Cannot import vault json into Vaultwarden #2299

New Issue

MrUnknownDE · 2026-04-06T03:20:53+02:00

MrUnknownDE commented

2026-04-06 03:20:53 +02:00

Originally created by @fbartels on 11/8/2021

Subject of the issue

I am trying to move one Vaultwarden Vault from one instance to another. Initially I wanted to do this with Portwarden (to also migrate attachments), but Portwarden was throwing the following error:

restoring folder folder1
restoring folder folder2
restoring item item1
An error occured:  exit status 1
(bytes.Buffer) 
(bytes.Buffer) Error saving cipher
restoring item item2
2021/11/08 07:21:48 unexpected end of JSON input

Trying to directly trying to import the vault data generated from the "Export Vault" function in the web ui does not give a visible error message, but in the browser tools I can see that the request produced an error 400 with the following response:

{"ErrorModel":{"Message":"Error saving cipher","Object":"error"},"ExceptionMessage":null,"ExceptionStackTrace":null,"InnerExceptionMessage":null,"Message":"Error saving cipher","Object":"error","ValidationErrors":{"":["Error saving cipher"]},"error":"","error_description":""}

Vaultwarden logs the following when this happens (in both cases):

Nov 08 08:21:48 [2021-11-08 07:21:48.697][request][INFO] POST /api/ciphers
Nov 08 08:21:48 [2021-11-08 07:21:48.701][error][ERROR] Error saving cipher.
Nov 08 08:21:48 [CAUSE] DatabaseError(
Nov 08 08:21:48 __Unknown,
Nov 08 08:21:48 "Malformed communication packet.",
Nov 08 08:21:48 )
Nov 08 08:21:48 [2021-11-08 07:21:48.701][response][INFO] POST /api/ciphers (post_ciphers) => 400 Bad Request
Nov 08 08:21:48 123.123.123.123 - - [08/Nov/2021:07:21:48 +0000] "POST /api/ciphers HTTP/1.1" 400 276 "-" "Bitwarden_CLI/[object Promise] (LINUX)"

I tried to import the same json file into the Bitwarden SaaS and got a more descriptive error there:

Deployment environment

Your environment (Generated via diagnostics page)

Vaultwarden version: v
Web-vault version: v2.23.0
Running within Docker: true (Base: Debian)
Environment settings overridden: false
Uses a reverse proxy: true
IP Header check: true (X-Forwarded-For)
Internet access: true
Internet access via a proxy: false
DNS Check: true
Time Check: true
Domain Configuration Check: true
HTTPS Check: true
Database type: MySQL
Database version: 8.0.23-0ubuntu0.20.04.1
Clients used:
Reverse proxy and version:
Other relevant information:

Config (Generated via diagnostics page)

Show Running Config

Environment settings which are overridden:

