Two factor authentication for connections not working

Hello,

I have recently configured two factor authentication for connections in my team viewer settings. I was able to successfully add my phone by scanning the QR code. However now when I try to connect to my PC using TeamViewer I get stuck on 'authenticating' and do not receive any push notification on my phone to allow the connection. If I disable the two factor authentication for connections everything works as normal. Can someone please assist with my issue?

Best Answer

Answers

  • tkirk
    tkirk Posts: 7

    Hello.

    Sysadm for a smb company here.

    The new two-factor authentication possibilities are interesting, and we will absolutely add two-factor security to log into the teamviewer console / teamviewer.com to protect our admin accounts.

    Next step: could two-factor for _connections_ be used in an enterprise in any practical way to increase security on our client computers? We have ~400 computers in our company, with teamviewer installed and licensed, for easy remote access by us IT admins. We cant walk around to every computer and scan a QR-code on our phones, in order to activate two factor for connections on every computer against out admin phones.

    Am I missing something here, or is two factor for connections not usable in a semi-large business environment to add security to all computers yet?

  • JeanK
    JeanK Posts: 7,027 Community Manager 🌍

    Hello @ByronS,

    I have also experienced a similar issue.

    I am using an iPhone 8 and, indeed, when I start a connection, I don't get the notification within the TeamViewer Remote Control app itself.

    However, I receive the notification in my Notification Centre when swiping down the screen:

    Maybe you could check if this is also the case for you.

    All the best,

    /JeanK

    Community Manager

  • ByronS
    ByronS Posts: 3

    Hi Jean,

    Thanks for your reply and describing your own experience. Unfortunately for me I do not see any notification in the notification centre as well as nothing in the app itself.

  • JeanK
    JeanK Posts: 7,027 Community Manager 🌍

    Hi @ByronS,

    Have you checked if you have allowed notifications for the TeamViewer app?


    Community Manager

  • ByronS
    ByronS Posts: 3

    Hi @JeanK

    Yes I have all the notification options turned on for the TeamViewer app


  • JeanK
    JeanK Posts: 7,027 Community Manager 🌍

    I have to admit - I don't know why this is not working on your iPhone.

    Have you tried reinstalling the app?

    Community Manager

  • jbush
    jbush Posts: 46

    I have a crazy amount of remote computers linked to my phone/mobile app for authentication. Anytime I connect to these machines, I get a notification to allow/block. This has worked flawlessly until about a week ago. Unfortunately, not a new phone or anything like that. Now I have a lot (not all though) of inaccessible remote machines. I still get the notification, click Allow, and it will flash "Connection Allowed". However, my Teamviewer will just say "Connecting. Authenticating..." until it goes back to normal status and never giving me a remote session. What's up with that?

    Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

    Jason

  • ANNAT
    ANNAT Posts: 2

    Hi everyone,

    I hove someone could help me solving an issue related to authentication/connection for remote control.

    I have two computers registered in my account, one Mac and one Macbook, and i've always been able to connect from macbook to Mac with no problem, using the two-factor authentication with my mobile. Suddenly remote control from macbook to mac doesn't work, while everything seams ok when I try to connect the remote control from mac to macbook.

    In the first case (from macbook to mac), no authentication notice from the app appears in my mobile, so I'm not able to connect (a message like "authentication in progress" remains for several seconds and after a while all attempts stop).

    Any ideas?!

    thanks

  • VisRitty
    VisRitty Posts: 3

    I agree it is not done to go to all the computers to scan the QR.

    Still you can use teamviewer to "go" to the computer and scan the QR code.

    But when TFA for connections is active and your old authentication device is not accesible anymore you cannot use TeamViewer anymore to "go" to any device.

    This is a big BUG

  • mrhedin
    mrhedin Posts: 1

    I'm experiencing the same problem as ByronS. Have also tried reinstalling the app on the mobile device used for recieving the TFA-push notifications.

    For me, this has worked fine in the past, but now just stopped working. No push-notifications are recieved.

  • jbush
    jbush Posts: 46
    edited May 2022

    Same issue. I opened a ticket about it a while, and never got a real fix. The best workaround I have found is to remove and re-add your mobile device. *bleep* in my case because I have a LOT of machines I can not directly put my hands on to correct. Else, just turn it off completely. There is defintely a bug in this process that possibly came in with an update or something. For me, everything was fine one week, and then all of a sudden a LOT of machines would just sit waiting to authenticate with no notifications. Real **bleep**.

