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TM Signal (lemmy.world)
submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by to c/privacy@lemmy.ml
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The scariest part of this recent news is that TM Signal seem(ed) to be interoperable. People using TM Signal could interact with actual Signal users. How are you to know whether or not your groups have people using bastardized versions of Signal? Are things like Session interoperable with Signal?

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[–] 51 points 1 year ago* (1 child)

In no way does Signal prevent conversations from being archived. For all you know, a recipient could be screenshotting all of your messages, and they could even be using the official app when doing so.

If you don't trust your contacts, probably shouldn't be messaging them anything sensitive.

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  • [–] [S] 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    Yes of course. Signal can archive messages and they can be restored, you can screenshot messages and you can have them backed up as part of a policy like icloud backups.

    My question is more about how do you know you're interacting with an authentic signal client, and not a bastardized one.

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  • [–] 9 points 1 year ago* (2 children)

    At the moment you can't. The only realistic way I could see that happening is the the server would check the app digital signature and refuse the app from communicating with the official infrastructure if it didn't match.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Which would be absolutely disgusting given that Signal's official app lacks some basic functionality!

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Yeah, I use the molly fork because there's features I like about it. I'd be sad if I couldn't use it anymore. :(

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Even then, nothing stops the client from lying to the server.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 child)

    That's the point of digitally signing the app, to ensure its authenticity and integrity. TM and others wouldn't be able to resign the modified app with the Signal Foundation signature.

    EDIT: Yeah after thinking more about it it's not a trivial problem, as you need to assume that the endpoint is inherently untrusted.

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  • [–] 8 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    It's actually possible in a way:

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/SafetyNet

    But you necessarily need to limit the devices and operating systems that are allowed. No custom ROMs, no root access, etc.

    It's bullshit and breaks open computing as a concept.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago

    Not to mention that a device that would pass Play Integrity is precisely the device I wouldn't ever consider doing anything private on. Which would defeat the whole point of Signal. It's already bad enough that it's so desktop-unfriendly while much fewer phones than computers that can run non-privacy-invasive OSes than computers...

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  • [–] 7 points 1 year ago

    how do you know you’re interacting with an authentic signal client, and not a bastardized one.

    I don't think that's the point... it does not matter. Even if it's an authentic client, if the device (e.g. 0 day vulnerability on the OS) or the user (e.g. does not lock their phone while going to the bathroom) is compromised, your conversation is not secure.

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