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Security report for mastodon.art

Mastodon.ART · Technology · United States

Medium risk. 4 critical or high findings in GDPR outside view and SSL/TLS.

Security score

68/100

Risk levelMedium

0–100, higher is better. How it is calculated

Mastodon.ART is a community-driven Mastodon instance dedicated to creatives and artists, providing a safe, ad-free social media platform within the fediverse. It emphasizes inclusivity, safety for marginalized groups, and prohibits AI-generated content and NFTs. The platform is supported by donations and managed by a transparent moderation team. Technically, it runs Mastodon 4.4.8 with React and modern web technologies, hosted by Masto.host. The website is well-designed, mobile-optimized, and accessible, with clear navigation and professional content. Security posture is good with HTTPS and domain transfer protections, though DNSSEC is not enabled and no explicit security policy or incident response contacts are published. Privacy compliance is moderate with a comprehensive privacy policy but no cookie consent mechanism. Overall, the site is trustworthy, legitimate, and well-positioned within its niche.

Scanned

NIS2 and GDPR posture

GDPR outside view
58/ 100 · Medium
Checks completed
7of 7

NIS2 Art. 21(2)

  1. (a) Risk analysis and security policies: Not visible from outside
  2. (b) Incident handling: One indicator
  3. (c) Business continuity, backups and crisis management: Not visible from outside
  4. (d) Supply chain security: Not visible from outside
  5. (e) Secure acquisition, development and maintenance, including vulnerability handling: Partly checked
  6. (f) Assessing the effectiveness of security measures: Not visible from outside
  7. (g) Cyber hygiene and security training: Not visible from outside
  8. (h) Cryptography and encryption: Partly checked
  9. (i) HR security, access control and asset management: One indicator
  10. (j) Multi-factor authentication and secured communications: Not visible from outside

This scan rated NIS2 with an earlier keyword method that is no longer shown; rescan for the per-article view. Risk management, continuity, supply chain, training, MFA, management oversight (Art. 20) and incident reporting (Art. 23) need internal evidence, and Guard cannot tell whether NIS2 applies to this organisation.

GDPR is indicative only, based on publicly visible signals: Articles 7, 12, 13 and 32 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and Article 5(3) of the ePrivacy Directive. Not a certification or legal assessment.

Priority findings

4 findings rated critical or high. Fix these first.

  1. GDPR outside view

    These are the privacy signals visitors and data protection authorities look for under GDPR.

    • High

      No Cookie Policy found

      GDPR requires clear information about cookie usage

      What to do: Add a dedicated cookie policy explaining cookie usage and purposes

    • High

      No Cookie Consent Banner found

      GDPR requires explicit consent for non-essential cookies

      What to do: Implement a cookie consent banner that appears on first visit

  2. SSL/TLS

    TLS encrypts the connection and proves the site is really yours. Weak or expiring certificates trigger browser warnings and put traffic at risk.

    • High

      Weak Protocols Supported

      Server supports weak protocols: TLSv1.1

      What to do: Disable TLS 1.0, TLS 1.1, and all SSL versions

      • CWE-327
      • OWASP A04:2025
      • ASVS V12.1.1
    • High

      Weak SSL Key Length

      SSL certificate uses 384-bit key, which is considered weak

      What to do: Use at least 2048-bit RSA or 256-bit ECC key

      • CWE-326
      • OWASP A04:2025
      • Mozilla TLS: Mozilla Server Side TLS 6.0 intermediate: rsa_key_size 2048

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Keep watching mastodon.art

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  • TLS certificates and expiry
  • DNS records
  • SPF, DKIM and DMARC
  • Security headers
  • GDPR and NIS2 posture
  • Exposed services
  • Third-party trackers
  • Security score drift

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Results by check

Each check with its score, findings and the evidence it collected.

How this score is calculated

The security score runs 0–100, higher is better. It is the plain average of the security checks that completed in this scan, each counted equally. A check that could not run is left out: it counts neither as a pass nor as a fail.

Counted in this score

SSL/TLS
42
Security headers
75
Email security
60
DNS health
75
Network security
100
GDPR outside view
58
Average
68

Not counted

  • NIS2 outside view: Re-weights evidence from the TLS, email, DNS, network and hygiene checks, so counting it would count that evidence twice. Shown on its own.
  • OffSeq Observations: An AI reading of the site, useful context but not reproducible evidence. Shown on its own.

Findings that cap the score at 49

Each of these is serious on its own, so while any is present the site cannot rate better than high risk, however good the other checks are.

  • The certificate is not trusted by browsers
  • The website is not served over HTTPS
  • A database, remote desktop, file-sharing or Telnet service is reachable from the internet
  • The page loads a script from a compromised source
  • The domain registration has expired
  • SPF authorises every server to send mail as the domain

Partial scans

When the site blocks Guard or most checks cannot run, the score covers only the checks that ran (usually DNS and email), is capped at 75 and is shown as partial, without a risk level.