    My post about it. You're at least getting some replies. lol

    https://community.teamviewer.com/English/discussion/122405/broken-tfa-for-connections#latest

  • jbush
    jbush Posts: 46

    What he said. You can remote to your current installs and scan the QR code remotely. I have done this with our enterprise deploy, and there is a bug with this authentication process. Be wary of going big scale with this security option. The bug is much bigger than the previous guy's comment. I have the same device as when TFA was set up. It worked for me flawlessly for a year plus, and then all of a sudden I stopped getting the TFA notifications on my phone. I opened a ticket about it without a real fix. The only workaround I have found is to remove the mobile device from TFA options and re-add. Not a good fix if you cannot put your hands on the machine unless someone does it for me.

    My post...I have a crazy amount of remote computers linked to my phone/mobile app for authentication. Anytime I connect to these machines, I get a notification to allow/block. This has worked flawlessly until about a week ago. Unfortunately, not a new phone or anything like that. Now I have a lot (not all though) of inaccessible remote machines. I still get the notification, click Allow, and it will flash "Connection Allowed". However, my Teamviewer will just say "Connecting. Authenticating..." until it goes back to normal status and never giving me a remote session. What's up with that?

    https://community.teamviewer.com/English/discussion/122405/broken-tfa-for-connections#latest

  • JeanK
    JeanK Posts: 7,027 Community Manager 🌍
    edited May 2022

    Hello @jbush,

    Thank you for reaching out!

    I recommend asking our customer support if they have any updates regarding this issue.

    Don't hesitate to share your findings here as well.

    P.S: I have merged your post into this thread so we all have it in one place.

    All the best,

    /JeanK

    Community Manager

  • ANNAT
    ANNAT Posts: 2

    It works! Thank you very much, jbush

  • jbush
    jbush Posts: 46

    Glad I could help. Have a great Monday wherever you are. ;D

  • NeptuneIT
    NeptuneIT Posts: 2

    Hi peeps, I've enabled and confirmed working a list of computers for remote offices, and they tested fine when they were setup, but now months later I get no prompts on my mobile phone to confirm connection to a device - what has changed?

    There are no firewall settings listed to enable, according to documentation I have found - when I set it up, there were no firewall settings that needed changing.

    I've removed and readded the app on my iPhone, and the problem remains.

    When I disable 2FA, the connection is flawless

    What else could be preventing connection to my remote computers when 2FA is enabled?


    Thanks

    Carl

  • Ying_Q
    Ying_Q Posts: 2,689 Moderator

    Hi @NeptuneIT,

    Welcome to TeamViewer Community 😊

    In order to understand better about this issue you are encountering at the moment with TeamViewer, may I ask more information from you please.


    1) Which 2FA enable have you completed? Account with 2FA or Connections with 2FA?

    You may check out more information on knowledge articles🧾 below:

    Activate two factor authentication

    and

    Two factor authentication for connections


    2) Which 2FA app have you linked TeamViewer to?


    Look forward to your reply on this issue!

    Best,

    Ying_Q

    Community Moderator/中文社区管理员
  • NeptuneIT
    NeptuneIT Posts: 2

    I am using 2FA for connections.

    I use the TeamViewer mobile app to confirm connections, and this was working without issue up until 1-2 months ago.

  • Ying_Q
    Ying_Q Posts: 2,689 Moderator
    edited May 2022

    Hi @NeptuneIT,

    Thank you for the quick update!

    Meanwhile, I have also searched through TeamViewer Community for some suggestions and find a possible solution.

    Can you kindly check out this post please and try the action of remove and re-add the device.

    Additionally, I would recommend you to contact TeamViewer Support Team☎ for further discussion on the topic of 2FA for connections please.

    We appreciate your kind understanding on time consumption for getting the final solution!

    Best,

    Ying_Q

    Community Moderator/中文社区管理员
  • NeptuneIT
    NeptuneIT Posts: 2

    Removing and readding a device because of a bug is immensely frustrating - at this point, its likely I will remove 2FA and have to change our company policy.

    I have no trust in the 2FA system anymore...

  • Ying_Q
    Ying_Q Posts: 2,689 Moderator

    I am so sorry to hear the disappointment on 2FA from you!

    Please let us know if there is anything we may help you further.

    Best,

    Ying_Q

    Community Moderator/中文社区管理员
  • JeanK
    JeanK Posts: 7,027 Community Manager 🌍

    Hello all,

    I can confirm that there was an issue with TeamViewer Remote Control's iOS version 15.28.

    Our R&D team confirmed that removing and registering the device again is the only fix for this issue.

    We are sorry for the inconvenience caused.

    All the best,

    /JeanK

    Community Manager