back to article Auditors find encrypted chat client TextSecure is secure

Popular text and instant messaging client TextSecure would offer excellent security ... if it patched an attack vector found by a German research team conducting the first audit of the software. The app was downloaded half a million times from the Android play store and was built into the popular Cyanogenmod Android operating …

  1. Spearchucker Jones

    Easily fixed

    Instead of verifying the fingerprint, Milhouse sends a nonce encrypted under Bart's (actually Nelson's) public key. If Bart were legit he performs a simple operation on the nonce, re-encrypts it with Milhouse's public key and sends it back to him, thereby verifying that he holds his (Nelson's) private key.

    The vulnerability is an old one. Bart can't read Nelson's stuff because he doesn't have Nelson's private key. So instead of just verifying a fingerprint, verify the existence of the private key. Kerberos does this (Needham Schroeder protocol).

  2. This post has been deleted by its author

    1. stuartnz

      Re: Simpsons?

      They all got hired as consultants for the NSA.

    2. Alistair
      Coat

      Re: Simpsons?

      OR:

      Bob is serving time in pokey after allegations that he was recording interactions between Alice and Mallory and posting them to revenge porn sites.

      As a result he now works for the NSA in order to reduce his sentence.

      Alice sought psychological assistance for her mental anguish and was convinced that working for the NSA would allow her to take revenge on revenge porn sites.

      Their manager at the NSA ensures that they never meet face to face, and has taken to drinking at work due to the stress.

      Mallory now is a homemaker, heavily medicated, who drives an SUV and helicopters all three of her children, 24 hours a day. Physically and emotionally exhausted, she no longer has time for computer security.

    3. Charles 9

      Re: Simpsons?

      Alice and Mallory are involved in a menage a trois with Gene behind Bob's back. In the process, Gene stole everyone's private keys behind their backs...

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