{
  "_duo_akey": null,
  "_enable_duo": false,
  "_enable_email_2fa": true,
  "_enable_smtp": true,
  "_enable_yubico": true,
  "_ip_header_enabled": true,
  "admin_token": "***",
  "allowed_iframe_ancestors": "",
  "attachments_folder": "/app/data/attachments",
  "authenticator_disable_time_drift": false,
  "data_folder": "/app/data",
  "database_max_conns": 10,
  "database_url": "*****://****************:************************************************@*****/****************",
  "db_connection_retries": 15,
  "disable_2fa_remember": false,
  "disable_admin_token": false,
  "disable_icon_download": false,
  "domain": "*****://********.***.**",
  "domain_origin": "*****://********.***.**",
  "domain_path": "",
  "domain_set": true,
  "duo_host": null,
  "duo_ikey": null,
  "duo_skey": null,
  "email_attempts_limit": 3,
  "email_expiration_time": 600,
  "email_token_size": 6,
  "emergency_access_allowed": true,
  "emergency_notification_reminder_schedule": "0 5 * * * *",
  "emergency_request_timeout_schedule": "0 5 * * * *",
  "enable_db_wal": false,
  "extended_logging": true,
  "helo_name": null,
  "hibp_api_key": null,
  "icon_blacklist_non_global_ips": true,
  "icon_blacklist_regex": null,
  "icon_cache_folder": "/app/data/icon_cache",
  "icon_cache_negttl": 259200,
  "icon_cache_ttl": 2592000,
  "icon_download_timeout": 10,
  "invitation_org_name": "Vaultwarden",
  "invitations_allowed": true,
  "ip_header": "X-Forwarded-For",
  "job_poll_interval_ms": 30000,
  "log_file": "/run/vaultwarden/vaultwarden.log",
  "log_level": "info",
  "log_timestamp_format": "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S.%3f",
  "org_attachment_limit": null,
  "org_creation_users": "",
  "password_iterations": 100000,
  "reload_templates": false,
  "require_device_email": false,
  "rsa_key_filename": "/app/data/rsa_key",
  "send_purge_schedule": "0 5 * * * *",
  "sends_allowed": true,
  "sends_folder": "/app/data/sends",
  "show_password_hint": false,
  "signups_allowed": true,
  "signups_domains_whitelist": "",
  "signups_verify": false,
  "signups_verify_resend_limit": 6,
  "signups_verify_resend_time": 3600,
  "smtp_accept_invalid_certs": false,
  "smtp_accept_invalid_hostnames": false,
  "smtp_auth_mechanism": "Plain",
  "smtp_debug": false,
  "smtp_explicit_tls": false,
  "smtp_from": "********.***@***.**",
  "smtp_from_name": "password.app@domain.com",
  "smtp_host": "****",
  "smtp_password": "***",
  "smtp_port": 2525,
  "smtp_ssl": false,
  "smtp_timeout": 15,
  "smtp_username": "********.***@***.**",
  "templates_folder": "/app/data/templates",
  "trash_auto_delete_days": null,
  "trash_purge_schedule": "0 5 0 * * *",
  "use_syslog": false,
  "user_attachment_limit": null,
  "web_vault_enabled": true,
  "web_vault_folder": "web-vault/",
  "websocket_address": "0.0.0.0",
  "websocket_enabled": true,
  "websocket_port": 3012,
  "yubico_client_id": null,
  "yubico_secret_key": null,
  "yubico_server": null
}

Steps to reproduce

Import a json file with an entry that has more than 10000 characters in the notes field.

Expected behaviour

Import the json or give an error message similar to the Bitwarden SaaS.

Actual behaviour

Non descriptive error message.

