Questions tagged [fingerprinting]

A browser fingerprint comprises information obtained about a browser during normal use. Fingerprints can fully or partially identify individual users or devices even when cookies are turned off.

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What is browser fingerprinting? What is linkability?

What do people refer to when they talk about browser fingerprinting? What is the difference between browser fingerprinting and linkability? Why is it important? For what is it used?
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11 votes
2 answers
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How does check.torproject.org know if TBB is up to date?

If all TBB versions have the same user-agent/fingerprinting, then how does torcheck check if TBB is up to date? How the "know if I'm up to date" system works?
user183001's user avatar
11 votes
3 answers
3k views

Why shouldn't one run Firefox/Chrome/any browser behind a fully torified system?

One can fully torify a system using Qubes OS TorVM, Whonix or a custom transparent proxy. Everything gets torified, even Adobe Flash. Why should one use Tor Browser even though everything is already ...
adrelanos's user avatar
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10 votes
2 answers
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How can I check if a Firefox plugin is a deanonymization threat?

There are many useful Firefox plugins and extensions that are compatible with the Tor Browser Bundle - how do I know which ones are safe to install without compromising my Tor anonymization?
Ivar's user avatar
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8 votes
5 answers
12k views

Have Tor appear to be a different browser

I was wondering is there a way to fool websites into thinking that I am using another browser instead of what I'm really using, Tor Browser. Say I wanted example.com to see me connecting to them using ...
Crossfire0mega's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
1k views

What does the Tor Browser Bundle do to prevent the linking of sessions?

What changes are made to the Tor Brower Bundle or what does it ship with to prevent a website from linking user session together, including fingerprinting on the device such as browser or system ...
bastik's user avatar
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7 votes
3 answers
908 views

Using Tails, is one identified as Tails user or as general Tor user?

Tor users can be identified as Tor users one way or the other. Now Tails users are subset of Tor users. Can this subset be identified as Tails users? Or this subset can not be distinguished from other ...
Roya's user avatar
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7 votes
3 answers
2k views

How can website fingerprinting be prevented?

Recent research [PDF] has shown that website fingerprinting works with Tor. Website fingerprinting = Determine what website is visited based on certain characteristics even when encryption is applied....
bastik's user avatar
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6 votes
2 answers
1k views

How can I improve my SSL/TLS security?

I recently visited https://www.howsmyssl.com/ with TorBrowser Bundle 3.5 and the rating was alarming. In particular, the site informed me that the cipher SSL_RSA_FIPS_WITH_3DES_EDE_CBC_SHA was ...
Ivar's user avatar
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6 votes
3 answers
6k views

Random user agent in Tor Browser

I am currently using a Firefox Add-on which generates a random user agent string from a large list of user agents. I am trying to protect myself from organisations and governments with a lot of ...
Senira's user avatar
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6 votes
4 answers
35k views

Tor browser user-agent strings

What is the current user-agent string(s) of the Tor browser? What user-agent strings has the Tor browser (and older Tor software) used in the past?
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6 votes
1 answer
6k views

Is it dangerous to watch videos full screen on Tor Browser?

When watching HTML5 videos on Tor Browser, is it dangerous to go full screen? Can this be used to find out my screen resolution? Especially wondering this for Youtube.
Anonymous's user avatar
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6 votes
2 answers
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Will disabling caching in Tor Browser increase anonymity, or decrease it?

I have stumbled upon the idea of disabling cache - completely. On one hand, I am thinking that due to having to load all elements afresh when visiting a page, I appear more like a fresh 'New Identity' ...
user avatar
5 votes
3 answers
1k views

Tor fingerprinting on NSA Egotisticalgiraffe document

On page 11 and 12 of this document: http://www.theguardian.com/world/interactive/2013/oct/04/egotistical-giraffe-nsa-tor-document they say it's easy to dinstinguish Tor users from non-Tor users ...
user183001's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
5k views

Is it safe to resize Tor Browser window with JavaScript disabled completely?

Recent Tor Browsers (as of writing, current stable version is 3.6.5) resize the browser window to a multiple of 200x100 pixels on opening. I understand this is to reduce the chances of a user being ...
user3605's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
388 views

Nature of HTML5 Canvas fingerprinting

I am something of a layperson, and have two questions regarding HTML5 Canvas fingerprinting. As I understand it, it allows the site to extract certain hardware and software information about the ...
user13049's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
1k views

how to send email anonymous from Gmail

If I send email from gmail account using Tor browser with VPN connection can my identity be anonymous? can anyone find me out by tracking my email?
bhukum's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
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Most common TOR browser configuration - panopticlick

Yesterday I put some effort into getting the best "score" I can on Panopticlick. The following is my result: I did several things to get the lowest numbers for "unique in x browsers". I looked up ...
Zelphir Kaltstahl's user avatar
3 votes
3 answers
333 views

If my web browser is fingerprintable (say, odd window size/screen resolution), who gets to see it?

