Browser fingerprinting is a method of collecting and analyzing a variety of information from a user's web browser to create a unique "fingerprint." Unlike traditional tracking methods like cookies, browser fingerprinting doesn’t rely on storing data on the user's device. Instead, it gathers details about the browser type, version, operating system, active plugins, timezone, screen resolution, and more.
How Does Browser Fingerprinting Work?
Browser fingerprinting works by injecting a piece of javascript into a page requested by a user, which gathers a range of information about the user's browser environment.
These can include:
- Browser and OS Version: Identifying the browser and operating system version.
- Hardware Details: Gathering information about the device’s hardware, such as the CPU type and GPU.
- Browser Settings: Checking for specific settings and configurations, like language and time zone.
- Active Plugins and Fonts: Listing installed plugins and available fonts.
- HTML5 Canvas Data: Analyzing how the browser renders graphics using the HTML5 canvas element.
- Audio Details: Information about the audio system and APIs.
The combination of these data points creates a profile of a browser which in the vast majority of cases is unique. This can be used to identify and track users across different websites.
Applications and Implications
- Online Tracking: Advertisers and companies use browser fingerprinting for targeted advertising and user tracking without relying on cookies.
- Security and Fraud Detection: It helps in detecting and preventing fraudulent activities by identifying abnormal patterns or discrepancies in browser profiles.
- Privacy Concerns: Browser fingerprinting raises significant privacy issues, as users are often unaware that they are being tracked and cannot easily opt out.
Browser offers unique capabilities for tracking and security, however it also poses significant challenges to user privacy. A large number of bot management solutions rely heavily on browser fingerprinting/challenges, since the technique relies on running code in the client browser and reporting back to a server, a determined attacker can reverse engineer the code to develop bypasses.