full-disclosure - Re: [WEB SECURITY] Stealing Search Engine Queries with JavaScript

lists.openwall.net		lists / announce owl-users owl-dev john-users john-dev passwdqc-users yescrypt popa3d-users / oss-security kernel-hardening musl sabotage tlsify passwords / crypt-dev xvendor / Bugtraq Full-Disclosure linux-kernel linux-netdev linux-ext4 linux-hardening linux-cve-announce PHC
Open Source and information security mailing list archives

Hash Suite: Windows password security audit tool. GUI, reports in PDF.

[<prev] [next>] [<thread-prev] [thread-next>] [day] [month] [year] [list]

Date: Fri, 29 Sep 2006 15:18:44 -0400
From: "Brian Eaton" <eaton.lists@...il.com>
Cc: full-disclosure@...ts.grok.org.uk, websecurity@...appsec.org
Subject: Re: [WEB SECURITY] Stealing Search Engine Queries
	with JavaScript

On 9/29/06, Billy Hoffman <Billy.Hoffman@...dynamics.com> wrote:
> Possible uses:
>
> -HMO's website could check if a visitor has been searching other sites about
> cancer, cancer treatments, or drug rehab centers.
>
> -Advertising networks could gather information about which topics someone is
> interested based on their search history and use that to echance their
> customer databases.
>
> -Government websites could see if a visitor has been searching for
> bomb-making instructions.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it looks like the technique only works if
you can guess the entire set of search terms the user entered.

For example, let's say I searched for "XSS hack".  The technique won't
work if the attacking web site checks only for "XSS", or only for
"hack".  The technique does reveal that I searched for "XSS hack"
though.

Regards,
Brian

_______________________________________________
Full-Disclosure - We believe in it.
Charter: http://lists.grok.org.uk/full-disclosure-charter.html
Hosted and sponsored by Secunia - http://secunia.com/