Does browser fingerprinting leak data only to the server that is answering my request, or also to my ISP or other network-level eavesdropper? Assuming HTTPS (HTTP should leak to the HTTPS "leak set" ...
agentofuser's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
441 views

Tor vs Brave - which is technically more effective to hinder user tracking - fingerprint generalization or randomization?

TOR's method to countering fingerprinting is to make as many users "appear the same" as possible, let us call this to "generalize". While Brave tries to randomize all fingerprints of each and every ...
threeeMiaNichole's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
136 views

what is the Rendezvous point identity ID

I am currently reading the specification for rendezvous point and one little point has got me confused. When constructing a packet to send to from Alice's OP to Introduction Point it asks for the ...
user2962401's user avatar
2 votes
3 answers
1k views

Why does Panopticlick tell me the new Tor Browser is unique?

As soon as I download the new Tor Browser, I go to https://panopticlick.eff.org/ to see how anonymous I am. But right after a new Tor Browser release, it always tells me I'm unique! Why? I thought ...
Roger Dingledine's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
869 views

ISP, WiFi, Tracking [duplicate]

I run Tor on my laptop and my phone. I have Verizon Wireless for a service provider. My laptop Internet connection is tethered through my cell phone. So I just run Tor on my laptop. Can Verizon or any ...
hvacguy1962's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
375 views

Tor TLS cipher suite negotiation and fingerprint defense

In reading this bug I can see that, in the past, Tor has been fingerprinted based on the cipher suites negotiated in the initial TLS handshake. Originally it looks like a copy of the cipher suites in ...
Lizbeth's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
781 views

Fingerprint effect of changing TBB default font size

I asked this on tor-talk (no answers) & through Tor email support (also no answer). Suggested trying here. Does changing the default font names or sizes used by TBB (3.51 - 3.5.2) for Windows, ...
joeb's user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
5k views

How to use a common screen size?

Using the Tor Browser, one thing I've noticed while looking at the EFF's Panopticon browser fingerprinting tool is that the screen size reported matches the dimensions of the browser window. While ...
Ivar's user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
152 views

Resolution to prevent fingerprinting 1 pixel off?

Tor Browser is using letterboxing to prevent fingerprinting by screen size. Now, I have done a test on Cover Your Tracks website from EFF and the results show a unique fingerprint and the reason for ...
torofiew's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
97 views

Is there a list of API's that TOR browser blocks

I was looking for some kind of documentation on what API's and scripts does the TOR browser blocks (mainly as a defense for fingerprinting). I have come across the Design and Implementation document ...
hussamh10's user avatar
2 votes
4 answers
708 views

Knowing all differences between Tor browser and normal Firefox to foil Tor detection techniques

Tor beside anonymizing our location also make us unique as very few users actually use it on each webservice. question is in what ways destination sites can detect Tor browser? for instance canvas ...
user9310's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
261 views

Does Tor bundle discards cookies from a window or only from a session?

So in firefox privacy mode afaik once you close a private window all cookies and other information related to the sites in that window are deleted independently of any data on the regular firefox ...
Ghost's user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
270 views

Are there Tor modifications that do NOT expose uniqueness?

Add-ons like Flash and VLC and others are more obvious, and the general notion stands that “any add-on is a risk to make your online fingerprint unique”, but I'd still like to think a simple ...
Larry's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
449 views

Do 'window.innerWidth' and 'window.innerHeight' in CSS pass back the values to the webserver?

I have JavaScript turned off, and so no leakage of screen resolution to Panopticlick.eff.org fingerprint testing tool. However, JonDonym's one - ip-check.info - has an alarming-looking vector down ...
Anonymous's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
2k views

How to import Tor Browser profile

To make a Tor Browser from Firefox ESR there are many settings should be changed for the about:config, so can I have a way to change these values in a shorter time or can I directly use Tor Browser in ...
dlbw's user avatar
  • 21
2 votes
0 answers
445 views

What are these packets sent from my Tor client at irregular intervals during a download?

I am comparing two traffic instances using Wireshark: one using Tor and the other not using Tor. In both instances, the user requests the HTML document of a web page. In both instances I first ...
takuya_f's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
112 views

Is it possible to get some fingerprinting protection features of TBB in regular Firefox for non-Tor browsing?

