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TunnelBear Publishes Security Audit

tunnelbear.com

11–20 of 61 posts

Re: TunnelBear Publishes Security Audit

#11
post #10

Some time ago, decompiled the Windows client and presented my findings here: https://hackernoon.com/poking-the-bear-is-tunnelbears-client...

Nice writeup. Not sure I agree about DNS transparent proxying being rampant in ISPs (at least in the US).

Pretty sure T-Mobile still does it.

Re: TunnelBear Publishes Security Audit

#15
post #11
post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nice writeup. Not sure I agree about DNS transparent proxying being rampant in ISPs (at least in the US).

Pretty sure T-Mobile still does it.

T-Online does, o2, too. See previous discussion here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13037858

The link is a test tool.

Re: TunnelBear Publishes Security Audit

#17
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think your judgment is too harsh. Very few software deployment systems make it possible for binaries to be independently reproduced from published sources by the public. AFAIK, it's limited to systems like Nix, Guix, recent Debian, and other participants in the Reproducible Builds project. However, even within those systems, if you are downloading a compiled binary instead of building it yourself, how can you be su…

There's NO value in 3rd party vouching for the security (read, quality) of some specific version of the software, because this opinion will be rendered null and void with the next software update. There is some value in 3rd party verifying the system design (the architecture, the protocol, etc.) and general engineering practices in the company, but this still hinges on the need to trust this company not to be (or bei…

Regarding Zimmerman's VoIP, Tarsnap does the same thing. The client source is available but you aren't allowed to use it for anything except building the client for the Tarsnap service.

Re: TunnelBear Publishes Security Audit

#18

Can official binaries be independently reproduced from published sources by members of the public? If no, then an audit has little to no value as it still implies trusting the vendor not to fudge the binaries or, more broadly, be malicious.

The trouble with VPN providers is that even with reproducible client builds, it's much easier for them to intercept the traffic on their side. Plus there is a near-zero chance of detection, unlike on the client side where the binary can be decompiled.

Re: TunnelBear Publishes Security Audit

#19
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think your judgment is too harsh. Very few software deployment systems make it possible for binaries to be independently reproduced from published sources by the public. AFAIK, it's limited to systems like Nix, Guix, recent Debian, and other participants in the Reproducible Builds project. However, even within those systems, if you are downloading a compiled binary instead of building it yourself, how can you be su…

There's NO value in 3rd party vouching for the security (read, quality) of some specific version of the software, because this opinion will be rendered null and void with the next software update. There is some value in 3rd party verifying the system design (the architecture, the protocol, etc.) and general engineering practices in the company, but this still hinges on the need to trust this company not to be (or bei…

"NO value" is a huge stretch IMO. Sure, it's entirely possible for gaping security holes to be introduced in future releases, but if past versions have been consistently vouched for as secure, that's still going to increase my confidence in future versions being secure. Or if I'm paranoid, then where possible I can just stick to a specific version which has been vouched for as secure.
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