What’s stopping the app from keeping your private key and still not encrypting anything?
I’m not trying to be difficult here, I just don’t see how anything outside of an application whose source you can check yourself can be trusted.
All applications hosted by other people require you to react positively to “just trust me bro”.
wallabra@lemmy.eco.br 2 weeks ago
Tox also isn’t that great security wise. It’s hard to beat Signal when it comes to security messengers. And Signal is open source so
REDACTED@infosec.pub 2 weeks ago
Well, Whatsapp uses signal. Bad timing
qyron@sopuli.xyz 2 weeks ago
How?
Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
Unless proof is given, assume troll
HereIAm@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
WhatsApp is using Signals protocol for communication: signal.org/blog/whatsapp-complete/
I don’t fully understand what it entails, but from what I understand is that yes, WhatsApp is using the same encryption and message flow that signal uses, but you’re still using Meta’s app, and they can just read the plaintext message from there.
REDACTED@infosec.pub 2 weeks ago
Read more than just the title ffs
Candice_the_elephant@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
It only uses some of signal’s code. Not necessarily the OOTB key storage and security.
Tanoh@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Well, no. At least not by default as you are running a compiled version of it. Someone could inject code you don’t know anything about before compilation that for example leaked your keys.
One way to be more confident no one has, would be to have predictable builds that you can recreate and then compare the file fingerprints. But I do not think that is possible, at least on android, as google holds they signature keys to apps.
pressanykeynow@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Signal has reproducible builds and here’s the instruction how to check it on Android github.com/signalapp/Signal-Android/…/README.md
Tanoh@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
If they have, then good. Wasn’t sure it was doable with current google’s signing process. Highly unlikely someone hasn’t tampered with them then (far easier to target the site displaying the “correct” fingerprint).
However, my original point still stands. Just because it is open source doesn’t in itself mean that a bad actor can’t tamper with it.
MaggiWuerze@feddit.org 2 weeks ago
Signal is also on F-Droid, so it should Bd verifiable