CAPTCHA Verification to continue messaging go to endless loop (Windows)

[SergeAgeyev]

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Bug Description

Infinity loop after "Verify to continue messaging" CAPTCHA presented

Steps to Reproduce

1. Sent the same message to several people (meeting notification, as I did before).
2. Been presented modal dialog "Verify to continue messaging"
3. Clicked "Continue" button
4. Redirected to Browser
5. Process CAPTCHA successfully
6. Open Signal back via dialog windows drawn by the browser ("Open Signal application...)
7. Seen "Verification Complete" toast message in the background (below the verification dialog)
8. Verification dialog does not go away, preventing to use of the application

Actual Result:

The verification dialog stays on top of the application, preventing normal messaging.
This behavior is checked on Edge, Chrome, and Firefox.
On each browser up to 5 CAPTCHAs were been processed (still looped).
No luck going out of the loop.
This is VERY annoying.

Weird workaround (not working):

If a user attempts to close Verification Dialog by hitting X on the top right corner, "Continue without verifying?" modal dialog is presented. If the user selects "Skip Verification" (if CAPHTA was passed) the system seems to operate normally for a while (allowing to send a few messages), then again, the user has to reenter the CAPTCHA (but seems that time messages are not delivered at all).

Expected Result:

The "Verify to continue messaging" dialog should disappear after a successful CATCHA pass.

Screenshots

Platform Info

Signal Version: 6.12.0.0

Operating System:

Windows 10

Linked Device Version:

iOS 16.4

Link to Debug Log

debuglog.txt

[scottnonnenberg-signal]

You might consider reaching out to our support so we can really work through the details of this with you. Then you can provide your full log. The subset of the log you provided isn't the part of the log that we need to look at to help with this.

For now, we do have a few questions for you. Are you sending messages to a lot of new people? That kind of thing can be flagged by our systems, which then shows you the CAPTCHA.

Is there anything else you're doing that's unusual? Do you think that maybe you're not successfully completing the captcha challenges?

[SergeAgeyev]

My workflow:
I am using the Signal for several months at the moment.
I am sending private messages as routine support-via-signal duties.
Some of my messages are identical (links to the sections of the manual), as the problems may be similar.
Sometimes, I start conversations with new people, as they provide us with phone numbers via product reg.info.
In total, I am sending 20-30 messages a day.

My problem:
I cannot get rid of Verification Dialog, even though I have passed CAPTCHA successfully.
It stays on top of the app, even though I have passed CAPTCHA ok (may times).

Please look at the screenshot, you will see "Verification Complete" toast in the Signal window and a green checkmark from CAPTCHA in the browser window in the background. But "Verification to continue messaging" is still here.

[scottnonnenberg-signal]

Thanks. Again, we do need your complete debug log, and the log from your phone as well if we are to fully understand the captcha situation. If you're more comfortable sending those logs to support, you can do that here: https://support.signal.org/hc/en-us/requests/new?desktop

[SergeAgeyev]

Looks like its fixed, at least in version 6.13.0 verification works as expected.

[arlaurent]

Bug Description

"Verify to continue messaging" ...Help, I'm trapped in an... "Verify to continue messaging" ... infinite loop! "Verify to continue messaging"

Steps to Reproduce

1. Send message in high volume/high traffic private Signal group.
2. Signal asks to verify.
3. Click Continue.
4. Signal opens browser to hCaptcha.
5. Complete Captcha.
6. Redirects me to Signal.
7. Signal asks me to verify again.
8. Rinse, repeat.

This has happened on three different occasions now. To say that this is extremely annoying is understating the problem.

Platform Info

Signal Version: 6.29.0 production (Apple silicon)
OS: MacOS Ventura 13.4.1 (c) (22F770820d)
Hardware: MacBook Air M2, 2022

Linked Version: Android version 13
Mobile Signal Version: 6.28.6

Screenshot Sequence

Step 1.

Step 2.

Step 3.

(doing the captcha)

Step 4.

Step 5.

Yes, the captcha is really done!

Step 6.

Hello darkness my old friend...

[indutny-signal]

@arlaurent could you send us your debug logs from Desktop and (if possible) your phone as well? Thanks!

