Browser fingerprinting using only CSS

#1

Post by willemlabu » Tue, Jan 04, 2022, 1:36 PM UTC

Browser fingerprinting using only CSS
csstracking.dev

Re: Browser fingerprinting using only CSS

#2

Post by webmobdev » Tue, Jan 04, 2022, 6:02 PM UTC

Sigh. Hope uBlock Origin will start blocking these kind of CSS trackers too.

Re: Browser fingerprinting using only CSS

#3

Post by marapuru » Tue, Jan 04, 2022, 6:58 PM UTC

This is awful, especially knowing it will be used to identify people that want to stay anonymous. But I'm glad this got published for awareness.

By not loading CSS by default, you can probably block this identification behavior. Haven't tested it though.

Re: Browser fingerprinting using only CSS

#4

Post by capableweb » Tue, Jan 04, 2022, 10:20 PM UTC

marapuru wrote: post #3

This is awful, especially knowing it will be used to identify people that want to stay anonymous. But I'm glad this got published for awareness. By not loading CSS by default, you can probably block this identification behavior. Haven't tested it though.

I'm glad things like Tor Browser exists, seems to mostly defeat most (if not all) of the properties listed on the site.

Re: Browser fingerprinting using only CSS

#5

Post by solidr53 » Wed, Jan 05, 2022, 12:59 AM UTC

Scary stuff, but is that enough information to fingerprint someone?

I’m thinking hundreds or thousands of iPhone 13 on the same IP thru a GSM network. How will you know?

Won’t you need battery status and all that other bits also

Re: Browser fingerprinting using only CSS

#6

Post by bilalnpe » Wed, Jan 05, 2022, 5:18 AM UTC

solidr53 wrote: post #5

Scary stuff, but is that enough information to fingerprint someone? I’m thinking hundreds or thousands of iPhone 13 on the same IP thru a GSM network. How will you know? Won’t you need battery status and all that other bits also

Yes, this alone probably won't lead to unique user. This would be just another data point to narrow down the probable users.

Re: Browser fingerprinting using only CSS

#7

Post by mekster » Wed, Jan 05, 2022, 10:07 AM UTC

Can you really stop tracking in a realistic way?

Etag tracking also sounds hard to defend.

Re: Browser fingerprinting using only CSS

#8

Post by no_time » Wed, Jan 05, 2022, 11:46 AM UTC

mekster wrote: post #7

Can you really stop tracking in a realistic way? Etag tracking also sounds hard to defend.

If you know what contributes to your fingerprint you can make create a new fingerprint for every session. This may result in decreased functionality.

Re: Browser fingerprinting using only CSS

#9

Post by no_time » Wed, Jan 05, 2022, 11:48 AM UTC

webmobdev wrote: post #2

Sigh. Hope uBlock Origin will start blocking these kind of CSS trackers too.

Blocking the tracker is a fingerprintable action by itself.

Re: Browser fingerprinting using only CSS

#10

Post by NmAmDa » Wed, Jan 05, 2022, 1:23 PM UTC

no_time wrote: post #9

webmobdev wrote: post #2

Sigh. Hope uBlock Origin will start blocking these kind of CSS trackers too.

Blocking the tracker is a fingerprintable action by itself.

Unless many people do that.