Cross Browser Fingerprinting

Cross browser fingerprinting is a process by which websites can identify the unique configuration of a digital device by gathering data such as screen resolution, OS, software, browser version and more. It can be used for tracking purposes similar to cookies, but has the advantage of not being impacted by cookie blockers or browsing in incognito mode.

Previously, fingerprinting only worked for the same browser and its specific features, but researchers at Lehigh University and Washington University in St. Louis have developed a technique that allows fingerprinting to be done across different browsers. The system uses operating system and hardware-level features that are not tied to a particular browser, such as installed fonts and GPU rendering responses. The team has built a website called Unique Machine where users can test their browser fingerprints.

Cross-Browser Fingerprinting: Exploring the Techniques

The site works on any device that has JavaScript enabled, and users can click on a button to get their fingerprint. The system takes a few seconds to run, and the output is a list of all the data points that were gathered. The list is not a complete picture, but the system has enough information to identify a user even when they switch between multiple browsers.

One caveat to this method is that it relies on more than just a browser’s user agent (UA), which has been targeted by fraudsters and can be spoofed using tools like the X-UA-Find-Proxy plugin for Chrome. However, the UA is still an important piece of the puzzle, and fingerprinting can be combined with other techniques to improve accuracy.