Is pastebin safe to use?
I use https://pastebin.com/ to organise some lists. When I select "Paste Exposure: Private" , will it be really private and only accessible via login? I read somewhere on the internet that there are programs that may capture what is inside a private paste and they only need the paste ID. Is that true?
I am also worried because some private pastes from my account have +10 'unique visitors'. That shouldn't be. Are there alternatives? I need to manage several lists and I like it to be bound to an account.
Is pastebin safe can be answered as - if you are using a free service, then you are the product. Pastebin as a free service is definitely vulnerable. Personally, I use pastebin quite often. It's a very good service, and I am not worried about the website owners running off with my private information because I do not provide it. However, since you are paying... I doubt a company would go out of their way to hurt their customers. Still, we can't see what the admins of the website are able to do, so we likely can't inform you. I am also worried because some private pastes from my account have +10 'unique visitors'. That shouldn't be. Do not rely on free services like this for things that need to be kept private/safe.
I understand Pastebin.com has a private paste option for paid accounts. Private and unlisted pastes are different. Are my pastes truly private? The owner(s) and moderator(s) of the website can easily know what you're pasting. And they can even do this without it showing up on the website counter if they wanted to. They could do something like this:
// finds all the latest private pastes first.LoadFiles(db.Query("SELECT [file_name] from [paste_data]where [access_type] = 'Private' ORDER BY [date_posted] ASC"));If your machine is infected, or your internet connection is being monitored, people can find your pastes and pass them on to others. In the case of private pastes, your login can be shared. The URLs, even if unlisted, can be enumerated. You can "guess" Urls. If someone stumbles across yours, they may eventually find your paste. This may not work for private pastes. I think #1 and #2 are the most likely. However, I just wouldn't expect my pastes to be private once they go online. "Unlisted" in the context of Pastebin simply means they won't be listed on the main website, not that you can't visit them or guess the URL.
With private pastes, it's interesting that others can view your pastes. I would suspect website admins at this point.Side note: The extra unique visitors may be an after-effect of you visiting the pastes in question under incognito/VPN. If you have a dynamic IP address or VPN, and the website counts all unique IP addresses visiting the pages, regardless of account, then it will likely update the counter. Why not test this?
Product RecommendationsUnfortunately, this isn't really a place for product recommendations. However, I would not expect anything I post online to be truly private.If you want some decent privacy, my recommendation is to create your own website, encrypt the pastes you upload, and give people keys; one to access files, and one to decrypt them. One Key to view them, One Key to decrypt them and on the website unbind them, In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
Answer (1)
Pastebin itself is a legitimate and widely used platform for sharing text-based information. It's commonly used by developers, programmers, and other users to share code snippets, configuration files, logs, and other types of text-based data. However, like any online platform, there are considerations regarding safety and security:
1. Content Security:
Pastebin allows users to share any type of text-based information, which means that users can potentially share sensitive or inappropriate content.
Users should exercise caution when accessing content on Pastebin and avoid clicking on suspicious links or downloading files from untrusted sources.
2. Privacy Concerns:
Pastebin does not require users to create accounts to share content, which means that content is often posted anonymously.
Users should be aware that any information they post on Pastebin could be accessed by others, including search engines and web crawlers.
3. Malicious Use:
Pastebin has been used by hackers and cybercriminals to share stolen data, leaked credentials, and malware samples.
Users should be cautious when accessing content on Pastebin and avoid interacting with any content that appears to be malicious or illegal.
4. Pastebin Pro:
Pastebin offers a paid subscription service called Pastebin Pro, which provides additional features such as increased storage limits, private pastes, and the ability to edit and delete pastes.
Users who require enhanced privacy and security features may consider upgrading to Pastebin Pro.
5. Monitoring and Moderation:
Pastebin actively monitors and moderates its platform to identify and remove illegal content, such as child exploitation material and copyrighted material.
Despite these efforts, some inappropriate or harmful content may still be present on the platform.
6. Legal Compliance:
Users should ensure that they comply with Pastebin's terms of service and any applicable laws and regulations when using the platform.
Pastebin may cooperate with law enforcement authorities and other entities to investigate and address illegal activities conducted through its platform.
In summary, while Pastebin itself is a legitimate platform, users should exercise caution and use common sense when accessing and sharing content on the platform. It's essential to be mindful of privacy, security, and legal considerations when using any online service, including Pastebin.