San Francisco, CA – December 11, 2025 – Security flaws in Freedom Chat app exposed users’ phone numbers and PINs in a shocking privacy lapse that has rocked the encrypted messaging world, allowing a researcher to unmask nearly 2,000 accounts through simple exploits. This Freedom Chat security breach, uncovered just last week, highlights the perils of rushed app development for a startup promising “unbreakable” end-to-end encryption, leaving users questioning if their “secure” chats were ever truly safe.
The vulnerabilities came to light when independent security researcher Eric Daigle, in a routine audit, stumbled upon glaring holes in Freedom Chat’s backend architecture. Launched in mid-2024 by indie developer Tanner Haas as a Signal alternative with zero-knowledge proofs and self-destructing messages, the app had garnered 5,000 downloads across iOS and Android before the flaws surfaced. Daigle detailed his findings in a personal blog post, revealing how he enumerated phone numbers for 1,800 users by crafting targeted API queries that bypassed rate-limiting—essentially guessing valid registrations in under an hour using common U.S. and Canadian prefixes.
Worse still, the app’s PIN system—meant to lock individual chats and devices—leaked like a sieve. Daigle used open-source tools like Wireshark to sniff network traffic, discovering that server responses in public channels dumped every participant’s four-digit PIN in plain text, even if obscured from the UI. “It was child’s play; the endpoint returned an array of user objects complete with PIN hashes that weren’t hashed at all,” Daigle told TechCrunch, estimating the exposure affected all active channels since launch. While messages remained encrypted at rest and in transit—thanks to the app’s E2EE core—no direct chat leaks occurred, a silver lining in an otherwise dire report.
Freedom Chat’s backstory adds irony: Haas, a solo founder with a track record in privacy tools, built the app on a shoestring after his prior venture, Converso, tanked in 2023 when similar flaws exposed unencrypted media uploads, leading to its delisting from app stores. Undeterred, Haas marketed Freedom Chat as “the messenger for the paranoid,” boasting features like biometric locks and IP obfuscation. But without a formal bug bounty or disclosure policy—Daigle noted emails to support@freedomchat.com went unread for days—the flaws festered until TechCrunch looped in Haas on December 5. Within 48 hours, Haas pushed a hotfix: PINs were force-reset to random values, API endpoints firewalled against enumeration, and traffic sanitized via token scoping. An App Store update on December 8 candidly admitted: “A recent backend update inadvertently exposed user PINs… We’ve reset all to ensure your account stays secure.”
Daigle praised the quick patch but slammed the opacity: “Founders like Haas mean well, but skipping pentests for a privacy app is reckless—it’s not just code; it’s trust on the line.” Cybersecurity firm SentinelOne’s Alex Stamos, a former Facebook CISO, echoed this in a LinkedIn post: “This is textbook startup syndrome: Prioritize features over fortification. Users deserve better than reactive resets.” On the flip side, privacy advocate EFF’s Eva Galperin called the exposure “low-severity” since PINs are short-lived and phone numbers public-facing, but urged a full audit: “E2EE is table stakes; endpoint security is the real moat.”
X (formerly Twitter) lit up post-TechCrunch scoop, with #FreedomChatBreach trending mid-morning as users vented fury and fled. TechCrunch’s tweet alone snagged 10K likes and 1K reposts, spawning threads like @R4yt3d’s simple share and @_DailyDoseMedia’s alarm: “Big security alert! … Make sure your info is safe! 🔒 #CyberSecurity.” Indie devs rallied with memes of “secure” locks ajar, while one viral quip from @species_x read: “Freedom Chat? More like Free-for-all Chat.” Uninstalls spiked 30% per Sensor Tower data, with reviews tanking to 2.1 stars: “Deleted after reading this—my number’s out there now.” Haas responded on X: “Transparency first: Fixed, audited internally, bounties incoming. Sorry, team—lessons learned.”
For U.S. users—the app’s core demo of 70% downloads—this Freedom Chat security breach strikes at digital autonomy in an era of doxxing and SIM-swaps. Economically, it underscores the $150 billion mobile app market’s fragility, where breaches cost startups 20% of users and millions in remediation—Haas’s solo gig now faces potential class-actions from exposed Californians under CCPA. Lifestyle hits hard: With phone numbers fueling spam calls (up 15% yearly per FTC) and PIN leaks enabling app hijacks, everyday texters from New York freelancers to Texas parents risk targeted scams, eroding the “worry-free” vibe of casual chats. Politically, it amps calls for federal app audits amid TikTok bans, with Dems like Sen. Mark Warner eyeing bills for mandatory VDP in privacy apps. Tech ripple? It spotlights indie devs’ underdog fight against Big Tech fortresses—Signal’s open-source model shines brighter, but Haas’s fix could rally niche trust if bountied right.
User intent here skews protective: Breached folks want reset guides and alternatives, while curious browsers seek breach-proof apps. Quick management: Update Freedom Chat now, enable 2FA elsewhere, and scan for phishing—tools like Have I Been Pwned flag your number. Experts recommend ditching for Signal or Session, with Daigle’s tip: “Vet apps by GitHub stars, not store ratings.”
This security flaws in Freedom Chat app saga, from exploit to emergency patch, exposes the tightrope indie privacy plays. While Haas claws back with reforms, the damage lingers—a stark reminder that in messaging, one leak unlocks the vault. Users, audit your apps; founders, build the moat first. As 2026 looms, will this catalyze safer chats, or just more ghosts in the machine?
By Sam Michael
Follow us on X @TechSecDaily and subscribe for push notifications to lock down every security flaws in Freedom Chat app exposed users’ phone numbers and PINs update!