Keybase

Keybase is a key directory that maps social media identities to encryption keys (including, but not limited to PGP keys) in a publicly auditable manner.[2] Additionally it offers an end-to-end encrypted chat and cloud storage system,[3][4] called Keybase Chat and the Keybase Filesystem respectively. Files placed in the public portion of the filesystem are served from a public endpoint,[4] as well as locally from a filesystem mounted by the Keybase client.[5]

This article is about the public key cryptography service. For the taxonomic key database, see KeyBase.
Keybase
The Keybase logo
The Keybase logo
Type of site
Encrypted social networking service
Available inEnglish
OwnerZoom Video Communications (2020)
Created byChris Coyne, Max Krohn, others
URLkeybase.io
RegistrationRequired for membership
Users407,163 (as of 2019-08-22)
LaunchedFebruary 14, 2014 (2014-02-14)
Written inGo, JavaScript, Electron, React[1]

Keybase supports publicly connecting Twitter, GitHub, Reddit, and Hacker News identities, including websites and domains under one's control, to encryption keys. It also supports Bitcoin, Zcash, Stellar, and QRL wallet addresses.[6][3][7][8][9][10] Keybase has supported Coinbase identities since initial public release, but ceased to do so on March 17, 2017, when Coinbase terminated public payment pages.[11] In general, Keybase allows for any service with public identities to integrate with Keybase.[9][12]

On May 7, 2020, Keybase announced it had been acquired by Zoom,[13] as part of Zoom's "plan to further strengthen the security of [its] video communications platform".[14]

Identity proofs

Keybase allows users to prove a link between certain online identities (such as a Twitter or Reddit account) and their encryption keys. Instead of using a system such as OAuth, identities are proven by posting a signed statement as the account a user wishes to prove ownership of. This makes identity proofs publicly verifiable – instead of having to trust that the service is being truthful, a user can find and check the relevant proof statements themselves, and the Keybase client does this automatically.

App

In addition to the web interface, Keybase offers a client application for Windows,[15][16] Mac,[15][16] Android,[17][16] iOS,[16] and most desktop Linux distributions,[16] written in Go with an Electron front end. The app offers additional features to the website, such as the end-to-end encrypted chat, teams feature, and the ability to add files to and access private files in their personal and team Keybase Filesystem storage. Each device running the client app is authorized by a signature made either by another device or the user's PGP key. Each device is also given a per-device NaCl (pronounced "salt") key to perform cryptographic operations.

Chat

Keybase Chat is an end-to-end encrypted chat built in to Keybase launched in February 2017. A distinguishing feature of Keybase Chat is that it allows Keybase users to send messages to someone using their online aliases (for example a reddit account), even if they haven't signed up to Keybase yet.[3]

If the recipient (the online alias owner) has an account on Keybase, they will seamlessly receive the message. If the recipient doesn't have a Keybase account, and later signs up and proves the link between the online account and their devices, the sender's device will rekey the message for the recipient based on the public proof they posted, allowing them to read the message. Since the Keybase app checks the proof, it avoids trust on first use.[18]

Keybase Filesystem (KBFS)
Keybase screenshot showing a user's keys

Keybase allows users to store up to 250 GB[19] of files in a cloud storage called the Keybase Filesystem for free. There are no storage upgrades available, but paid plans allowing for more data are planned.[20] The filesystem is divided into three parts: public files, private files, and team files. On Unix-like machines, the filesystem is mounted to /keybase, and on Microsoft Windows systems it is usually mounted to the K drive.[21] Currently, mobile versions of the Keybase client can only download files from kbfs, and can not mount it. However, they do support operations such as rekeying files as necessary. In October 2017 Keybase brought out end-to-end encrypted Git repositories.[22]

Public files

Public files are stored in /public/username, and are publicly visible. All files in the public filesystem are automatically signed by the client.[5] Only the user who the folder is named after can edit its contents, however, a folder may be named after a comma-separated list of users (e.g. a folder /public/foo,bar,three would be editable by the users foo, bar, and three).[5]

Public files can be accessed by any user. Single user folders are displayed at keybase.pub and are also accessible by opening the directory in the mounted version of the filesystem. Multi user folders (such as /public/foo,bar,three) are only accessible through the mounted version of the system.