I'd like to prevent Firefox from reading canvas, for example. As far as I understand, this is functionality of Tor Button extension which is part of Tor Browser Bundle, but it implies using Tor. What ...
Display Name's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
189 views

Minimizing risks of fingerprinting

Assuming the latest Tor bundle is being used, what additional steps could be taken to reduce the ease of some attacker connecting the dots among fingerprint data and getting closer to an identity? ...
demiters's user avatar
  • 113
1 vote
1 answer
4k views

Why does Tor Browser screen size vary across monitors?

When opening Tor Browser on a laptop, the screen size reported on panopticlick is 1000x700x24 with a fingerprint of 1 in 15,000, which is not bad, I guess. Re-opening Tor Browser with an external ...
M3RS's user avatar
  • 113
1 vote
4 answers
10k views

Is manually resizing the Tor window dangerous?

The default Tor windows size (500x1000) I find too small and I would like to make it bigger. I understand that making Tor full screen is dangerous, as full screen resolution is device dependent, ...
dpdt's user avatar
  • 111
1 vote
2 answers
1k views

Is Ubuntu amnesic like Tails?

Is using ubuntu amnesic as Tails and therefore prevent fingerprinting? Can I use ubuntu as an alternative to Tails? I think ubuntu too only use the RAM and destroy all memory after shutting down, and ...
Anonymousscum's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
6k views

Downthemall addon safe

I need to download set of files, it's easy to do in queue with downthemall addon (concurrent download setting = 1) . Is it safe to get the files with addon, will it still save via Tor? Will the file ...
ind0ubt's user avatar
  • 11
1 vote
1 answer
2k views

Does Tor Browser get a unique fingerprint with JavaScript, even if HTML5 Canvas data is blocked (amiunique.org)?

Tor Browser settings Security slider is on "Safest" JavaScript is enabled (otherwise no Canvas fingerprint possible by site) "Extract Canvas Data" is blocked: Issue amiunique....
cane_xmx3's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
487 views

Brave Browser's Bundled Tor reveals browser through search, is this a privacy issue?

Description When using private window Tor mode I was surprised to see that Brave passes a browser identifier in the url of the search. It seems having &t=brave in the url makes identifying the ...
Philip Kirkbride's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
5k views

Can an IP address get you caught?

We need to use java scripts on some sites because we need them in order to get the task done. Suppose some site get my real IP address by using some java script attack, then how dangerous it can be? ...
Anonymousscum's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
88 views

Is it possible to link different uses of Tor by using normal changes to the browser (such as bookmarks)?

Is it possible to link different Tor identies (uses of Tor at different times) by using the Bookmarks, settings of various components of the browser, or cosmetic alterations to the toolbars? It has ...
user812's user avatar
  • 347
1 vote
1 answer
69 views

Possible fingerprinting for tiling window managers

Could tiling window managers fingerprint users and render letter-boxing useless? Tiling WM change and resize windows suddenly and move them around in a grid. The resize behavior is different than the ...
AvidSeeker's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
51 views

What could be the cause for strange size(s) of TorBrowser window?

I tested my TorBrowser with websites like panopticlick. Then downloaded and installed a 2nd TorBrowser to test against. a) the window size is supposed to be a multiple of 100. but I get slightly ...
Rick's user avatar
  • 11
1 vote
0 answers
59 views

Is the default low security level dangerous? [duplicate]

The default level is set to low which ensures compatibility with most sites and technology but is it dangerous for security and/or for anonymity?
clara987's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
372 views

Tor fonts not displayed in Panopticlick

Panopticlick detects no fonts on my Tor browser. The standard should be Wingdings2 and Wingdings3. I have disabled incognito mode and added Self-destructing cookies, uBlock Origin and changed the ...
jdoe's user avatar
  • 11
1 vote
2 answers
657 views

Should I change the timezone of my laptop to UTC?

I understand the Tor Browser uses the UTC timezone but what about the tor daemon? Should I change the timezone on my ubuntu laptop to UTC to help make my tor traffic less fingerprintable? It wouldn't ...
user15598's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
30 views

Can Firefox & Tor (on the same machine) be *seen* as the same machine? [duplicate]

Assuming a standard Win7 machine with Firefox and Tor, all auto-updated. Firefox has VLC, Silverlight, Acrobat, and OpenH264 plugins, but also locked down a tiny-bit with NoScript, HTTPS everywhere, ...
Larry's user avatar
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