How to keep open websites/services isolated from each other

[themostsecurebrain]

Hi, I'm trying to figure out how to browse the web without each website knowing that I have other sites open. For example, I don't want there to be any way for facebook to know that I'm also logged into gmail in the next tab. The only way I know to do this is to have several browsers installed, and separate services that way, FB in FF, Gmail in Chrome, etc...

Also, I'm wondering how private mode works in FF, is there really no history or cookies being kept at all or are they stored and then deleted at the end of the session? I figure the later because otherwise sites that require cookies, like gmail, wouldn't work, yet they do. Opera seems to do something different. You have "private tabs" and I wonder if that really means that each private tab is truly isolated/sandboxed from the other tabs, both private and public.

Hope my questions are clear. Thanks yall.

[CasperFace]

You can accomplish this without the need for using two different browsers if you're using Firefox. Basically, you use ProfileManager to create two different FF profiles (each with its own separate cookies, cache, etc). Then in order to run both instances of firefox.exe concurrently you would use the "-P [profile name] -no-remote" switch when calling the executable.

For instance, you can create a desktop shortcut and edit the target as follows:

Target = "[path to Program Files directory]\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -P [profile name] -no-remote

This way, you are running two FF browsers that are completely isolated from one another, and you can now log in to an online service with two different identities at the same time... as well as numerous other advantages. The only possibility for cross-contamination (that I'm aware of) is that the Flash directory is shared by both browsers. In the unlikely event that this causes any issues/conflicts, you could just opt to use Flash with only one of the browser instacess. Then, aside from having the same IP address--which can easily be remedied via proxy, you have virtually 100% isolation of your identites.

[themostsecurebrain]

@CasperFace

Brilliant! Thank you so much. Will this work on os x or ubuntu?

Also, I'm already running VPN, how would an added layer of proxy for each instance interact with this? I also don't trust proxies much. I am worried something would leak that I'm using the VPN and if more than one instance leaks I'm screwed.

[pandorax]

Do websites know what tabs open near them!?

[themostsecurebrain]

Well, unless I'm mistaken, a website can access a cookie it didn't write, so if gmail sees a fb cookie bingo. As for a website having access, through javascript or something, to a list of tabs you have open, I don't know if that's possible for not.

Someone else please, that's a great question.

[Hungry Man]

I believe websites can read cookies they didn't write but not in incognito mode.

[Heimdall]

Take a look at Detect if visitors are logged into Twitter , Facebook or Google+

[Hungry Man]

http://www.tomanthony.co.uk/tools/de...etwork-logins/

Didn't work. It doesn't detect that I'm logged into all of those services right now.

Not using ScriptNo or anything other than ABP.

edit: IT's because I have 3rd party cookies disabled I suppose.

[CasperFace]

Originally Posted by themostsecurebrain

Will this work on os x or ubuntu?

It should work on any OS via terminal/command line interface. Here are a couple of links that describe the process in greater detail:
Opening a new instance of your Mozilla application with another profile and Use Multiple Firefox Profiles at the Same Time

Also, I'm already running VPN, how would an added layer of proxy for each instance interact with this? I also don't trust proxies much. I am worried something would leak that I'm using the VPN and if more than one instance leaks I'm screwed.

Proxies can't/won't leak as long as your plugins (Java, Flash, etc.) are disabled. Or, if you want to maintain even tighter control, you could use firewall rules to force firefox.exe to connect only to those proxy IPs/ports that you explicitly allow.

[themostsecurebrain]

@CasperFace

Thanks!!

[tlu]

Originally Posted by Hungry Man

I believe websites can read cookies they didn't write

No, that's not correct unless they are 3rd party cookies.