A Security Vulnerability Affecting Everyone Who Uses the Internet Has Been Discovered
Every Step You Take Can Be Tracked, and There’s No Way to Prevent It. A security vulnerability has been discovered that allows tracking of users’ internet history by exploiting internet connection latency. Moreover, there is no way to close this security gap.
A group of cybersecurity experts working at Graz University in Austria have discovered a security vulnerability that technically affects anyone with internet access. Named “SnailLoad,” this vulnerability allows for the tracking of users by exploiting delays in internet connections.
One of the aspects that makes SnailLoad particularly dangerous is that it does not require any malicious software to function. This makes it impossible for security applications to detect the vulnerability. Simply put, if you are targeted by this security flaw, there is no way to protect yourself.
The presence of latency in an internet connection is sufficient for the vulnerability to be exploited
SnailLoad does not care what you are doing on the internet. In this context, using the browser’s incognito mode or a VPN does not mitigate the vulnerability. The critical factor is the latency in your internet connection. As soon as the hacker detects this latency, they can start monitoring your web history. Research has shown that SnailLoad can even be used while watching videos on YouTube.
What’s even more interesting is that there is no way to close this security gap. According to the researchers, the only way to get rid of the vulnerability is for internet service providers to randomly alter the quality of their customers’ internet connections. However, this would mean a deterioration in the internet access quality for users experiencing decreased connection quality, which is not an acceptable solution.
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