[LINK] browser fingerprinting

[Chris Maltby]

On Thu, Jul 25, 2013 at 09:16:16PM +1000, Kim Holburn wrote:
> Your browser leaks all sorts of information that allows it to create in many cases a unique fingerprint.  Tracking companies and others can use this to track your browsing habits.
> 
> If you go to this site: http://www.stayinvisible.com/ you will find lots of stuff your browser leaks.  Things like your timezone, your DNS server (why?) all your browser plugins, all your system fonts, language(s), your screen size and resolution, your OS and version data on all of those things.
> 
> I have been experimenting with a firefox add-in called Firegloves <https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/firegloves/> which obfuscates your browser fingerprint.  Unfortunately lots of sites don't work very well.  I think they design them like that: your flash version is what?  You can't use our site, we won't even bother sending you anything useful.

The DNS server would be deduced by embedding an object with a unique host name and then tracking where the query for that name comes from. You can't hide that easily, but whether it adds much to the fingerprint is anyone's guess.

Chris