Dual-layer security: IETF MLS (RFC 9420) inside QUIC / WebTransport TLS 1.3.
Plaintext exists strictly on your Noise-enrolled Apple devices. Direct P2P links minimize intermediaries, and fallback relays or offline queues only ever touch opaque ciphertext.
| Layer | Standard / Mechanism | What It Protects Against |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Client Content E2EE | IETF MLS (RFC 9420) in dedicated native Rust core | Prevents relays, queues, ISPs, or cloud hosts from reading messages, calls, files, or docs |
| 2. Multi-Device Linking | Authenticated QR enrollment over Noise protocol | Prevents unauthenticated server key injection when adding iPad, Mac, or Watch |
| 3. Wire Transport Security | QUIC / WebTransport with mandatory TLS 1.3 | Encrypts transport framing, eliminates TCP head-of-line stalls & secures hop-by-hop packets |
| 4. Forward & Post-Compromise Security | MLS TreeKEM O(log N) epoch key ratcheting | Protects past messages and heals group secrets rapidly across multi-device rooms |
1. Native Rust MLS (RFC 9420) End-to-End Encryption
Wonek implements the IETF Messaging Layer Security standard (RFC 9420) inside a dedicated, memory-safe Rust cryptographic core shared across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS. Every 1:1 conversation, group chat, voice/video call key, screen-sharing stream, direct P2P file transfer, and CRDT document update is encrypted client-side before transmission.
Using asynchronous binary key trees (TreeKEM), MLS rotates group secrets in logarithmic O(log N) steps—providing continuous forward secrecy (past messages stay safe) and post-compromise security (future epochs self-heal across all devices).
2. Authenticated Noise-Protocol QR Multi-Device Enrollment
Adding your Mac, iPad, or Apple Watch does not rely on cloud-escrowed key backups or recovery PINs stored on third-party servers. Instead, scanning an enrollment QR code establishes a mutually authenticated Noise-protocol channel directly between your trusted device and the new Apple device.
3. QUIC / WebTransport Mandatory TLS 1.3 & Smart NAT Traversal
Underneath MLS end-to-end encryption, Wonek runs natively over QUIC / WebTransport with mandatory TLS 1.3 encryption from the initial handshake. To minimize metadata exposure and call latency on cellular networks, Wonek uses a proprietary port-prediction NAT traversal algorithm engineered to establish direct peer-to-peer connections at a high success rate even behind Carrier-Grade NAT (CGNAT) and restricted gateways.
When a strict enterprise or guest firewall blocks direct UDP completely, Wonek automatically transitions to a latency-measured encrypted relay—and when a recipient's phone is powered off, encrypted MLS payloads wait safely in a transient ciphertext queue until delivery.
| System Component | When Active | What Infrastructure Sees | What Infrastructure NEVER Sees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct P2P QUIC Session | Default call, screen share & file path (incl. high rate on CGNAT) | Nothing — packets travel directly between peer devices | Plaintext audio, video, screen pixels, file contents, or MLS keys |
| Latency-Measured Encrypted Relay | Only when strict corporate/hotel firewalls block direct UDP | Transient TLS 1.3 + MLS encrypted packet envelopes for forwarding | Decrypted voice/video frames or group epoch secrets |
| Offline Message Queue | When a recipient's Apple device is asleep or offline | Opaque MLS-encrypted ciphertext queued temporarily until delivery | Message text, inline code/math, CRDT doc body, or private keys |
| Account Verification | Initial account setup & anti-abuse verification | Verified phone identifier & Noise-enrolled public key packages | Personal vs Work conversation contents or decrypted contact notes |
Security Questions & Answers
Can Wonek relays or offline message queues read my messages or listen to calls?
No. Encryption and decryption occur strictly on your enrolled Apple devices inside Wonek's native Rust MLS (RFC 9420) core. Offline message queues and fallback relays handle only opaque ciphertext and never hold decryption keys.
How are secondary devices like my Mac and iPad linked securely?
You enroll secondary Apple devices by scanning an authenticated QR code that establishes a direct Noise-protocol encrypted channel with your primary device—never uploading raw private keys to a cloud backup.
Why combine QUIC TLS 1.3 with MLS (RFC 9420)?
Defense in depth: QUIC / WebTransport provides mandatory TLS 1.3 transport encryption on every wire hop (protecting packet framing on public Wi-Fi and cellular links), while MLS (RFC 9420) provides end-to-end confidentiality, forward secrecy, and post-compromise security across all conversation participants.