[tor-bugs] #22904 [Applications/Tor Browser]: macOS: Downloaded files in Tor Browser are being added to a system download list.

Tor Bug Tracker & Wiki blackhole at torproject.org
Wed Jul 12 21:10:24 UTC 2017


#22904: macOS: Downloaded files in Tor Browser are being added to a system download
list.
-------------------------------------+-------------------------------------
     Reporter:  DrMikeTwiddle        |      Owner:  tbb-team
         Type:  defect               |     Status:  new
     Priority:  Very High            |  Milestone:
    Component:  Applications/Tor     |    Version:
  Browser                            |   Keywords:  Mac, File Quarantine,
     Severity:  Normal               |  com.apple.LaunchServices.QuarantineEventsV2
Actual Points:                       |  Parent ID:
       Points:                       |   Reviewer:
      Sponsor:                       |
-------------------------------------+-------------------------------------
 Files downloaded with Tor Browser on the Mac are getting added to the
 list:

 /Users/whoever/Library/Preferences/com.apple.LaunchServices.QuarantineEventsV2

 From what I can understand, this seems to be a behavior applications have
 added on Apple's request going back to Snow Leopard as part of File
 Quarantine, GateKeeper and Xprotect features of macOS. Also data is being
 added to the downloaded file itself in the form of the quarantine
 attribute, available with the xattr command.

 I guess Tor Browser has inherited this behavior from Firefox. I think it
 needs to be removed. Downloads over Tor definitely shouldn't be put in a
 global list of files and the downloaded files themselves should not have
 extra metadata added to them by TB.

 I'm using the 7.02 Mac TB on 10.11, but it will apply to all macOS
 versions with these security features.

 AFAIK there is only the list at the user level, but someone should check
 if there isn't a system wide list.

--
Ticket URL: <https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/22904>
Tor Bug Tracker & Wiki <https://trac.torproject.org/>
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