this post was submitted on 02 Oct 2023
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Privacy

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PSA: Do not enable URL thumbnail generation in Element (lemm.ee)
submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
24 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

As I noted within my post, #[email protected] (alternate link), URL thumbnail generation in Element is an enormous privacy, and security vulnerability. Thumbnails are generated server-side, regardless of E2EE settings. What this means is that the URLs that one sends would be leaked out of your encrypted chats to the server. Here is a notable excerpt from the settings within Element:

In encrypted rooms, like this one, URL previews are disabled by default to ensure that your homeserver (where the previews are generated) cannot gather information about links you see in this room.

Post Edit History

2023-10-02T00:54Z
1c1,2
< As I noted within my post #[email protected] ([alternate link](https://lemm.ee/post/9955859)), thumbnail generation in [Element](https://element.io/) is an enormous privacy, and security vulnerability. Thumbnails are generated server-side, regardless of E2EE settings. What this means is that the URLs that one sends would be leaked out of your encrypted chats to the server.
***
> As I noted within my post #[email protected] ([alternate link](https://lemm.ee/post/9955859)), thumbnail generation in [Element](https://element.io/) is an enormous privacy, and security vulnerability. Thumbnails are generated server-side, regardless of E2EE settings. What this means is that the URLs that one sends would be leaked out of your encrypted chats to the server. Here is a notable excerpt from the settings within Element:
> > In encrypted rooms, like this one, URL previews are disabled by default to ensure that your homeserver (where the previews are generated) cannot gather information about links you see in this room.

2023-10-02T01:28Z
1,2c1,2
< As I noted within my post #[email protected] ([alternate link](https://lemm.ee/post/9955859)), thumbnail generation in [Element](https://element.io/) is an enormous privacy, and security vulnerability. Thumbnails are generated server-side, regardless of E2EE settings. What this means is that the URLs that one sends would be leaked out of your encrypted chats to the server. Here is a notable excerpt from the settings within Element:
< > In encrypted rooms, like this one, URL previews are disabled by default to ensure that your homeserver (where the previews are generated) cannot gather information about links you see in this room. 
***
>  As I noted within my post, #[email protected] ([alternate link](https://lemm.ee/post/9955859)), thumbnail generation in [Element](https://element.io/) is an enormous privacy, and security vulnerability. Thumbnails are generated server-side, regardless of E2EE settings. What this means is that the URLs that one sends would be leaked out of your encrypted chats to the server. Here is a notable excerpt from the settings within Element:
> > In encrypted rooms, like this one, URL previews are disabled by default to ensure that your homeserver (where the previews are generated) cannot gather information about links you see in this room.

2023-10-02T03:44Z
1c1
< As I noted within my post, #[email protected] ([alternate link](https://lemm.ee/post/9955859)), thumbnail generation in [Element](https://element.io/) is an enormous privacy, and security vulnerability. Thumbnails are generated server-side, regardless of E2EE settings. What this means is that the URLs that one sends would be leaked out of your encrypted chats to the server. Here is a notable excerpt from the settings within Element:
***
> As I noted within my post, #[email protected] ([alternate link](https://lemm.ee/post/9955859)), URL thumbnail generation in [Element](https://element.io/) is an enormous privacy, and security vulnerability. Thumbnails are generated server-side, regardless of E2EE settings. What this means is that the URLs that one sends would be leaked out of your encrypted chats to the server. Here is a notable excerpt from the settings within Element:

Post Signature

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[โ€“] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Have you posted a suggestion on github? I feel like this was a proof on concept during development and maybe it was forgotten about further along the life cycle.

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Have you posted a suggestion on github?

There are existing issues on GitHub:

OmPLoYXUOIPhnGr5krVHtCI4knI0pbb4zO/7u4iEWtsBXQbEFOJQITsUYRtvd+9lQvbuKYgEF8tip5O7mZcvgFRNdE2jUR+IE9ewoi5prn7pNTx4+xKR5vgVpXYaixpLI1qMMA+iXD+XobZJRGz9nHi+vzcTMkyHD0X6UpS2GVYztqgghxyxkMhvneR2PtwnjJo/KUi5KAtD4Le/p6wAxS/SZHSzKJIS4vflTayYU/zfZhlc/ElDPy/hoZAeLmq3fWJDMQN5ZPIyS9/mMp+/CkIfRj/GvkDfI2+OdHW23WACezuMHBnvO4w2LPakLDasUKpeUx7bJrNdC1qBcDIDAg==