A demonstration described in the piece shows how websites can assign visitors a persistent 'fingerprint' based on device and browser characteristics, a tracking identifier that remains consistent even after clearing cookies or using a VPN, though it changes across different devices or browsers. The technique relies on JavaScript-based scripts run via ad networks, and the author notes that disabling JavaScript blocks this specific method, though network-level tracking can still occur. The piece frames this as a successor to third-party cookies, which became harder to use after EU-driven consent banner regulations.
royfish.dev
· 2026-10-11
A master's student from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology developed a technique that can uniquely identify gamers based on their mouse and keyboard input signals. By analyzing data from over a thousand players, the method achieved 100% accuracy with mouse patterns and 98% with keyboard signals, even linking multiple accounts to a single individual. The approach uncovered previously unknown account connections, highlighting its potential for player identification.
tomshardware.com
· 2026-10-08
A developer who previously built Onionservatory, a tool to audit Onion Service security configurations, has now released a companion tool called Onionspector. This new tool flips the perspective, showing users exactly what data points—from HTTP headers to browser fingerprinting signals like screen size, fonts, and Canvas/WebGL output—a website can collect about them when they connect, even over Tor.
0ut3r.space
· 2026-09-06
Researcher Matthew Callaghan discovered AliExpress running hidden scripts that generate silent, inaudible sound waves through the WebAudio API to create a unique fingerprint of each visitor's browser. He noticed the tracking only because it interfered with his multipoint Bluetooth headphones, cutting off phone audio whenever the AliExpress tab was open. The scripts muted the sound with a zero gain setting so users would never notice, but the browser still processed and transmitted the audio data back to the site.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-08-24
Researchers discovered that AliExpress's homepage runs hidden, inaudible audio-processing code tied to Alibaba's security systems, which measures how a device's hardware handles an audio signal to create a unique fingerprint without cookies. The behavior was uncovered by a developer whose Bluetooth headphones failed to switch between devices while an AliExpress tab stayed open, since the silent audio graph kept the system's audio path active even when muted. The same scripts reportedly also collected canvas, WebGL, and hardware configuration data as part of a broader tracking setup.
techspot.com
· 2026-08-23
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