Adium + FB Chat: is it using SSL?

An instant messenger which can connect to AIM, GTalk, Jabber, ICQ, and more.
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hfp
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Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2012 1:43 pm

Adium + FB Chat: is it using SSL?

Post by hfp »

Hello,

I am ALWAYS using facebook over https to prevent eavesdropping on public hotspots. However, I couldnt find whether FB Chat for Adium was encrypted or send in plain text? I am not very familiar with the technology behind fbchat...

Thanks!
cyki
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Posts: 1
Joined: Sun May 27, 2012 10:08 am

Re: Adium + FB Chat: is it using SSL?

Post by cyki »

does this mean that every client which uses XMPP protocol (SASL authentication and encryption built in) is fully encrypted including chat and logging in? in short words, ready for public wireless connection?
sphynx
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Posts: 75
Joined: Sun May 06, 2007 4:58 pm

Re: Adium + FB Chat: is it using SSL?

Post by sphynx »

There are 2 parts to logging into Facebook Chat in Adium:
  • First, you have to log in in a small window that looks just like Facebook. This is a page on Facebook's website that is loaded over https, so http with SSL encryption.
  • Then Adium connects to Facebook over XMPP. The first part of this connection is not encrypted. In that part all the sensitive information that is transmitted is the name of the server, (which is chat.facebook.com). So other people on your wifi will be able to tell that you are signing in to Facebook chat. After this first part, Adium starts TLS encryption before anything else is transmitted (chats, usernames, etc.).
I hope this explains everything for you. :)
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