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Is ipfs.io a Scam? Security Check Results - IPFS Foundation Reviews

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Is ipfs.io Safe? Security Analysis for IPFS Foundation

Check if ipfs.io is a scam or legitimate. Free security scan and reviews.

TechnologyN/asmall
Hugo 0.124.0Rainbow (IPFS HTTP Gateway API implementation)
Analyzed 9/5/2025Completed 11:37:10 PM
62
Security Score
MEDIUM RISK

AI Summary

The IPFS.io Public Gateway website serves as an informational and access portal for the IPFS decentralized web gateway service. Maintained by Interplanetary Shipyard on behalf of the IPFS Foundation, it provides a free public utility enabling users to access IPFS content seamlessly through traditional web browsers. The site clearly communicates its purpose, acceptable use policies, abuse reporting mechanisms, and technical FAQs, positioning itself as a trusted bridge between HTTP and IPFS protocols. The business model is donation-supported, emphasizing public good and open-source collaboration. Technically, the website is built using the Hugo static site generator and references the Rainbow implementation of the IPFS HTTP Gateway API. The site is performant, mobile-optimized, and SEO-friendly, though it lacks some advanced accessibility features and explicit security headers. The hosting environment likely involves Cloudflare, inferred from HTTP range request limitations. No forms or tracking scripts are present, indicating minimal data collection and user tracking. From a security perspective, the site enforces HTTPS and provides a clear abuse reporting email. It verifies content integrity against IPFS CIDs and uses a denylist to block abusive content. However, it lacks a published security policy, vulnerability disclosure program, and cookie consent mechanisms. WHOIS data is privacy-protected, which is reasonable for this type of public infrastructure service. Overall, the security posture is good but could be improved with additional headers and policies. The overall risk assessment is low, with no indications of malicious content or vulnerabilities. Strategic recommendations include publishing privacy and cookie policies, implementing security headers, and establishing a formal vulnerability disclosure process to enhance trust and compliance.

Detected Technologies

Hugo 0.124.0Rainbow (IPFS HTTP Gateway API implementation)

🧠AI Business Intelligence

Technology stack, business insights, and market analysis powered by AI.

Business Intelligence

Market & Strategic Analysis

IPFS.io Public Gateway operates in the technology sector, specifically focusing on decentralized web infrastructure. It holds a niche market position as a free, public gateway service bridging traditional web protocols with IPFS. The business model relies on donations and community support, with maintenance by Interplanetary Shipyard and oversight by the IPFS Foundation. The target audience includes developers, researchers, and general users interested in decentralized content access. The partnership with Interplanetary Shipyard strengthens operational capabilities. The absence of commercial advertising and tracking aligns with its public utility ethos. Growth indicators include active community engagement and ongoing technical updates. The ecosystem includes related domains such as ipfs.tech for the main project and badbits.dwebops.pub for abuse management.

Extracted Contact Information

Marketing Intelligence Data

Email Addresses (3)

a*****@ipfs.io
i*****@ipfs.io
c*****@ipshipyard.com

Security Posture Analysis

Comprehensive Security Assessment

The website demonstrates a mature security posture with mandatory HTTPS, content verification against IPFS CIDs, and an abuse reporting mechanism. The use of a denylist to block abusive content shows proactive content moderation. However, the absence of explicit security headers (e.g., CSP, HSTS), lack of a published security policy or vulnerability disclosure program, and missing cookie consent mechanisms indicate areas for improvement. The WHOIS privacy protection is justified and aligns with protecting the infrastructure's operators. Incident response is facilitated via a dedicated abuse email. Overall, the site is secure for its purpose but would benefit from enhanced transparency and formalized security documentation.

Strategic Recommendations

Priority Actions for Security Improvement

1

Publish a comprehensive privacy policy and cookie policy with GDPR compliance details.

Observations

AI-powered comprehensive website and business analysis.

AI-Enhanced Website Analysis

Business Insights

Company:

IPFS Foundation

Description:

The IPFS.io Public Gateway is a free public service that acts as a bridge between the traditional HTTP web and the decentralized IPFS protocol, enabling users to access IPFS content through their web browsers without installing software.

Key Services:
IPFS content gateway servicePublic access to decentralized web contentAbuse reporting and content takedown management
Content Quality:

good

Branding:

consistent

Technical Stack

Technologies:
Hugo 0.124.0Rainbow (IPFS HTTP Gateway API implementation)
Performance:

moderate

Mobile:

good

Accessibility:

basic

SEO:

good

Security Assessment

Security Score:
85/100
Best Practices:
  • HTTPS enabled
  • Abuse reporting email provided
  • Content verification against CID
  • Use of denylist for abusive content

Analytics & Tracking

Tracking Level:minimal
Privacy Compliance:poor

Advertising & Marketing

Transparency Level:poor

Website Quality Assessment

Design Quality:good
User Experience:good
Content Relevance:good
Navigation Clarity:good
Professionalism:good
Trustworthiness:high

Key Observations

1

Website is fully accessible with rich content about IPFS public gateway.

🛡️Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis and recommendations.

Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis

30/100
Score

Missing X-Frame-Options header

HIGH

Prevents clickjacking attacks

Missing X-Content-Type-Options header

MEDIUM

Prevents MIME type sniffing

Missing Content-Security-Policy header

HIGH

Controls resources the browser is allowed to load

Missing X-XSS-Protection header

MEDIUM

Legacy XSS protection (deprecated but still recommended)

Missing Referrer-Policy header

LOW

Controls referrer information sent with requests

Missing Permissions-Policy header

MEDIUM

Controls browser features and APIs

Sensitive data may be cached

LOW

Cache-Control header should include "no-store" for sensitive pages

👤GDPR Compliance

Privacy and data protection assessment under GDPR regulations.