Private files

Private files are stored in /private/username, and are only visible to username. Private folders, like public folders, can be named after more than one user (e.g. a folder /private/foo,bar,three would be readable and editable by the users foo, bar, and three). Private files can also be read only for users after "#" (e.g. a folder /private/writer1,writer2,#reader1,reader2 would be readable and editable by the users writer1 and writer2 but only readable for reader1 and reader2).[5] Unlike public files, all private files are both encrypted and signed before being uploaded, making them end-to-end encrypted.[4]

Team files

Team files are stored in /team/teamname, and are publicly visible to team members. All files in the team filesystem are automatically encrypted and signed by the client.[5] Only users who are marked as writers can edit its contents, however, any readers can access the files stored there.[23]

Teams

In September 2017, Keybase launched Keybase Teams.[24] A team is described as "...a named group of people."[25] Each team has a private folder in the Keybase filesystem, and a number of chat channels (similar to Slack). Teams can also be divided into "subteams" by placing a . in the team name. For example, wikipedia.projects would be a subteam of wikipedia, while wikipedia.projects.foobar would be a subteam of wikipedia.projects (and therefore, also of wikipedia).

Team administration

Teams are largely administered by adding signatures to a chain. Each signature can add, remove, or change the membership of a user in a team, as well as when changes are made to subteams.

Each chain starts with a signature made by the team owner, with subsequent actions signed on by team admins or users.[26] This ensures that every action is made by an authorized user, and that actions can be verified by anyone in possession of the public key used.

References
  1. "keybase/client", Github, 2014-12-12 The Keybase client Github repository.
  2. "Sigchain | Keybase Docs". keybase.io. Retrieved 2019-06-09.
  3. Dalton, Andrew (2017-09-02). "Keybase's encrypted chat works with accounts you already have". Engadget. Retrieved 2017-06-05.
  4. Russell, Jon (2016-05-02). "Keybase Introduces End-To-End Encrypted File Sharing Service". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2017-05-06.
  5. "Understanding the Keybase filesystem". Keybase. Retrieved 2017-09-26.
  6. Fleishman, Glenn. "Keybase Wants To Make Serious Encryption Accessible To Mere Mortals". Fast Company. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  7. "Keybase chooses Zcash". The Keybase Blog. Retrieved 2018-02-06.
  8. "Stellar wallets for all Keybase users". The Keybase Blog. Retrieved 2019-09-16.
  9. "Keybase ♥'s Mastodon, and how to get your site on Keybase". keybase.io. Retrieved 2019-06-08.
  10. "QRL and Keybase". www.theqrl.org. 2019-04-24. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
  11. "Abrupt Termination of Coinbase Support". The Keybase Blog. Keybase, Inc. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  12. "Proof Integration Guide | Keybase Docs". keybase.io. Archived from the original on 2019-06-08. Retrieved 2019-06-08.
  13. "Keybase joins Zoom". keybase.io. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
  14. "Zoom Acquires Keybase and Announces Goal of Developing the Most Broadly Used Enterprise End-to-End Encryption Offering". Zoom Blog (Press release). 2020-05-07. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
  15. Fleishman, Glenn (Feb 15, 2017). "Keybase offers encrypted chat where you control all the pieces". Macworld. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  16. Dunn, John E (May 31, 2017). "Keybase adds end-to-end encryption to messages on the web". Naked Security. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  17. Hoff, John (May 12, 2017). "Keybase encrypted chat now available on Android". androidcommunity.com. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  18. "Introducing Keybase Chat". The Keybase Blog. Keybase, Inc. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
  19. "FYI - we changed the default KBFS plan to 250GB instead of just 10GB. Very few people are hitting the limit so it's less work to let them go past it than deal with UX around upgrading right now". Keybase (via Wayback Machine). Archived from the original on 2017-12-22. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  20. "Keybase". keybase.io. Retrieved 2019-02-10.
  21. "Introducing the Keybase filesystem". Keybase. Retrieved 2017-09-26.
  22. "Keybase launches encrypted git". The Keybase Blog. Keybase, Inc. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  23. "KBFS - Understanding KBFS | Keybase Docs". keybase.io. Retrieved 2019-06-09.
  24. Hackett, Robert (18 September 2017). "First They Made OkCupid and SparkNotes. Now They're Taking on Slack". Fortune Tech. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  25. "Teams for Keybase". Keybase.io. Archived from the original on October 27, 2018. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  26. "Teams: Naming, Merkle Tree Integration, And Signature Chains". Keybase. Retrieved 2017-09-26.
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