5
Privacy concerns with DHCP (DHCP fingerprinting)
(lemmy.zip)
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
this post was submitted on 04 Jul 2024
5 points (61.9% liked)
Privacy
31876 readers
244 users here now
A place to discuss privacy and freedom in the digital world.
Privacy has become a very important issue in modern society, with companies and governments constantly abusing their power, more and more people are waking up to the importance of digital privacy.
In this community everyone is welcome to post links and discuss topics related to privacy.
Some Rules
- Posting a link to a website containing tracking isn't great, if contents of the website are behind a paywall maybe copy them into the post
- Don't promote proprietary software
- Try to keep things on topic
- If you have a question, please try searching for previous discussions, maybe it has already been answered
- Reposts are fine, but should have at least a couple of weeks in between so that the post can reach a new audience
- Be nice :)
Related communities
Chat rooms
-
[Matrix/Element]Dead
much thanks to @gary_host_laptop for the logo design :)
founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
I guess the hostname could be used to defeat MAC randomization if you use public WiFi like hotels, airports and coffee shops. You could probably identify repeat users if you cared enough.
But then your worry should be the security cameras not the WiFi, because that's what's gonna tie you personally to your device connecting.
Your router always knows your Mac address, no matter how you got your ip assigned. And yes, you can use it to identify the client - that is why it is there. This whole post is nonsense written by someone who doesn't really understand what dhcp is or how it works. Long story short, don't look for privacy on local Ethernet segment :D
Most modern operating systems randomize the MAC. DHCP does have extra fields such as the device's hostname that can be used to counter that.
But as I said, that's unlikely to be the weakest link. If you don't trust the network you're also likely in a public environment where people can just see you anyway.
[citation needed]
having the option to randomize the MAC is not the same as actually doing that. There are also a few downsides to random MACs, like captive portals not remembering you on public WiFis.
The default on android is to give every wifi network its own random but static mac.
Captive portals not remembering you between sessions is a huge bonus for captive portals with time limits.
that doesn't seem to be uniform behaviour. but i think we agree on the merit. if you are this paranoid, you just don't use networks where you don't have control over the local segment.
Easier said than done. Sometimes it's not an option.
there is always an option. unless you are pressured by lets say some state authority or your employee, in which case your identity is probably well known and they don't really need to spy on you through dhcp.
You seem to be forgetting that a lot of people use portable devices on other networks than their home one.
i am not forgetting anything. using your portable device on network other than your own is your free choice and if you are such control freak that you are afraid of being spied on through dhcp, you probably should not do that.
Wear a mask and sunglasses so you just blend in.
See the linked page
You need to say more than that about what your concern is, especially on devices configured for Mac randomization and other privacy features.
Aruba is looking at the dhcp traffic and inferring information about the device. The device is not sending all of this data.