GDPR Compliance

Privacy and data protection assessment

35/100
Score

No Privacy Policy found

HIGH

GDPR requires a clear and accessible privacy policy

No Cookie Policy found

HIGH

GDPR requires clear information about cookie usage

No Cookie Consent Banner found

HIGH

GDPR requires explicit consent for non-essential cookies

Third-party services without privacy policy

HIGH

Detected services: LinkedIn

GDPR Compliance Analysis

Privacy Policy0% confidence
Cookie Policy0% confidence
Contact Information Found90% confidence
emailphone

🛡️NIS2 Compliance

Network & Information Security Directive compliance assessment.

NIS2 Compliance

Network & Information Security Directive

12/100
Score

No information security framework found

HIGH

NIS2 requires documented cybersecurity and information security measures

No vulnerability disclosure policy

MEDIUM

NIS2 encourages coordinated vulnerability disclosure

No security policy documentation found

HIGH

NIS2 requires documented cybersecurity governance and risk management

No incident response procedures found

HIGH

NIS2 requires documented incident response and business continuity plans

No business continuity planning found

MEDIUM

NIS2 emphasizes operational resilience and business continuity

No vulnerability reporting mechanism

MEDIUM

Clear vulnerability reporting supports coordinated disclosure

No NIS2 reference found

LOW

Consider explicitly mentioning NIS2 compliance efforts

Critical sector without clear security compliance

HIGH

Detected sectors: transport, digital

📧Email Security

SPF, DKIM, and DMARC validation and email security assessment.

Email Security

SPF, DKIM, and DMARC validation

85/100
Score

No BIMI Record

LOW

BIMI displays brand logos in email clients

No MTA-STS Policy

MEDIUM

MTA-STS enforces TLS for email delivery

No TLS-RPT Record

LOW

TLS-RPT provides reporting for email TLS issues

SPF
Sender Policy Framework
DKIM
DomainKeys Identified Mail
DMARC
Domain-based Message Authentication
MX Records
Mail Exchange Records
BIMI
Brand Indicators
MTA-STS
Mail Transfer Agent Security
TLS-RPT
TLS Reporting
DNSSEC
DNS Security
SPF Details
Record:
v=spf1 a include:_spf.google.com ~all
DNS Lookups:2/10
Policy:~all
DKIM Selectors Found
Selector:google(1416-bit rsa)
DMARC Details
Policy:quarantine
Aggregate Reports:tx1q6y2a@ag.dmarcian.com
Forensic Reports:tx1q6y2a@fr.dmarcian.com

🏆SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and encryption analysis.

SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and encryption analysis

72/100
Score

Weak Protocols Supported

HIGH

Server supports weak protocols: TLSv1.1

OCSP Stapling Not Enabled

LOW

OCSP stapling improves performance and privacy

Certificate Transparency Not Implemented

LOW

Certificate is not logged in Certificate Transparency logs

SSL Certificate Expires Within 90 Days

MEDIUM

SSL certificate expires in 70 days

Partial SSL/TLS Assessment

LOW

Completed 3 of 4 security checks due to time constraints

Protocol Support

TLSv1.3TLSv1.2TLSv1.1

OCSP Status

OCSP Stapling Disabled

📊DNS Health

DNS configuration and security assessment.

DNS Health

DNS configuration and security assessment

85/100
Score

DNSSEC Not Enabled

MEDIUM

DNSSEC is not configured for this domain

Domain Delete Lock Not Enabled

LOW

Domain can be deleted without additional verification

Domain Registration Details

Domain Age
11 years(mature)
Expiry Risk
low(252 days)
Protection Level
basicDNSSEC OFF

DNS Records

A Records:209.94.90.1
AAAA Records:2602:fea2:2::1
Name Servers:
clarissa.ns.cloudflare.com
tate.ns.cloudflare.com
MX Records:
1: aspmx.l.google.com
10: alt3.aspmx.l.google.com
10: alt4.aspmx.l.google.com
5: alt1.aspmx.l.google.com
5: alt2.aspmx.l.google.com
SOA:Serial: 2382324508, TTL: 1800s

DNSSEC Status

DNSSEC Not Enabled

DNS Performance

Resolution Time:60ms

SPF Analysis

SPF Record:
v=spf1 a include:_spf.google.com ~all

Network Security

Port scanning and network exposure analysis.

Network Security

Port scanning and network exposure analysis

100/100
Score

Good Network Security Posture

LOW

No unnecessary services detected on common risky ports

🔧Technical Analysis

Detailed technical findings and analysis from AI assessment.

Technical Analysis

Comprehensive security assessment findings

Additional Findings

The website is built on the Hugo static site generator, ensuring fast load times and ease of maintenance. It uses the Rainbow implementation of the IPFS HTTP Gateway API to serve decentralized content. Hosting likely involves Cloudflare CDN, inferred from HTTP range request limitations. The site is mobile-optimized and SEO-friendly with proper meta tags and Open Graph data. No client-side analytics or tracking scripts were detected, indicating minimal technical overhead and privacy-conscious design. The absence of forms reduces attack surface but also limits user interaction. Technical debt appears low, but the lack of explicit security headers and formal policies suggests room for modernization and improved security hygiene.
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