This security policy applies to software and services maintained by Synonym (including Synonym Software and related open-source projects under Synonym / Pubky organizations), such as:
- Bitkit and related wallet / Lightning components
- Pubky stack (e.g. Pubky App, Pubky Core / Homeserver, Pubky Ring, Pubky Nexus, and related clients)
- Other Synonym-published repositories that link to this policy
If a repository has its own SECURITY.md, that file takes precedence for that repository.
Please treat an issue as a security vulnerability if it could reasonably lead to:
- Loss of funds (theft, unauthorized spend, unsafe key/seed handling, broken signing flows)
- Compromise of keys, seeds, credentials, or session material
- Unauthorized access to accounts, Homeserver data, or private user data
- Loss of privacy beyond normal public
/pub/data (e.g. leaking private keys, auth tokens, or non-public content) - Remote code execution, privilege escalation, or memory corruption in Synonym software
- Authentication / authorization bypass (including Pubky Ring / pubkyauth flows)
- Critical integrity failures that could cause users to accept false data as authentic in a security-sensitive context
If you are unsure, report it privately anyway. We would rather triage a non-issue than miss a real one.
Please use the public issue tracker (or normal support channels) for:
- Feature requests and general bugs with no security impact
- Social engineering / phishing against users (unless you found a Synonym product defect that enables it)
- Denial of service that requires unrealistic resources, unless it is trivially triggered and clearly impactful
- Issues in third-party dependencies already fixed upstream (feel free to flag them; we may still want a heads-up)
- Security problems only present in unofficial forks, modified builds, or unsupported versions
We aim to address security issues in:
- The latest stable release of each actively maintained product
- Other versions explicitly listed as supported on the product’s release / lifecycle notes
Older or end-of-life versions may not receive patches. When in doubt, update to the latest release before reporting “still vulnerable on my build” follow-ups.
Do not open a public GitHub issue for security vulnerabilities.
Please report privately to:
- Email: security@synonym.to
Include as much as you can:
- Affected product / repository / version (commit hash or release tag if possible)
- Description of the issue and security impact
- Steps to reproduce (PoC welcome; keep it minimal and non-destructive)
- Any suggested fix (optional)
- Your preferred contact and whether you want public credit
If you can, encrypt sensitive details with OpenPGP. Fingerprints / public keys for Synonym security contacts will be listed here when published:
| Contact | Role | OpenPGP fingerprint |
|---|---|---|
| Synonym Security | Security reports | TBD – add key fingerprint |
- We acknowledge receipt (target: within a few business days).
- We triage severity and confirm the issue.
- We work on a fix and, where needed, coordinate disclosure.
- We may ask for more details or a quiet period while users can update.
- After a fix is available (or we close the report), we can discuss credit and public write-up.
We ask reporters not to disclose publicly until we have confirmed a fix is available, or we have agreed on a disclosure date, except where legally required or where users face immediate active exploitation (in which case contact us ASAP).
Report via security@synonym.to as described above.
Synonym products often touch keys, funds, and identity. Responsible disclosure protects users. Thank you for helping to keep the ecosystem safer.