Safe method to open Gmail web interface from Java application

Other Questions Gmail
1

I’m working on a Java desktop application that needs to open Gmail in the user’s default browser. Currently I’m using this approach but I’m worried about security:

Desktop.getDesktop().browse(new URI(
    "https://accounts.google.com/signin/v2/identifier?continue=https://mail.google.com" +
    "&service=mail&username=USER_EMAIL&password=USER_PASS&flowName=GlifWebSignIn"));

This method works but it feels unsafe because credentials are exposed in the URL. My application is a Gmail notification tool that already connects via IMAP using JavaMail library. I just want to give users a quick way to open their Gmail account in their browser without having to log in again. Is there a more secure approach to achieve this functionality?

2

I’ve run into this same issue before - just ditch the credential-passing approach entirely. Desktop.browse() should only open https://mail.google.com, nothing else. What you’re doing with exposed credentials could break Google’s ToS and create legal problems for your app. Since your notification tool already authenticates through IMAP, store the auth state locally (encrypted), but don’t try to bypass Google’s web login. Modern browsers remember sessions pretty well, so users won’t have to log in constantly. Make the browser launch smooth instead of trying to automate the login.

3

never put passwords in urls like that! that’s basic security stuff. just send them to https://mail.google.com directly - if they’re logged into google, it’ll work. if not, they can log in through google’s secure page instead of your app handling their credentials.

4

You’re right - passing credentials in URLs is a huge security risk. Since you’re already using JavaMail for IMAP, just switch to OAuth2 authentication. Store the access token securely and use it for your authenticated sessions. For opening Gmail, send users to the regular Gmail URL (https://mail.google.com) instead of trying to skip login. Most people stay logged into Google anyway, so they won’t need to authenticate again. If you really want seamless access, implement Google’s OAuth2 flow properly - it’s more work upfront but way safer than embedding credentials anywhere in your app.