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Linux Zoom client proactively reading everything written to X11 clipboard

hachyderm.io

11–20 of 176 posts

Re: Linux Zoom client proactively reading everything written to X11 clipboard

#11

There is no such thing as an "X11 clipboard" that something can be written to. As the poster goes on to allude, X11 has a concept of a "selection" (a primary and a secondary one). It goes roughly like this: when you select a text in a window, the X client tells the X server "I have the selection now", when you paste in another window, the client behind the other window asks "who has the selection?" and requests the s…

[deleted]

Re: Linux Zoom client proactively reading everything written to X11 clipboard

#12
Unrelated to Zoom, but

> I noticed it because I make heavy use of a "one-shot paste" tool which fulfills a single paste request and then terminates. Handy for filling in lots of fields of a web form – queue up pastes of several different things, then go to each form field in turn and just hit paste, bam bam bam.

This sounds very useful. Is the tool available anywhere? xclip -loops doesn't seem to do the trick, or maybe it just doesn't work that way on Wayland.

Re: Linux Zoom client proactively reading everything written to X11 clipboard

#13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Spinning up a conference host for a small office is fairly trivial =3 https://jitsi.org/downloads/

Great, til I have a job interview and they use Zoom

Srsly, all those neck beards who over simplify the problem with a flippant "don't use zoom", as if everyone has the luxury to skip every job interview and employer meeting that absolutely requires Zoom. I wish I could live in their world where every problem is solved by simply avoiding that problem.

Re: Linux Zoom client proactively reading everything written to X11 clipboard

#14
post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's wildly impractical advice for many. Just use Firefox, or Chromium if you must.

Spinning up a conference host for a small office is fairly trivial =3 https://jitsi.org/downloads/

Ah yes Jitsi! I have been invited to meet on Jitsi 0 times.

Re: Linux Zoom client proactively reading everything written to X11 clipboard

#16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Great, til I have a job interview and they use Zoom

Srsly, all those neck beards who over simplify the problem with a flippant "don't use zoom", as if everyone has the luxury to skip every job interview and employer meeting that absolutely requires Zoom. I wish I could live in their world where every problem is solved by simply avoiding that problem.

Use a dedicated, otherwise empty account for job interviews.

Linux is multi-process, _multi-user_ since forever.

No need to leave a password manager, online banking, andwhatnot accessible in the background during an interview.

And yeah: stop. using. X11. For God's sake!

Re: Linux Zoom client proactively reading everything written to X11 clipboard

#17

Qubes OS saved me, once again. On it, Zoom only has the access to an empty VM and no access to the clipboard.

What's it like using Qubes? How much friction? I wish I could use some Nix-flavored variant of the sandboxing.

Re: Linux Zoom client proactively reading everything written to X11 clipboard

#18
post #6

Not the first time Zoom abuses privilege. A few years back, there was something about gaining root on MacOS via Zoom due to shady execution on their end. They've lost my trust since then, and I'll only run it sandboxed: https://gist.github.com/cielavenir/02f322e322a2a3555dbf2b38f... I always ask (1) why does an app require installation and (2) why would it require root? There are valid answers for both, but realistic…

Out of interest why do you still use the app and not just use it in the browser? I feel much more secure having it in the browser sandbox and everything I care about works in the browser.

Re: Linux Zoom client proactively reading everything written to X11 clipboard

#19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Srsly, all those neck beards who over simplify the problem with a flippant "don't use zoom", as if everyone has the luxury to skip every job interview and employer meeting that absolutely requires Zoom. I wish I could live in their world where every problem is solved by simply avoiding that problem.

Use a dedicated, otherwise empty account for job interviews. Linux is multi-process, _multi-user_ since forever. No need to leave a password manager, online banking, andwhatnot accessible in the background during an interview. And yeah: stop. using. X11. For God's sake!

Just use a browser instead of some silly client, problem mostly solved. Use X11 or Wayland or whatever else you want, for God's sake. I don't remember any god ever claiming salvation lies in abandoning the most functional display server on the market so I'll just keep on using X11. If and when Wayland or some other alternative ever becomes as useful as X11 I might hop over but for now Wayland is a solution in search of a problem as far as I'm concerned.

Re: Linux Zoom client proactively reading everything written to X11 clipboard

#20
post #6

Not the first time Zoom abuses privilege. A few years back, there was something about gaining root on MacOS via Zoom due to shady execution on their end. They've lost my trust since then, and I'll only run it sandboxed: https://gist.github.com/cielavenir/02f322e322a2a3555dbf2b38f... I always ask (1) why does an app require installation and (2) why would it require root? There are valid answers for both, but realistic…

Out of interest why do you still use the app and not just use it in the browser? I feel much more secure having it in the browser sandbox and everything I care about works in the browser.

99% of the time I use the browser.

However, the video quality in the browser is worse, so depending on the use case I might have to use the app (via sandbox).

It's been years since I've had to though.

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