Researchers at Cambridge University’s Computer Laboratory have developed an insidious fingerprinting attack that allows iOS and Android devices to be tracked across the internet. The attack is simple to execute and virtually impossible to stop without direct intervention from Apple or Google. If you have an iPhone or a Pixel 2 or 3, your phone is vulnerable. Other high-end Android phones may be vulnerable as well.
Websites gather information from browsers that can be used to create a fingerprint for the device you’re using when you visit the website. This fingerprint can then be used to track every website you visit using the same browser on the same device. The researchers developed a method for creating a much more robust device fingerprint that uses data gathered from the sensors in a smart phone. They call it SensorID. The research was presented at the IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy on May 21.
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