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FBI used iPhone notification data to retrieve deleted Signal messages

9to5mac.com

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Re: FBI used iPhone notification data to retrieve deleted Signal messages

#101

Post by satvikpendem »

9dev wrote: post #94
satvikpendem wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If your app needs to send a notification while it's not currently a running process, it must go through Firebase on Google's side and APNS on Apple's side. There is no way for a non running app to send a notification entirely locally, this is by design of both companies.

> […] this is by design of both companies. This is more of a fundamental technical limitation of operating systems and networks; I don't think it is possible to design distributed communication between arbitrary service provider infrastructure and end-user devices without an always-online intermediary reachable from anywhere (a bouncer, in IRC terms) that accepts messages for non-present consumers.

Yes, however the fact that it is not customizable is what is annoying, you are forced to rely only on the OS makers' implementations, which I guess should be expected in the day and age.

Re: FBI used iPhone notification data to retrieve deleted Signal messages

#102

Post by esseph »

1vuio0pswjnm7 wrote: post #95

"However, it appears the defendant did not have that setting enabled, which, in turn, seemingly allowed the system to store the content in the database." "[A]llowing the system to store the content in the database" where a third party, such as Apple or a government, can access it is the default Only a small minority of users know about settings and how to change them. The vast majority of users do not change default…

> Only a small minority of users know about settings and how to change them.

I couldn't believe this so went to look up some data on this.

Holy FUCK that is bleak. There needs to be way more computer education, not just "how2type" classes.

Re: FBI used iPhone notification data to retrieve deleted Signal messages

#104

Post by OptionOfT »

satvikpendem wrote: post #89
aftbit wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wait... why does Signal need to send notification content to Firebase to trigger a push notification on device? I would instead expect that Signal would send a push to my Android saying nothing more than "wake up, you've got a message in convo XYZ", then the app would take over and handle the rest of it locally. I also didn't realize that Android stores message history even after I've replied or swiped them away. Tha…

If your app needs to send a notification while it's not currently a running process, it must go through Firebase on Google's side and APNS on Apple's side. There is no way for a non running app to send a notification entirely locally, this is by design of both companies.

But there is a way to do this encrypted, so that when the notification is received on your iPhone, the process itself needs to decrypt it.

Except you need an entitlement for that, because it requires that your app has the ability to receive a notification without actually showing it (Apple checks this).

Your app gets woken up, decrypts the message, and then shows a local notification.

Re: FBI used iPhone notification data to retrieve deleted Signal messages

#105

Post by jMyles »

blitzar wrote: post #37

> testimony in a recent trial Court cases are the real way to audit security. Larping about security and complaining about companies responding to court orders only gets you so far. Its way more useful to look at what actually happens in reality.

The problem is that, in the current environment of dishonest and corrupt states, "what actually happens in reality" isn't the same as what happens in court because of parallel construction.

Re: FBI used iPhone notification data to retrieve deleted Signal messages

#107

Post by greysonp »

pigggg wrote: post #106

Just curious, how come at least once a month signal bugs me to turn on notifications? I said no for a reason, every single time - why does it keep asking? Not implying anything evil but it feels a bit weird esp after this.

Signal developer here. It's just because notification reliability is always a top support complaint, and a lot of people turn off notifications and don't realize they've done so. Admittedly, once a month is likely too aggressive.

Re: FBI used iPhone notification data to retrieve deleted Signal messages

#108

Post by johnnyApplePRNG »

pigggg wrote: post #106

Just curious, how come at least once a month signal bugs me to turn on notifications? I said no for a reason, every single time - why does it keep asking? Not implying anything evil but it feels a bit weird esp after this.

NSL, perhaps?

Re: FBI used iPhone notification data to retrieve deleted Signal messages

#109

Post by nine_k »

1vuio0pswjnm7 wrote: post #95

"However, it appears the defendant did not have that setting enabled, which, in turn, seemingly allowed the system to store the content in the database." "[A]llowing the system to store the content in the database" where a third party, such as Apple or a government, can access it is the default Only a small minority of users know about settings and how to change them. The vast majority of users do not change default…

If you care about security at all, you disable any previews on the lock screen. The lock screen is by definition visible to anyone without any authorization. Showing anything on it immediately destroys any secrecy. It must be obvious to anyone capable of elementary logic inference.

If you don't know how to disable it, you use your favorite search engine / LLM / knowledgeable relative to find out, and disable it.

But if you just didn't pay attention, "never thought about it", you don't care about security, and no amount of technical means would help, sorry.

Re: FBI used iPhone notification data to retrieve deleted Signal messages

#110

Post by commandersaki »

foooorsyth wrote: post #54
shalmanese wrote: post #30

I thought Signal didn’t show message previews by default and you had to go in and enable it? I’ve never had message previews in my Signal and I don’t remember changing anything. Maybe when they introduced the feature, you could pick but they strongly suggested it not showing?

The opposite, actually. Signal endlessly nags you to turn on notifications, and when you turn them on, previews and content are shown by default. You cannot opt out of the nags.

According to my setting screen the Show Previews setting is "When Unlocked (Default)".

Screenshot of notification settings page: https://files.catbox.moe/3gwjoy.png

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