Risk levels

  • Critical0–25
  • High26–49
  • Medium50–75
  • Low76–100

Technical appendix

Business context, site observations and technical notes gathered during the scan, and the standards behind each reference.

Business context

Business profile

Mastodon.ART occupies a niche market as a safe, creative-focused Mastodon instance within the fediverse, targeting artists and creators seeking a community-owned, ad-free social media experience. Its business model relies on community donations via LiberaPay, Ko-Fi, and Patreon, avoiding ads and data monetization. The instance is small but stable, founded in 2017, with a consistent brand and active moderation team. Partnerships include hosting by Masto.host. The platform's strict federation and content policies enhance its reputation as a safe space. Growth potential lies in expanding its user base within the creative community and maintaining high moderation standards.

Security posture

The security posture of Mastodon.ART is solid for a community-run instance. HTTPS is enforced, and domain registration includes clientTransferProhibited status, reducing hijacking risk. However, DNSSEC is not enabled, which is a recommended improvement. The site lacks published security policies or incident response contacts, which could improve transparency and readiness. No tracking or ads reduce privacy risks. The moderation policies and federation restrictions contribute to a safer environment. Overall, the instance demonstrates good security hygiene but could benefit from enhanced DNS security and formalized incident response documentation.

Recommendations

  1. Enable DNSSEC on the mastodon.art domain to improve DNS security and prevent spoofing.
  2. Publish a formal security policy and incident response contact information to enhance transparency and readiness.
  3. Implement a cookie consent mechanism if any cookies are used to improve privacy compliance.
  4. Add security headers such as Content-Security-Policy and X-Frame-Options to strengthen web security.
  5. Continue community engagement and moderation to maintain trust and safety within the platform.
Site observations

Automated reading of the public site. Ratings are indicative.

Business

Company
Mastodon.ART
Description
Mastodon.ART is an independent, community-run Mastodon instance focused on creatives and artists, providing a safe, ad-free, and community-owned social media platform on the fediverse. It emphasizes inclusivity, safety for marginalized members, and prohibits AI-generated content and NFTs.
Key services
Mastodon social networking, Community moderation and safe space, Federation with other Mastodon instances
Content quality
excellent
Branding
consistent

Technology

Stack
Mastodon 4.4.8, React, JavaScript ES Modules, CSS, WebSockets
Frameworks
Ruby on Rails (implied by Mastodon), React
Platforms
Fediverse, Mastodon
Performance
moderate
Mobile
good
Accessibility
good
SEO
good

Security

Observed score
75/100
Good practices seen
  • HTTPS enforced
  • ClientTransferProhibited domain status
  • No tracking or ads
  • Strict federation policies

Analytics and tracking

Tracking level
minimal
Privacy practices
good

Advertising

Transparency
excellent

Site quality

Design
excellent
User experience
excellent
Content relevance
excellent
Navigation
excellent
Professionalism
excellent
Trustworthiness
high

Key observations

  1. Website is a community-run Mastodon instance focused on creatives and artists.
  2. Strong emphasis on safety, inclusivity, and moderation.
  3. No ads, tracking, or monetization of user data.
  4. Donation-supported business model.
  5. Modern tech stack with React and Mastodon platform.
  6. No detected security policy or incident response contact published.
  7. No cookie consent mechanism despite privacy policy presence.
  8. WHOIS data is transparent and consistent with website claims.
Technical notes

Notes

The website uses Mastodon version 4.4.8, built on Ruby on Rails backend with React frontend components. It leverages modern JavaScript ES modules and CSS for styling, with WebSocket support for real-time features. Hosting is provided by Masto.host, a specialized Mastodon hosting provider. The site is mobile-optimized and accessible, with good SEO metadata including Open Graph tags. Performance is moderate, typical for a social media platform with dynamic content. No CMS is detected, as Mastodon is a custom platform. Technical risks include lack of DNSSEC and missing security headers, which are recommended for mitigation. Overall, the technical infrastructure is modern and appropriate for the community-driven social media service.
Standards and sources

Reference chips under each finding point to the standard, regulation or specification the finding relates to. They are taken from the official datasets below and mapped conservatively: a finding with no defensible link shows none. NIS2 and GDPR references mark where a finding is relevant evidence, not a compliance verdict. Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2690 binds digital infrastructure and digital service providers; for other entities it is the most detailed public reading of the Article 21 measures. WCAG, EN 301 549, European Accessibility Act and Web Accessibility Directive references name the requirement an automated accessibility rule relates to; they are not a conformance verdict.

Retrieved 2026-10-25

Earlier scans of this domain

  1. 69/100 +1Medium30 findingsView report
  2. 68/100Medium26 findingsView report
  3. 68/100Medium25 findingsView report
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