{"slug": "show-hn-flashpaper-self-destructing-secret-sharing-with-no-database", "title": "Show HN: Flashpaper – Self-destructing secret sharing with no database", "summary": "Min from Bangkok launched Flashpaper, an open-source secret-sharing tool that self-destructs messages after reading or 24 hours, using RAM-only storage with no database. The tool offers zero-knowledge encryption for web use via a key in the URL hash, while its REST API and MCP server for AI agents expose plaintext briefly before encryption. Flashpaper is available under an MIT license with an honorware policy for enterprise self-hosting.", "body_md": "Hi everyone! This is my first HN and I’m very new to the scene. My name is Min from Bangkok.\n\nAt first, I just want to create a dead man's switch for personal use and for fun. then, I think about information that self destruct like a spy movie. after that, I try to come up with the better version of Privnote or Bitwarden with self-destruct and some kind of censoring or blocking download ability. Somehow, end up with this product. :O\n\nFlashpaper is for sending any information that would be burned after reading (with counting down timer like Mission Impossible movie ! or after 24 hrs max if not opened) Encryption happens in browser and because the key stays after # in the link; server never sees the key (Zero-knowledge for web use) and— because I’m a newbie. I don’t want to connect to database because I don’t have the money and I want things light and simple. So, that’s why Flashpaper keeps things in RAM-only, no database.\n\nFor AI Agent side, Flashpaper provides a REST API and an MCP server so agents can create secret links easily in dead-drop style that can be claimed only once. The second claim would get a 404 which means someone already took it. However, for the agent API flow, the server sees the plaintext for a moment before encrypting, so this flow is not zero-knowledge like the web flow.\n\nOverall, I think it work quite well for web use, but for agent API use, I am not sure this is enough security. All the limitations are listed in SECURITY.md. Some feedback would be appreciated. I make it open source with MIT license, with honorware policy for Enterprise use, like self-hosted docker.\n\nHere is my repo [https://github.com/mmmpym/flashpaper](https://github.com/mmmpym/flashpaper)\nand you can try it here [https://flashpaper.app](https://flashpaper.app)\n\nAgain ! Please feel free to tell me what I missed.\n\nMin\n\nComments URL: [https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49085503](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49085503)\n\nPoints: 3\n\n# Comments: 2", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/show-hn-flashpaper-self-destructing-secret-sharing-with-no-database", "canonical_source": "https://flashpaper.app/", "published_at": "2026-07-28 15:36:35+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-07-28 16:12:02.450358+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-tools", "developer-tools"], "entities": ["Min", "Flashpaper", "Privnote", "Bitwarden", "MIT"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/show-hn-flashpaper-self-destructing-secret-sharing-with-no-database", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/show-hn-flashpaper-self-destructing-secret-sharing-with-no-database.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/show-hn-flashpaper-self-destructing-secret-sharing-with-no-database.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/show-hn-flashpaper-self-destructing-secret-sharing-with-no-database.jsonld"}}