MetaMask published a code fix on November 12 addressing a privacy bug involving external server connections.
MetaMask's development team reproduced the bug, which occurred in all four test attempts before the fix.
MetaMask's fix stops all running Snaps and terminates external connections when users disable Basic Functionality.

MetaMask published a code fix on November 12 addressing a privacy bug where the cryptocurrency wallet continued connecting to external servers even after users disabled the Basic Functionality setting. The issue stemmed from the wallet's Snaps feature, which kept running and maintaining connections to Bitcoin network servers and price data providers despite user privacy preferences. The bug contradicted MetaMask's privacy controls, which are designed to allow users to block external server connections by disabling Basic Functionality.

Snaps Feature Maintained External Connections Despite Privacy Settings

The Basic Functionality setting in MetaMask allows the wallet to connect to external servers to retrieve cryptocurrency prices and wallet balance information. Users can disable this feature to protect their privacy. However, the wallet's Snaps feature — which enables support for additional blockchains like Bitcoin and Stellar — continued operating even after users disabled Basic Functionality. While new Snap requests were blocked when the setting was turned off, already-running Snaps maintained their external server connections. This resulted in persistent connections to Bitcoin network servers and cryptocurrency price data servers.

MetaMask Developers Published Code Fix and Completed Testing

MetaMask developers modified the code to stop all running Snaps and terminate external server connections when users disable Basic Functionality. The development team reproduced the error and conducted internal testing. Before the code modification, the issue occurred in all four test attempts. After implementing the fix, all four test attempts functioned correctly with no external connections when the privacy setting was disabled. MetaMask had previously disclosed a similar issue on October 29, when multiple external server requests were sent despite Basic Functionality being disabled. The source does not confirm whether the November 12 code fix resolves all errors from the October disclosure.

FAQ

What privacy bug did MetaMask fix on November 12?

MetaMask fixed a bug where the wallet continued connecting to external servers for Bitcoin network access and cryptocurrency price data even after users disabled the Basic Functionality privacy setting.

Why did MetaMask continue connecting to external servers despite privacy settings?

The issue occurred because the Snaps feature kept running after users disabled Basic Functionality. While new Snap requests were blocked, already-running Snaps maintained their external server connections until the code fix stopped all running Snaps when the privacy setting was disabled.

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