Hybrid Post-Quantum Message Sealing: X25519 + ML-KEM-1024 in Umbera Messenger with Public Rust Tests
Umbera messenger developer has published the full cryptographic core and a set of reproducible Rust tests that let anyone verify the hybrid post-quantum message sealing mechanism used in the application.
The scheme derives the message encryption key from two independent shared secrets: a classical X25519 Diffie-Hellman exchange and a post-quantum ML-KEM-1024 encapsulation. An ephemeral X25519 key pair is generated for every message, combined with the recipient’s long-term X25519 key, while an ML-KEM-1024 encapsulation is performed against the recipient’s Kyber public key. The two shared secrets are concatenated and passed through HKDF-SHA256 with a domain label; the first 32 bytes become the AES-256-GCM key.
Because the final key depends on both secrets, compromise of either algorithm alone does not expose the plaintext. The design therefore provides a hedge against both future cryptanalytic breaks in ML-KEM and the arrival of cryptographically relevant quantum computers capable of solving the discrete-log problem.
Inside the sealed envelope the sender identity is encrypted together with the message (sealed sender), so the relay never sees who is communicating with whom. Only a box identifier and an opaque ciphertext blob are stored; weekly rotating addresses are computed from the shared secret known exclusively to the two correspondents.
Voice and video calls are protected by DTLS-SRTP negotiated end-to-end. The TURN relay observes only encrypted datagrams and cannot extract fingerprints or metadata that would allow call correlation.
Seven Rust tests exercise the exact construction used in production (function createSealedSenderHybridPQ). A simple packet capture is sufficient to confirm that media traffic remains encrypted under the negotiated SRTP keys. All tests and the reference implementation are publicly available so that independent researchers can reproduce the security claims with a single command.
Related articles
AWG Router Delivers Script-Free AmneziaWG Cascades with Load Balancing, Speed Limits and Leak Prevention
AWG Router is an open-source Python-based web panel that manages complex AmneziaWG VPN cascades without hundreds of lines of bash scripts. The tool generates nftables rules, ip rules, and tc queues to route Russian networks directly while sending other traffic through foreign AmneziaWG servers or SOCKS5 proxies. It enforces strict leak protection so that traffic never falls back to the entry server’s Russian IP when an upstream tunnel fails. The panel supports per-client routing policies, domain-based rules via SNI inspection, automatic load balancing across multiple exits, and granular speed limits using HTB and fq_codel. All state is stored in resilient JSON files, and the system continues operating even if the panel itself is restarted or updated. The project is released under the MIT license with full source available.
TV Manufacturers Admit They Cannot Fully Disable User Data Collection
The Verge surveyed 11 major television and streaming device makers about their data collection practices, receiving responses from seven companies including Amazon, Apple, Google, LG, Roku, Samsung and TCL. Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) technology, used for targeted advertising and audience measurement, remains a central concern, with Samsung, LG and Amazon disabling it by default. Google enables diagnostic and advertising data collection under standard settings, while Apple stated that Apple TV 4K does not employ ACR. Amazon, Google, Samsung and Roku acknowledged that complete opt-out from data transmission is impossible, with devices caching information offline for later upload. Research from Northeastern University revealed that Vizio continued sending data even after users declined collection, labeling it as operational telemetry. LG was found to potentially store unencrypted voice command transcripts and determine location via nearby Wi-Fi networks when ACR is active.
Personal Data in Russian Franchise Networks: Who Qualifies as Data Operator Under 152-FZ
In typical franchise models, customer personal data is collected at franchisee points, stored in the franchisor’s central system, and used for network-wide loyalty programs and marketing. The key legal question is which party determines the purposes of processing and therefore bears operator status under Federal Law No. 152-FZ. The law defines an operator as the entity that independently or jointly sets processing purposes, data composition, and actions, regardless of contractual labels. Franchisees usually act as operators when concluding contracts with customers, while franchisors become processors unless they pursue independent goals such as running loyalty schemes or sending branded advertising. When a franchisor defines its own purposes, both parties may simultaneously qualify as operators for different processing objectives, requiring separate legal bases and documentation. Proper data-processing instructions must be embedded in the commercial concession agreement and must list specific data categories, actions, security measures, and breach-notification timelines to avoid administrative fines ranging from 150,000 to 500,000 RUB.
Dynamic Sites on Yandex Cloud Storage Enable Communication Under White-List Restrictions
A developer facing mobile internet white lists explored ways to exchange encrypted messages without relying on blocked infrastructure. Initial attempts with a national messenger bot failed due to poor API documentation and account hijacking. The team then modeled the problem as three neighboring plots where Alice and Bob route messages through Eve while a slow postman handles delivery. Yandex Disk was tested as a message store accessible via direct GET and POST requests, though it required accounts and suffered from 15-25 second latency. The final approach used Yandex Cloud object storage, whose domains remained whitelisted, allowing HTML files to load and function even when only government services and select platforms were reachable.