[HN Gopher] Web-based cryptography is always snake oil
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       Web-based cryptography is always snake oil
        
       Author : sanj
       Score  : 7 points
       Date   : 2025-03-27 21:05 UTC (1 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (www.devever.net)
 (TXT) w3m dump (www.devever.net)
        
       | afarah1 wrote:
       | Yes, web crypto requires trust on the server and is not secure if
       | your threat model includes its compromise (or that of the CA).
       | ProtonMail recognizes this[1] and offers native open source
       | clients. They also try to somewhat reduce the issue by using an
       | SPA for the web client, to reduce fetches from the server.
       | 
       | [1] https://vimeo.com/216747532 2017 presentation by ProtonMail's
       | CTO saying essentially the above, at 50:41
        
       | proxynoproxy wrote:
       | I wouldn't call this "incoherent" rather, I propose the
       | terminology "vendor subvertable".
       | 
       | Yes, any time a vendor of software has any direct update
       | capabilities, a targeted update can bypass the encryption
       | provided by some software.
       | 
       | In practice, we tend to delegate to a 3rd party like an OS
       | distribution packager, where there is a delay between vendor
       | releases and packaging. Where it can be discovered.
       | 
       | Another good reason to use open source for core cryptography
       | libraries and any code a vendor supplies should be open and
       | repeatably built also.
        
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       (page generated 2025-03-27 23:01 UTC)