --add-data "assets;assets" --name VaultKey main.py

👉 The .exe file will be located in the dist/ folder after the build.

---

⚠️ Antivirus Warning (False Positive)

When building the VaultKey.exe file using PyInstaller, some antivirus software (especially Windows Defender) might flag the generated .exe as a potential threat.

This is a false positive, triggered by:

• Using Fernet encryption
• Saving encrypted JSON files
• Clipboard access via pyperclip

---

🔧 How I Fixed the Issue

To successfully build the .exe without triggering antivirus errors:

1. ⚙️ I excluded the project folder from Windows Defender using:

• Settings → Privacy & Security → Windows Security → Virus & Threat Protection → Manage Settings → Add Exclusion

2. 🔄 Rebuilt the .exe using PyInstaller:

python -m PyInstaller --onefile --windowed --icon=assets/logo.ico --add-data "assets;assets" --name VaultKey main.py

---

🛡️ Security Notes

• All saved passwords are encrypted using a secure Fernet key (AES-128) via the cryptography library.

• The encryption key (secret.key) and your password data (password_data.json) are stored outside the project folder in a protected system location (see below).

• These files are excluded from Git tracking using .gitignore to ensure your credentials remain private.

---

📂 Data Storage Location

VaultKey stores sensitive data in the user's system directory, not in the assets/ folder.

📍 Windows Location:

C:\Users\<YourUsername>\AppData\Roaming\VaultKey\

Files stored there:

• password_data.json → Encrypted password data
• secret.key → Your encryption key (do not delete unless resetting)

This ensures:

• Compatibility with .exe builds where asset folders are read-only
• Secure, writable file handling for all operating modes

---

📦 Future Improvements

• Export/Import Encrypted Backups
  Easily save and load encrypted password backups locally or to the cloud.

• Master Password Authentication
  Add a secure login screen to unlock the VaultKey app before accessing any credentials.

• Cloud Sync or Database Storage
  Enable sync across devices using Firebase, SQLite, or encrypted cloud storage APIs.

---

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

Feel free to use, modify, and distribute VaultKey for personal or commercial purposes.

---

🙌 Built with ❤️ by Harsh Belekar