Steps to Reproduce the Vulnerability

Oct 13, 2025 by talynt.org 4 views

Security Vulnerability: Old Chat Sessions Remain Accessible After Persona Set to Private

In today's digital age, online communication has become an essential part of our lives. With the rise of social media and messaging apps, users are increasingly relying on these platforms to connect with others. However, with the convenience of online communication comes the risk of security vulnerabilities. In this article, we will discuss a critical security issue that affects a popular messaging app, where old chat sessions remain accessible after a persona is set to private.

The security issue at hand is a result of a flaw in the app's session management system. When a user enables the "make persona public" toggle, a public link is generated, allowing others to initiate conversations with the user. However, when the persona is toggled back to private mode, the previously active chat link remains accessible, exposing all past conversation data to unauthorized users.

Steps to Reproduce the Vulnerability

To reproduce the vulnerability, follow these steps:

Navigate to your profile: Open the app and navigate to your profile settings.
Enable the "make persona public" toggle: Toggle the "make persona public" switch to enable public access to your persona.
Generate a public link: Use the generated public link (e.g., https://personas.omi.me/chat?id=XXX) to start a conversation with others.
Toggle the persona back to private mode: Toggle the persona back to private mode in the app.
Revisit the previously generated chat link: Revisit the previously generated chat link, and you will find that the session remains active and accessible, allowing new conversations to be initiated.

Expected Behavior vs. Actual Behavior

The expected behavior of the app is that when a persona is set to private, any associated chat sessions should be immediately invalidated or revoked. However, the actual behavior of the app is that the old chat link remains active and accessible, even after the persona is set to private. This exposes the session and its data to unauthorized users, compromising user privacy.

Impact of the Vulnerability

The persistence of old chat sessions compromises user privacy and exposes sensitive conversation data to unauthorized users. This can have severe consequences, including:

Data Exposure: Sensitive conversation data may be accessible by unauthorized users.
Privacy Breach: The persistence of old chat sessions compromises user privacy.

Recommendations to Mitigate the Vulnerability

To mitigate this vulnerability, the app developers should implement the following recommendations:

Session Management: Ensure that each chat session is uniquely tied to the persona's public status and that toggling to private immediately revokes all active sessions.
Immediate Revocation: Implement a mechanism to invalidate all active sessions when a persona is set to private.
Security Review: Conduct a thorough review of session management and state transitions between public and private modes to prevent similar vulnerabilities.

The security vulnerability discussed in this article highlights the importance of robust session management and state transitions in online communication platforms. By implementing the recommended measures, app developers can ensure that user data remains secure and private, even when personas are toggled between public and private modes. As users, it is essential to be aware of these security vulnerabilities and take necessary precautions to protect our online conversations.

Recommendations for App Developers

To prevent similar vulnerabilities, app developers should:

Implement robust session management: Ensure that each chat session is uniquely tied to the persona's public status.
Conduct regular security reviews: Regularly review session management and state transitions to prevent similar vulnerabilities.
Implement immediate revocation: Implement a mechanism to invalidate all active sessions when a persona is set to private.

Best Practices for Users

To protect your online conversations, follow these best practices:

Use strong passwords: Use strong and unique passwords for your app accounts.
Enable two-factor authentication: Enable two-factor authentication to add an extra layer of security to your accounts.
Regularly review app settings: Regularly review your app settings to ensure that your persona is set to private when not in use.

By following these best practices and recommendations, users can ensure that their online conversations remain secure and private.
Security Vulnerability: Old Chat Sessions Remain Accessible After Persona Set to Private - Q&A

In our previous article, we discussed a critical security issue that affects a popular messaging app, where old chat sessions remain accessible after a persona is set to private. In this Q&A article, we will address some of the most frequently asked questions related to this security vulnerability.

Q: What is the security vulnerability, and how does it affect users?

A: The security vulnerability is a result of a flaw in the app's session management system. When a user enables the "make persona public" toggle, a public link is generated, allowing others to initiate conversations with the user. However, when the persona is toggled back to private mode, the previously active chat link remains accessible, exposing all past conversation data to unauthorized users.

Q: How can I reproduce the vulnerability?

A: To reproduce the vulnerability, follow these steps:

Navigate to your profile: Open the app and navigate to your profile settings.
Enable the "make persona public" toggle: Toggle the "make persona public" switch to enable public access to your persona.
Generate a public link: Use the generated public link (e.g., https://personas.omi.me/chat?id=XXX) to start a conversation with others.
Toggle the persona back to private mode: Toggle the persona back to private mode in the app.
Revisit the previously generated chat link: Revisit the previously generated chat link, and you will find that the session remains active and accessible, allowing new conversations to be initiated.

Q: What are the expected and actual behaviors of the app?

A: The expected behavior of the app is that when a persona is set to private, any associated chat sessions should be immediately invalidated or revoked. However, the actual behavior of the app is that the old chat link remains active and accessible, even after the persona is set to private.

Q: What are the potential consequences of this vulnerability?

A: The persistence of old chat sessions compromises user privacy and exposes sensitive conversation data to unauthorized users. This can have severe consequences, including:

Data Exposure: Sensitive conversation data may be accessible by unauthorized users.
Privacy Breach: The persistence of old chat sessions compromises user privacy.

Q: What can app developers do to mitigate this vulnerability?

A: To mitigate this vulnerability, app developers should implement the following recommendations:

Session Management: Ensure that each chat session is uniquely tied to the persona's public status and that toggling to private immediately revokes all active sessions.
Immediate Revocation: Implement a mechanism to invalidate all active sessions when a persona is set to private.
Security Review: Conduct a thorough review of session management and state transitions between public and private modes to prevent similar vulnerabilities.

Q: What can users do to protect their online conversations?

A: To protect your online conversations, follow these best practices:

Use strong passwords: Use strong and unique passwords for your app accounts.
Enable two-factor authentication: Enable two-factor authentication to add an extra layer of security to your accounts.
Regularly review app settings: Regularly review your app settings to ensure that your persona is set to private when not in use.

Q: How can I report this vulnerability to the app developers?

A: If you have identified this vulnerability, we recommend that you report it to the app developers immediately. You can do this by:

Contacting the app support team: Reach out to the app support team via email or phone to report the vulnerability.
Filing a bug report: File a bug report on the app's official bug tracking platform.
Reaching out to the app's security team: If you have a direct contact with the app's security team, you can reach out to them to report the vulnerability.