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Security: subodhkc/Print-Later

Security

SECURITY.md

Security Policy

Print Later Security and Privacy

Print Later is designed with security and privacy as core principles. This document explains what the application does and does not do.

What Print Later DOES

Behavior Description
Watches a folder Monitors your designated PDF folder for new files
Stores data locally All documents and settings saved on your computer only
Runs in system tray Visible tray icon with right-click menu to exit
Communicates locally Browser extension talks to desktop app via localhost only
Standard file operations Reads/writes only to its own app directory and your chosen folders

What Print Later DOES NOT Do

Behavior Guarantee
No cloud uploads Your documents never leave your computer
No telemetry Zero analytics, tracking, or usage data collection
No keystroke logging Does not monitor keyboard input
No screen capture Does not take screenshots or record your screen
No browser data access Does not read cookies, passwords, or browsing history
No system modifications Does not modify Windows registry or system files
No admin rights required Installs and runs in user space only
No background services No Windows services or scheduled tasks installed
No code injection Does not hook into other applications
No auto-updates No silent background updates (you control when to update)

Technical Security Details

Network Behavior

  • Local API only: The app runs a local HTTP server on http://localhost:3847 for browser extension communication
  • No external connections: The app makes zero outbound network requests
  • No internet required: Works completely offline after installation

File System Access

The app only accesses:

  1. App installation directory: %LocalAppData%\Programs\Print Later
  2. App data directory: %AppData%\Print Later
  3. User-selected folders: Only folders you explicitly choose for PDF storage

Data Storage

  • Configuration: Stored in %AppData%\Print Later\config.json
  • Print queue: Stored locally in app data directory
  • PDFs: Stored in your chosen folder (default: Documents\Print Later)
  • No encryption: Data is stored in plain format (your OS provides file-level security)

Verification Steps

You can verify Print Later's behavior yourself:

1. Check Network Activity

# Monitor network connections (should show only localhost)
netstat -an | findstr "3847"

2. Check File Access

# View app data location
explorer "%AppData%\Print Later"

3. Check Running Processes

# Should show only "Print Later.exe" with no child processes
tasklist | findstr "Print"

4. Scan with Windows Defender

Right-click the installer → "Scan with Microsoft Defender"

Complete Uninstall

To completely remove Print Later:

  1. Uninstall the app:

    • Open Windows Settings → Apps → Apps & features
    • Find "Print Later" → Uninstall

  2. Remove app data (optional):

    # Delete configuration and cache
Remove-Item -Recurse "%AppData%\Print Later"

  3. Remove saved PDFs (optional):

    • Your PDFs in Documents\Print Later are NOT deleted automatically
    • Delete manually if desired

  4. Remove browser extension:

    • Go to chrome://extensions or edge://extensions
    • Remove "Print Later" extension

Known Limitations

SmartScreen Warning

When you first run the installer, Windows SmartScreen may show "Windows protected your PC" because:

  • The app is not code-signed with an expensive certificate ($300-500/year)
  • This is normal for indie/open-source software

To proceed: Click "More info" → "Run anyway"

Self-Signed Build

  • The executable is not signed by a Certificate Authority
  • This does NOT affect security or functionality
  • It only means Windows doesn't recognize the publisher

Reporting Security Issues

If you discover a security vulnerability:

  1. Do NOT open a public issue
  2. Email: security@subodhkc.com
  3. Include: Description, steps to reproduce, potential impact

I take security seriously and will respond within 48 hours.

Security Changelog

Version Date Changes
1.0.0 2024 Initial release with local-only architecture

Author

Subodh KC

Print Later is open source. You can audit the entire codebase at github.com/subodhkc/Print-Later

There aren't any published security advisories