Can Someone Brute Force a BareSend Message?

Yes — in theory. But not if you do your part.

Let’s be honest: yes, it’s technically possible to brute force a BareSend message. But before you panic — let’s talk about what that really means.

Your passphrase becomes the key

When you create a message, BareSend doesn’t generate a random encryption key. You do — by typing a passphrase. That passphrase is then transformed into a 256-bit AES key using a secure algorithm called a Key Derivation Function (KDF).

In simple terms: the words you choose become the lock that protects your message. If your words are weak, the lock is easy to pick.

So… can an attacker brute force it?

Technically yes — but only under very specific conditions:

• They must have the exact BareSend link.
• They must get to it before the recipient reads it.
• They must try thousands, maybe millions, of guesses locally.
• And your passphrase must be guessable — like Summer2025! or Password123.

If those things align, they could eventually break it. But...

Ephemerality is your backup shield

BareSend messages don’t sit around forever waiting to be cracked. They:

• Expire automatically after the time you set (e.g. 1 hour).
• Self-destruct 60 seconds after being read — no second chances.

That means the attacker’s window is vanishingly small. If they’re late, they get nothing. If your passphrase is strong, they get nowhere.

Make brute force pointless

Choosing a good passphrase makes brute force attacks go from “difficult” to “absurd.” A phrase like rooftop-blanket-mountain-oven-squid has more than 2.8 quintillion combinations. Even with modern hardware, brute-forcing it would take tens of thousands — or even billions — of years, depending on how many guesses per second the attacker can make. Translation: you’re safe.

• Weak passphrase? Brute force is possible.
• Strong passphrase + time limit? Brute force becomes fiction.

So yes — someone can technically brute force a BareSend message. But if you use a strong passphrase and a short expiry time, the math isn’t in their favor. It’s in yours.