Ethereum Foundation Trillion Dollar Security Program Funds WEBCAT Development via Grant to Freedom of the Press Foundation

1TS grants undisclosed funds to FPF for WEBCAT, an open-source tool verifying website code integrity. Aims to integrate protection into Ethereum wallets and browsers to prevent front-end tampering.

Woofun AI reports that the Ethereum Foundation’s Trillion Dollar Security (1TS) program has provided a funding grant to the Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) to advance the development of WEBCAT. This open-source utility allows browsers to verify if served website code matches the developer's released version, addressing limitations in HTTPS which only secures connections without validating code authenticity. The initiative targets front-end verification gaps where tampered code could alter recipient addresses or prompt unauthorized signatures. Developers will sign manifest files for each release, maintained in a distributed, verifiable registration system.

Browser extensions will download and verify snapshots of these records for local validation. The Firefox extension, currently in alpha, blocks page loading and issues warnings upon verification failure. FPF developed WEBCAT partly because future SecureDrop versions require verifiable browser code. The 1TS funding supports creating a WEBCAT verification library for wallet integration, researching adaptation for Chromium-based browsers, conducting independent security audits, and drafting Ethereum proposal (ERC) standards for developers. This library complements 1TS’s previously introduced Clear Signing feature.