Passive IP address exposure

[sevenkarmas]

I've worked in cyber for close to 20 years. Today when I was going through the forum, I noticed a couple of things that could possibly expose a user's location via IP address or geo location coordinates.

1. If you post an image from your camera/phone, it may contain the geo-location data. This is very common. With free, internet available software, someone could identify where the picture was taken and other items related to the image.
2. If you post a link to a website, the website could be tracking where the referring request came from (I click on the link, the link sends me to the website). The external website would also have the IP address of the user.

My job has created a paranoid mindset. In normal situations, it is unlikely these items would be exploited. However, with recent scrutiny and possible infiltrators to the board, it seems much more plausible.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Per Ardua Ad Astra]

Avatars too ?

*Edit: Thank U for reply /reassurance

 

[pauly1963]

I don't give a fuck anymore if people are tracking and spying on me. In fact I haven't given a fuck about anything in this so-called life for a very long time now.

 

[SamTam33]

I want to post vids from YouTube and the like, but have wondered if it could somehow expose your location like with posting pics.

 

[Cathy Ames]

1. If you post an image from your camera/phone, it may contain the geo-location data. This is very common. With free, internet available software, someone could identify where the picture was taken and other items related to the image.

Am I correct in thinking that this is solved fairly easily by removing the exif data?

2. If you post a link to a website, the website could be tracking where the referring request came from (I click on the link, the link sends me to the website). The external website would also have the IP address of the user.

Is there any solution to this that you know of (besides removing the extra stuff at the end of the URL)? I've considered putting everything I want to share into Archive dot org and then sharing that link instead, but it is cumbersome, and any time I have done it, people haven't really understood it (perhaps replying with the direct link). I see that there is almost a guarantee of tracking if you share a "gift link," but if the articles are behind a paywall, then what????

 

[makethepainstop]

I've worked in cyber for close to 20 years. Today when I was going through the forum, I noticed a couple of things that could possibly expose a user's location via IP address or geo location coordinates.

1. If you post an image from your camera/phone, it may contain the geo-location data. This is very common. With free, internet available software, someone could identify where the picture was taken and other items related to the image.
2. If you post a link to a website, the website could be tracking where the referring request came from (I click on the link, the link sends me to the website). The external website would also have the IP address of the user.

My job has created a paranoid mindset. In normal situations, it is unlikely these items would be exploited. However, with recent scrutiny and possible infiltrators to the board, it seems much more plausible.

Just my 2 cents.

Thanks bro! Better to know where and how such an attack can occur, and how to defend against it.

 

[sevenkarmas]

Am I correct in thinking that this is solved fairly easily by removing the exif data?

Is there any solution to this that you know of (besides removing the extra stuff at the end of the URL)? I've considered putting everything I want to share into Archive dot org and then sharing that link instead, but it is cumbersome, and any time I have done it, people haven't really understood it (perhaps replying with the direct link). I see that there is almost a guarantee of tracking if you share a "gift link," but if the articles are behind a paywall, then what????

Yes, you can remove the exif information. As far as the links, you can copy the link address and past it into a new browser window - in other words, don't click on the link, copy and paste it.

I want to post vids from YouTube and the like, but have wondered if it could somehow expose your location like with posting pics.

I want to post vids from YouTube and the like, but have wondered if it could somehow expose your location like with posting pics.

If you copy and paste the YT link, I don't think it can be directly tied back to you.

Avatars too ?

It's mostly related to pictures you take on your phone. It can assign geo tags. If your avatar is a public image or something you've dl'd from another site, it shouldn't be an issue.