[brutal-orange]

@indutny-signal I just sent a funny video to all my friends, and I'm now inside an infinite loop myself (on PC). I've successfully completed the captcha many, many times. Do you need anything that could help you? The phone app still works fine, and I can see the messages I sent from the phone app on my Windows client.

Edit: I just sent a support ticket about it (November 12th, 16:26 PM CEST). It contains the logs from both the phone app, as well as the Winodws client. Didn't feel comfortable posting this here. Unfortunately, I didn't get a ticket id and/or an email about it :/, so, I can't reference you to anything.

Edit2: Come to think of it, a friend just joined Signal yesterday or so. He's used it before, but uninstalled it. I sent him some messages, but he didn't reply yet. Today, I sent him that video, and it's when I was prompted to verify. Maybe that has something to do with it?

[indutny-signal]

Thanks for the logs. We will look into them!

[Seneral]

Using Signal regularly and never had a problem, then messaged ONE new person (hard to find people that use signal here), and now I'm getting a verification every single time I go to write them (and only them). No problem writing to long-time contacts. And on my desktop app, it doesn't even do anything after clicking continue, I have to skip it (Linux Flatpak), so I cannot write to them at ALL using the desktop app. I did manage to send a file over it once, and then later, a message from the desktop client triggered it.
I am using a VPN but that should be my right. It's sad that with the few people I can communicate with over Signal, it's apparently not reliable, which is the sole thing a communication tool really should be. Unsurprisingly I won't be using Signal for new contacts, if there's even the slightest chance this could happen. It's just not worth it. A normal user should never be able to reach the quotas to trigger spam filters in the first place (and frankly, I never received spam on Signal, either). Sorry for the rant, but I am honestly baffled this is a problem. Users should not need to fight the platform they are relying on to communicate.

[evok3d]

The best solution was posted by someone else, though I can't find the link.

This is how you can verify yourself on Linux:

• Click on Verify (opens the link in your browser)

• Verify using the captcha

• Once it is verified in the browser, you will get the Xdg-open dialog prompt

• Ignore the prompt

• Right click on the "Open Signal" hyperlink below the verification box (see screenshot below) and copy the link address
  

• Make sure Signal is closed.

• In terminal type signal-desktop space and then paste the link address from the previous step

• execute the command

• It will open Signal and run the verification and display "verification complete"

• You can now resume using Signal.

• If you get "verification failed" it means you waited too long between the copy and running the command in Terminal, in which case just do the browser verification again to get a new one.

[v6]

Why is this closed?

The rest of us are still getting this.

[trevor-signal]

Why is this closed?

The rest of us are still getting this.

@v6 can you be more explicit about the behavior you're now seeing? We've resolved some issues related to captchas, so debug logs will be very helpful to understand what's happening in your case.

[dewetblomerus]

I am experiencing this on Android

[indutny-signal]

@dewetblomerus sorry about this. Same as Trevor has mentioned above, debug logs from your Desktop and phone would be really helpful next time you experience it!

[arlaurent]

Hey Fedor, how can I send you these logs personally/directly? I am a bit uncomfortable having my private convos being explored by anyone on the signal team! Hope you understand!

…

On Mon, May 6, 2024 at 9:19 AM Fedor Indutny ***@***.***> wrote: @dewetblomerus <https://github.com/dewetblomerus> sorry about this. Same as Trevor has mentioned above, debug logs from your Desktop and phone would be really helpful next time you experience it! — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#6353 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AANGPOO4FTFK44XQZZWNZWLZA6USVAVCNFSM6AAAAAAWPAMIJWVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMZDAOJWGQZDONBWGA> . You are receiving this because you were mentioned.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[indutny-signal]

@arlaurent you could use indutny@signal.org. Thanks!

[synapticlee]

I am also having this issue and have reinstalled and unlinked signal desktop so many times. I sent in a support ticket on the app.

[tasket]

I'm having the same problem trying to enter my first message to someone. I just installed Signal desktop on Debian 12 from snapcraft. The web browser is Firefox v115 ESR. I haven't tried evok3d's workaround yet...

[tasket]

I tried @evok3d 's workaround and it failed: Signal runs and then says Verification Failed in the lower left corner and puts up another "Verify to continue" prompt. I don't think I waited too long to run signal-desktop (with pasted link).