Fingerprint Technology Tracks Internet Users

Browsers’ Extensions Stealth Fingerprinting Exposed

According to the latest cyber security news, a software developer has revealed that some Google Chrome extensions can establish fingerprinting capabilities on your tech equipment.

Everyone that uses Google Chrome to surf the Internet is hereby placed on notice of a new fingerprinting extension that was discovered hiding on some popular search engine extensions. The web developer known as ‘z0ccc’ has been tracking this extension that allows other entities to track you online using your device fingerprints.

Analytical reports from the researcher state that it stealthily monitors your searches, and with online security a major problem with hackers launching daily hacks on businesses, with all search engine extensions, individuals must surf with caution as they can intrude on your privacy.

Chrome Addons Copy Fingerprints

Dark web hackers are renowned for launching attacks against intended victims, who they have constantly monitored online. The lucrative dark web markets are the main catalyst contributing to the current rise in computer hacking, and the theft of private information that fuels the high rate of identity theft.

Now, this Google Chrome extension will aid in the process where online security could become even more treacherous, since it can easily construct tracking hashtags, and copy fingerprints from computers, laptops, or Android tech gadgets.

For the Chrome extension to work effectively, the tracking hashes and the fingerprinting features depend on the connected device’s GPU efficiency. The Windows applications, in addition to the screen resolution, fonts, and hardware setup are some of the attributes that must be taken into consideration. However, its ability to monitor online visitors depends on the device and its numerous features.

As mentioned earlier, web developer ‘z0ccc’ revealed the newly discovered App dubbed ‘Extension Fingerprints,’. In his analytical findings, he mentioned that the extension works by creating a tracking hash that’s preloaded into Google Chrome extensions.

Additionally, he stated that with the development of search engine extensions, a web developer utilizes certain assets that are loaded in a browser extension such as the ‘web accessible resources,’ which dictates the web pages and extensions the add-on can access.

Stealth Technology Tracks Web Surfers

For the Google Chrome browser extension, the picture files are used to store web searches via the ‘web accessible resources’ parameter. In 2019, it was reported that installed extensions can capture the fingerprint of a visitor’s browse history through web-accessible resources.

However, web researcher z0ccc documented that it is difficult to find some of these fingerprinting applications since most are concealed tokens that can avoid detection. But he also identifies a ‘Resource timing comparison’ method, which can identify if the web browser has the fingerprinting extension installed.

Notably, protected extensions take a much longer time to fetch extension resources. With this, the research analysts state that time comparison is the best identifier between the protected and unprotected search engine extension.

The project’s GitHub page demonstrates the technology on the Extension Fingerprints website. The site developed by ‘z0ccc’ checks browsers to detect web-accessible resources in 1,170 extensions created for Google Chrome.