The original post: /r/privacy by /u/FreshmanCult on 2025-01-22 08:15:39.

How realistic is it for the NSA to compromise Tor nodes using programs like QUANTUM, TURBINE, and TURMOIL? Tor is often seen as a vital tool for privacy and anonymity, but when you think about the vast resources and advanced programs the NSA has, like QUANTUM, TURBINE, and TURMOIL, it makes you wonder how secure Tor really is. Could these programs, which are designed for large-scale malware deployment, traffic injection, and real-time analysis, be used to target and compromise the network?

For example, with TURBINE’s ability to deploy implants, how hard would it be to take over enough entry, relay, or exit nodes to make a real impact? Could QUANTUM be used to manipulate traffic and execute man-in-the-middle attacks on users? And with TURMOIL’s traffic analysis capabilities, is there a realistic chance of deanonymizing users through traffic correlation attacks, especially if combined with partial node control?

I’m also curious about what the Tor community has done to defend against threats like these. Are there known weaknesses in the network that these programs could exploit? Have there been any credible reports or leaks suggesting the NSA or other agencies have successfully used these methods against Tor?

And then there’s the ethical side of it. If a government agency is backdooring nodes, claiming it’s to combat crime or terrorism, where does that leave the activists, journalists, and whistleblowers who rely on Tor for safety? How do we weigh these risks against the network’s core purpose?

I’d really like to hear from people who know more about this. Is this just paranoia, or are these genuine vulnerabilities? How do you think Tor can evolve to stay ahead of threats like these?