Google Fixing Chrome API to Prevent Incognito Mode Detection

guest · Feb 15, 2019

Google Fixing Chrome API to Prevent Incognito Mode Detection
February 15, 2019
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/ne...rome-api-to-prevent-incognito-mode-detection/

When browsing the web with Google Chrome, some sites are using a method to determine if a visitor is in a regular browsing session or in incognito mode. As this can be considered a breach in privacy, Google will be changing how a particular API works so that web sites can no longer utilize this technique.

Currently the FileSystem API is not available in incognito sessions, because it leaves files behind and could be considered a privacy risk.
This allows sites to check if a user is incognito mode, by simply attempting to use the FileSystem API. If they are to able to, then the visitor is in a regular browsing session, otherwise they are in incognito mode.

In a Chrome Gerrit post started this week and updated earlier this morning, Google has stated that they are changing the FileSystem API so that it can be used in incognito mode, without the risks to privacy.
This feature should be landing in Chrome Canary soon and will be enabled through the "enable-filesystem-in-incognito" flag on the chrome://flags screen.
Click to expand...

guest · Apr 24, 2019

Chrome update stops websites from tracking you in Incognito Mode
But you'll have to enable the feature yourself
April 24, 2019
https://www.engadget.com/2019/04/24/chrome-74-update-stops-websites-tracking-incognito-mode/

Google has launched Chrome 74 for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS, bringing with it a bunch of handy new features, although some -- such as Incognito detection blocking -- require a bit of tinkering to access.

Enter chrome://flags/ in a new Chrome window, search for Incognito and then enable the Filesystem API in Incognito. Doing this will close the loophole that lets websites identify whether a user is browsing in disguise or not, meaning that private browsing really will be private browsing.
Click to expand...

Filesystem API in Incognito
chrome://flags/#enable-filesystem-in-incognito

guest · Jul 18, 2019

Chrome update will stop sites from checking for Incognito Mode
Google says it violates the spirit of private browsing
July 18, 2019
https://www.engadget.com/2019/07/18/chrome-76-to-stop-private-browsing-checks/

Google sees that as a flaw, though, and intends to set things right. The company will use the July 30th release of Chrome 76 to close a "loophole" where sites could check for Chrome's FileSystem framework (disabled in Incognito Mode) and use its absence to detect a private session. Google will also change any other methods of detecting Incognito going forward.

The internet giant says it's a matter of respecting the very purpose of Incognito mode: maintaining privacy. While people do use private browsing to dodge site paywalls, people may have far more serious reasons for staying anonymous.
This move could please people concerned that private browsing modes are losing some of their value.
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Google: Protecting private browsing in Chrome

guest · Jul 30, 2019

Chrome now prevents sites from checking for private browsing mode
You really can go Incognito
July 30, 2019
https://www.engadget.com/2019/07/30/chrome-76-thwarts-private-browsing-mode/

As promised, Google is ready to make websites respect Incognito mode whether they like it or not. The company has released Chrome 76 for Linux, Mac and Windows, closing a loophole that let sites detect private browsing by looking for the presence of a key framework. If you're tired of sites insisting that you either sign in or use the standard mode, relief is in sight.

We've tested the new approach ourselves, and it appears to work with at least a couple of news outlets that previously stopped Incognito users who didn't sign in.
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guest · Aug 5, 2019

mood said: ↑

Chrome now prevents sites from checking for private browsing mode
Click to expand...

This one weird trick lets websites dodge Chrome 76's defenses, detect you're in Incognito mode
Three key words: File, write, benchmark
August 5, 2019
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/08/05/chrome_incognito_mode_fix_falls_flat/

A week ago, Google released Chrome 76, which included a change intended to prevent websites from detecting when browser users have activated Incognito mode.
Unfortunately, the web giant's fix opened another hole elsewhere. It enabled a timing attack that can be used to infer when people are using Incognito mode.

On Sunday, developer Jesse Li described a novel method to detect when Chrome users have activated Incognito mode using Chrome's FileSystem API: it is possible to benchmark the speed at which files can be written to disk using this software interface.
The technique is similar to one proposed last month by security researcher Vikas Mishra. He found that browser's Quota Management API, for managing temporary and persistent storage, can be used to infer the presence or absence of Incognito mode.

"The only way to prevent this attack is for both Incognito mode and normal mode to use the same storage medium, so that the API runs at the same speed regardless," Li wrote.
Li however is skeptical that a different strategy would lead to improved privacy.
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Minimalist · Aug 10, 2019

Google Chrome Incognito Mode Can Still Be Detected by These Methods

With the release of Chrome 76, Google fixed a loophole that allowed web sites to detect if a visitor was using Incognito mode. Unfortunately, their fix led to two other methods that can still be used to detect when a visitor is browsing privately.
Click to expand...

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/ne...-mode-can-still-be-detected-by-these-methods/

guest · Jun 4, 2020

Incognito mode detection still works in Chrome despite promise to fix
June 4, 2020
https://www.zdnet.com/article/incognito-mode-detection-still-works-in-chrome-despite-promise-to-fix/

Websites are still capable of detecting when a visitor is using Chrome's incognito (private browsing) mode, despite Google's efforts last year to disrupt the practice.
GOOGLE TRIED TO FIX IT IN 2019
In early 2019, Google decided to take a stance against such scripts. Chrome 76, released in July 2019, included an update that blocked websites from using the FileSystem API to detect if a user was using Chrome's normal browsing mode or its incognito mode.
NO NEW PATCH, DESPITE PROMISE LAST YEAR
Answering a question from tech news site Bleeping Computer, Google promised in August 2019 to fix the bypass and block incognito mode detections.
However, nine months later, it is still possible to detect incognito mode in Chrome, and all the other Chromium-based browsers, such as Edge, Opera, Vivaldi, and Brave, all of which share the core of Chrome's codebase.

Currently, there is no deadline for a new Chrome update to block incognito mode detections, however, today, Google might be interested more than ever in fixing this issue.
Click to expand...

However, it will help Google earn some good faith with its users, many of which care about their privacy and don't like to be denied service by websites just because they're in incognito mode.
Click to expand...

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