Inaudible sounds used to fingerprint browsers catch AliExpress red-handed
Summary
Chinese online store AliExpress used an old tracking method that sends silent sounds to internet browsers to identify visitors. A researcher discovered this when his Bluetooth headphones stopped playing audio while visiting AliExpress, revealing that the site was using these sounds to track users.Key Facts
- AliExpress used inaudible sounds sent to browsers to create a unique "fingerprint" for each visitor.
- The tracking method worked by sending silent audio waves that browsers processed, which could be measured and used to identify different devices.
- The researcher, Matthew Callaghan, noticed his Bluetooth headphones stopped playing phone audio whenever he loaded AliExpress.
- Browsers like Firefox and Chrome have made changes to stop this type of fingerprinting by using their own math libraries rather than those from the device’s operating system.
- Firefox fixed this issue starting in version 118, released in 2023, by reducing the unique audio signatures the method relied on.
- AliExpress uses many other tracking techniques, such as analyzing browser graphics, plugins, hardware details, and user interactions like mouse movements.
- The sound-based method is considered outdated and likely left in the site’s code from years ago.
- Many websites continue to use similar and newer methods to track visitors, leading to ongoing efforts by browser makers to block such tracking.
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