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Google Just Gave Millions Of Users A Reason To Quit Chrome

RocketSyntax 7y ago
If you don't like it, then don't use it. You can refund your purchase of google chrome.
mdtusz 7y ago
Correct me if I'm wrong, but the example given of a link with "cancer" in the scroll-to-text part wouldn't show up in a DNS query would it? My understanding was that only the domain is queried, but the full path is not seen by a DNS server.
- torstenvl 7y ago
  The images and other resources would be part of the query. I don't know how Chrome prioritizes loading of resources, but if it prioritizes those resources in the current view, it might be possible to tell specific information about a page based on DNS traffic. Example: Let's say Chrome loads resources in the current view first, and you send a deep link with "cancer" as a search term. If a gullible user follows that link, then... - If "cancer" does not appear, the first resources queried will be those at the top of the page. - If "cancer" does appear, the first resources queried might be those used elsewhere in the page.
  - inshadows 7y ago
    Doesn't it mean that by watching DNS requests for resources, one can also derive which path on a web server I am visiting? For instance when fetching over TLS, such attacker should be able to tell whether I requested https://example.com/dank-memes.html https://example.com/dank-memes.html or https://example.com/just-text.html https://example.com/just-text.html, right? If that's the case, then this feature (ScrollToTextFragment) will not make privacy worse that it is already and the worries are just contemporary security theatre.
- dejj 7y ago
  It seems to me that the threat model has single page apps in mind. It's moot if the URL of interest is www.cancer.example.com/you-have-cancer anyway.
codycraven 7y ago
I'm missing something here. Fragments (everything from #to-the-end-of-url) are never sent as part of the request to the server. As a developer, I can't even know if a user has a fragment server side. Instead, I'm forced to use JavaScript to read it.
zodiakzz 7y ago
Holy hyperbole batman. Flagged.
e-clinton 7y ago
Don’t see a security issue here. Only the domain is sent to DNS, not the full uri.
boublepop 7y ago
The example that keeps getting put forwards seem unrelated to the new feature in the sense that you can do the exact same with a https://url#cancer https://url#cancer link .

If you don't like it, then don't use it. You can refund your purchase of google chrome.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the example given of a link with "cancer" in the scroll-to-text part wouldn't show up in a DNS query would it? My understanding was that only the domain is queried, but the full path is not seen by a DNS server.

torstenvl 7y ago
The images and other resources would be part of the query. I don't know how Chrome prioritizes loading of resources, but if it prioritizes those resources in the current view, it might be possible to tell specific information about a page based on DNS traffic. Example: Let's say Chrome loads resources in the current view first, and you send a deep link with "cancer" as a search term. If a gullible user follows that link, then... - If "cancer" does not appear, the first resources queried will be those at the top of the page. - If "cancer" does appear, the first resources queried might be those used elsewhere in the page.
- inshadows 7y ago
  Doesn't it mean that by watching DNS requests for resources, one can also derive which path on a web server I am visiting? For instance when fetching over TLS, such attacker should be able to tell whether I requested https://example.com/dank-memes.html https://example.com/dank-memes.html or https://example.com/just-text.html https://example.com/just-text.html, right? If that's the case, then this feature (ScrollToTextFragment) will not make privacy worse that it is already and the worries are just contemporary security theatre.
dejj 7y ago
It seems to me that the threat model has single page apps in mind. It's moot if the URL of interest is www.cancer.example.com/you-have-cancer anyway.

codycraven 7y ago

I'm missing something here. Fragments (everything from #to-the-end-of-url) are never sent as part of the request to the server. As a developer, I can't even know if a user has a fragment server side. Instead, I'm forced to use JavaScript to read it.

zodiakzz 7y ago

Holy hyperbole batman. Flagged.

e-clinton 7y ago

Don’t see a security issue here. Only the domain is sent to DNS, not the full uri.

boublepop 7y ago

The example that keeps getting put forwards seem unrelated to the new feature in the sense that you can do the exact same with a https://url#cancer https://url#cancer link .