Troubleshooting data

*Originally created by @fbartels on 11/8/2021* ### Subject of the issue I am trying to move one Vaultwarden Vault from one instance to another. Initially I wanted to do this with Portwarden (to also migrate attachments), but Portwarden was throwing the following error: ``` restoring folder folder1 restoring folder folder2 restoring item item1 An error occured: exit status 1 (bytes.Buffer) (bytes.Buffer) Error saving cipher restoring item item2 2021/11/08 07:21:48 unexpected end of JSON input ``` Trying to directly trying to import the vault data generated from the "Export Vault" function in the web ui does not give a visible error message, but in the browser tools I can see that the request produced an error 400 with the following response: ``` {"ErrorModel":{"Message":"Error saving cipher","Object":"error"},"ExceptionMessage":null,"ExceptionStackTrace":null,"InnerExceptionMessage":null,"Message":"Error saving cipher","Object":"error","ValidationErrors":{"":["Error saving cipher"]},"error":"","error_description":""} ``` Vaultwarden logs the following when this happens (in both cases): ``` Nov 08 08:21:48 [2021-11-08 07:21:48.697][request][INFO] POST /api/ciphers Nov 08 08:21:48 [2021-11-08 07:21:48.701][error][ERROR] Error saving cipher. Nov 08 08:21:48 [CAUSE] DatabaseError( Nov 08 08:21:48 __Unknown, Nov 08 08:21:48 "Malformed communication packet.", Nov 08 08:21:48 ) Nov 08 08:21:48 [2021-11-08 07:21:48.701][response][INFO] POST /api/ciphers (post_ciphers) => 400 Bad Request Nov 08 08:21:48 123.123.123.123 - - [08/Nov/2021:07:21:48 +0000] "POST /api/ciphers HTTP/1.1" 400 276 "-" "Bitwarden_CLI/[object Promise] (LINUX)" ``` I tried to import the same json file into the Bitwarden SaaS and got a more descriptive error there: ![image](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/1257835/140704328-33a4fc9c-ee57-42d9-9ac6-8e88cbeee79c.png) ### Deployment environment ### Your environment (Generated via diagnostics page) * Vaultwarden version: v * Web-vault version: v2.23.0 * Running within Docker: true (Base: Debian) * Environment settings overridden: false * Uses a reverse proxy: true * IP Header check: true (X-Forwarded-For) * Internet access: true * Internet access via a proxy: false * DNS Check: true * Time Check: true * Domain Configuration Check: true * HTTPS Check: true * Database type: MySQL * Database version: 8.0.23-0ubuntu0.20.04.1 * Clients used: * Reverse proxy and version: * Other relevant information: ### Config (Generated via diagnostics page) <details><summary>Show Running Config</summary> **Environment settings which are overridden:** ```json { "_duo_akey": null, "_enable_duo": false, "_enable_email_2fa": true, "_enable_smtp": true, "_enable_yubico": true, "_ip_header_enabled": true, "admin_token": "***", "allowed_iframe_ancestors": "", "attachments_folder": "/app/data/attachments", "authenticator_disable_time_drift": false, "data_folder": "/app/data", "database_max_conns": 10, "database_url": "*****://****************:************************************************@*****/****************", "db_connection_retries": 15, "disable_2fa_remember": false, "disable_admin_token": false, "disable_icon_download": false, "domain": "*****://********.***.**", "domain_origin": "*****://********.***.**", "domain_path": "", "domain_set": true, "duo_host": null, "duo_ikey": null, "duo_skey": null, "email_attempts_limit": 3, "email_expiration_time": 600, "email_token_size": 6, "emergency_access_allowed": true, "emergency_notification_reminder_schedule": "0 5 * * * *", "emergency_request_timeout_schedule": "0 5 * * * *", "enable_db_wal": false, "extended_logging": true, "helo_name": null, "hibp_api_key": null, "icon_blacklist_non_global_ips": true, "icon_blacklist_regex": null, "icon_cache_folder": "/app/data/icon_cache", "icon_cache_negttl": 259200, "icon_cache_ttl": 2592000, "icon_download_timeout": 10, "invitation_org_name": "Vaultwarden", "invitations_allowed": true, "ip_header": "X-Forwarded-For", "job_poll_interval_ms": 30000, "log_file": "/run/vaultwarden/vaultwarden.log", "log_level": "info", "log_timestamp_format": "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S.%3f", "org_attachment_limit": null, "org_creation_users": "", "password_iterations": 100000, "reload_templates": false, "require_device_email": false, "rsa_key_filename": "/app/data/rsa_key", "send_purge_schedule": "0 5 * * * *", "sends_allowed": true, "sends_folder": "/app/data/sends", "show_password_hint": false, "signups_allowed": true, "signups_domains_whitelist": "", "signups_verify": false, "signups_verify_resend_limit": 6, "signups_verify_resend_time": 3600, "smtp_accept_invalid_certs": false, "smtp_accept_invalid_hostnames": false, "smtp_auth_mechanism": "Plain", "smtp_debug": false, "smtp_explicit_tls": false, "smtp_from": "********.***@***.**", "smtp_from_name": "password.app@domain.com", "smtp_host": "****", "smtp_password": "***", "smtp_port": 2525, "smtp_ssl": false, "smtp_timeout": 15, "smtp_username": "********.***@***.**", "templates_folder": "/app/data/templates", "trash_auto_delete_days": null, "trash_purge_schedule": "0 5 0 * * *", "use_syslog": false, "user_attachment_limit": null, "web_vault_enabled": true, "web_vault_folder": "web-vault/", "websocket_address": "0.0.0.0", "websocket_enabled": true, "websocket_port": 3012, "yubico_client_id": null, "yubico_secret_key": null, "yubico_server": null } ``` </details> ### Steps to reproduce Import a json file with an entry that has more than 10000 characters in the notes field. ### Expected behaviour Import the json or give an error message similar to the Bitwarden SaaS. ### Actual behaviour Non descriptive error message. ### Troubleshooting data

MrUnknownDE closed this issue

2026-04-06 03:20:53 +02:00

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Reference: github/vaultwarden#2299