# github/SoftU2F

Software U2F authenticator for macOS

Repository: https://github.com/github/SoftU2F
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/softu2f
Language: Swift
License: MIT
License Family: permissive
Topics: fido-u2f, cryptography, macos
Archived: true
Last push: 2020-12-14T20:31:00+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 10/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 0, release rhythm 8, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 3507, "days_push": 2088, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: archived
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 2242, forks 130 (observed 2026-08-28T04:06:29.861374+00:00)

## What it is
SoftU2F is a software U2F authenticator for macOS that emulates a hardware U2F HID device and performs cryptographic operations using the macOS Keychain. It works with Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Opera's built-in U2F support, but the project is now deprecated since browsers support Touch ID natively.

## Use cases
- use Touch ID as a U2F security key on macOS
- software FIDO U2F authenticator for two-factor login
- register and authenticate with U2F in Chrome or Safari without hardware key
- emulate a USB U2F HID device on Mac
- test U2F flows with Yubico demo site

## When to choose
- you need a software U2F token on an older macOS setup where browsers lack native Touch ID support
- you want to experiment with U2F registration and authentication flows without buying a hardware key

## When to avoid
- you are on macOS 11+ or recent Chrome, which support Touch ID for U2F natively
- you need the strongest security, since keys stored in the Keychain are accessible to local malware unlike hardware authenticators
- you need a maintained project - SoftU2F is deprecated with known unfixed compatibility issues

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: abandoned
- function: auth, cryptography, security
- domain: security, apple-ecosystem, privacy
- platform: -
- tags: u2f, fido-u2f, two-factor-authentication, touch-id, kernel-extension, deprecated, macos, desktop

## Member repositories
- github/SoftU2F (main) score 10

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:06:29.861374+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T02:44:04.317051+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/github/SoftU2F (fetched 2026-08-28T04:06:29.861374+00:00, sha 7cdab3d9fff6)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.