Vaultwarden: Self-Hosted Password Manager

Vaultwarden is an unofficial, lightweight Bitwarden server implementation written in Rust. It provides a secure, self-hosted solution for storing and managing passwords, notes, credit cards, and other sensitive information across all your devices.

Key Features

Cross-Platform Compatibility: Works with all official Bitwarden clients (mobile, desktop, browser extensions)
Password Generator: Create strong, unique passwords for each service
Secure Notes & Cards: Store sensitive information beyond just passwords
Vault Health Reports: Identify weak, reused, or compromised passwords
Two-Factor Authentication: Add an extra layer of security to your vault
End-to-End Encryption: Your data is encrypted on your device before being sent to the server
Self-Hosted: Complete control over your data with no third-party involvement
Organization Support: Share selected passwords with family members or team members

Documentation

For comprehensive documentation about Vaultwarden, visit the official GitHub repository.

Getting Started with Vaultwarden

Accessing Vaultwarden

URL: Access Vaultwarden locally via http://localhost:8200/ (or your configured external URL).
First Use: On first access, you'll need to create a master account. This will be your main admin account.

Basic Usage

Creating Your Account:
- Visit your Vaultwarden instance and click "Create Account"
- Set up a strong master password (this is your encryption key - if you forget it, your data cannot be recovered)
- Consider setting up email verification if you've configured SMTP
Installing Clients:
- Download the Bitwarden client for your devices (mobile, desktop, browser extensions)
- When configuring the client, select "Self-hosted" and enter your Vaultwarden server URL
Adding Passwords:
- Use the "+" button to add new entries to your vault
- Create separate items for logins, secure notes, cards, or identities
- Use the password generator to create strong, unique passwords
Organizing Your Vault:
- Create folders to organize your entries
- Use custom fields for additional information
- Add attachments when needed
Administrative Tasks (with Admin Token):
- Access the admin panel at /admin with your configured admin token
- Manage users, organizations, and server settings
- Monitor usage statistics and perform database backups

Use Cases within Changemaker

Team Password Management: Securely share access credentials among campaign team members.
Secure Credential Storage: Store API keys, tokens, and other sensitive information needed for integrations.
Enhance Security Posture: Encourage strong, unique passwords for all campaign services and tools.
Campaign Continuity: Ensure critical access information is safely stored and available to authorized team members.
Volunteer Management: Temporarily share limited access to certain resources with volunteers.

Administration

Vaultwarden includes an admin panel that can be accessed at /admin from your instance. This requires the admin token that was generated during setup. The admin panel allows you to:

Manage user accounts
Configure server settings
Control user invitations and registrations
Monitor system usage
Perform database operations

To enhance security, consider these best practices:

Keep your Vaultwarden instance updated
Enable 2FA for all accounts
Regularly backup your vault data
Review vault access logs periodically

Further Information

Vaultwarden GitHub: https://github.com/dani-garcia/vaultwarden
Bitwarden Documentation: https://bitwarden.com/help/
Vaultwarden Wiki: https://github.com/dani-garcia/vaultwarden/wiki

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