How do distributed networks like #Tor and #Matrix verify that the nodes are running the proper software (that the code is untampered with, for example)
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@realcaseyrollins

Tor doesn't; they just encrypt traffic-in-transit with multiple layers, and each node in the circuit has the keys to pierce only one layer. This means that if your traffic goes through a circuit where an attacker controls both the first and last nodes ("guard" and "exit"), you are subject to deanonymisation.

I don't know about Matrix; I've never used it.

Other services have used the attestation and SGX features built into some Intel processors to (a) protect data in an "enclave" of memory from being spied on - even by hypervisors, and (b) remotely verify that the code with access to the data is unaltered. The downside here is that it limits your distributed platform to running on a pretty small set of hardware.

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