LotusGuild/cinny
3
0
Fork 0
Code Issues 27 Pull Requests 5 Actions Packages Projects Releases Wiki Activity

"Private Note — Notes only visible to you" is stored in plaintext account data that homeserver admins can read #329

New Issue
Closed
opened 2026-10-05 22:57:13 -04:00 by jared · 0 comments
jared commented 2026-10-05 22:57:13 -04:00
Owner
Copy Link
Copy Source

The user-profile Private Note (UserPrivateNotes, src/app/components/user-profile/UserRoomProfile.tsx:212-292; placeholder "Notes only visible to you…") is saved as global account data io.lotus.user_notes = { "@user:server": "note text" } (verified: GET /user/@aud_main:localhost/account_data/io.lotus.user_notes → {"@aud_bob:localhost":"note 73843"}).

Account data isn't end-to-end encrypted. Homeserver admins can read it in the database or via admin tooling, and so can anything holding the user's access token: a bridge, a bot, or a compromised session. People write notes about other members of the same server ("ignore his DMs", "owes me 20 €") on the assumption, which the UI states, that only they can see them.

Other features already handle this distinction well: reminders and bookmarks deliberately drop text for E2EE rooms because "account data is server-readable".

Fix (either):

  • Wording: "Only you can see this in Lotus Chat. It's stored on your homeserver and isn't end-to-end encrypted."
  • Encryption: encrypt the notes with a key kept in secret storage (SSSS, like cross-signing and backup keys), e.g. a per-account AES key stored as io.lotus.user_notes_key. The account data then holds only ciphertext. Devices without the key (not verified) would show "Verify this device to see your notes".

Found in the October 2026 client audit (Playwright against a local Synapse + LiveKit stack, plus code reading). Code refs are at cinny 30e2dbcd, cinny-desktop 8f67ec7, element-call 3b0050e8.

The user-profile **Private Note** (`UserPrivateNotes`, src/app/components/user-profile/UserRoomProfile.tsx:212-292; placeholder *"Notes only visible to you…"*) is saved as global account data **`io.lotus.user_notes`** = `{ "@user:server": "note text" }` (verified: `GET /user/@aud_main:localhost/account_data/io.lotus.user_notes` → `{"@aud_bob:localhost":"note 73843"}`). Account data isn't end-to-end encrypted. Homeserver admins can read it in the database or via admin tooling, and so can anything holding the user's access token: a bridge, a bot, or a compromised session. People write notes *about other members of the same server* ("ignore his DMs", "owes me 20 €") on the assumption, which the UI states, that only they can see them. Other features already handle this distinction well: reminders and bookmarks deliberately drop text for E2EE rooms because "account data is server-readable". **Fix (either):** - **Wording:** "Only you can see this in Lotus Chat. It's stored on your homeserver and isn't end-to-end encrypted." - **Encryption:** encrypt the notes with a key kept in secret storage (SSSS, like cross-signing and backup keys), e.g. a per-account AES key stored as `io.lotus.user_notes_key`. The account data then holds only ciphertext. Devices without the key (not verified) would show "Verify this device to see your notes". --- _Found in the October 2026 client audit (Playwright against a local Synapse + LiveKit stack, plus code reading). Code refs are at cinny `30e2dbcd`, cinny-desktop `8f67ec7`, element-call `3b0050e8`._
jared added the priority: lowsecurityarea: settings labels 2026-10-05 22:57:13 -04:00
jared closed this issue 2026-10-19 02:07:07 -04:00
Sign in to join this conversation.
No Branch/Tag Specified
Branches Tags
Labels
Clear labels
a11y
Accessibility: keyboard, screen reader, contrast, motion
 area: appearance
Client area: appearance
 area: auth-session
Client area: auth-session
 area: build-ci
Client area: build-ci
 area: calls
Client area: calls
 area: desktop
Client area: desktop
 area: media
Client area: media
 area: messaging
Client area: messaging
 area: mobile
Client area: mobile
 area: moderation
Client area: moderation
 area: navigation
Client area: navigation
 area: notifications
Client area: notifications
 area: settings
Client area: settings
 area: threads
Client area: threads
 bug
Something is not working
 dependencies
Third-party package versions and advisories
 docs
README / LOTUS_* docs wrong or missing
 duplicate
This issue or pull request already exists
 enhancement
New feature
 help wanted
Need some help
 invalid
Something is wrong
 needs-human-review
performance
Re-render storms, leaks, heavy work on hot paths
 planning
priority: critical
Data loss, security hole, or crash on a main path
 priority: high
Broken feature or serious usability problem
 priority: low
Minor issue or polish
 priority: medium
Wrong behaviour in an edge case or notable degradation
 qa
Manual QA: shipped, needs a human in a real environment
 question
More information is needed
 research
security
XSS, unsafe URLs, data leaks, auth/session
 tech-debt
Code health, dead code, fragile patterns
 ux
Usability or visual inconsistency
 wontfix
This won't be fixed
No labels area: settings priority: low security
Milestone
No items
No Milestone
Projects
Clear projects
No projects
Assignees
Clear assignees
cole (Cole Keller) jared (Jared Vititoe) nathan (Nathan Vititoe)
No Assignees
1 Participants
Notifications
Due Date
No due date set.
Dependencies

No dependencies set.

Reference: LotusGuild/cinny#329