Privacy concerns with DHCP (DHCP fingerprinting) (lemmy.zip)

submitted 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) by possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip to c/privacy@lemmy.ml

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So many people here will go though great lengths to protect themselves from fingerprinting and snooping. However, one thing tends to get overlooked is DHCP and other layer 3 holes. When your device requests an IP it sends over a significant amount of data. DHCP fingerprinting is very similar to browser fingerprinting but unlike the browser there does not seem to be a lot of resources to defend against it. You would need to make changes to the underlying OS components to spoof it.

What are everyone's thoughts on this? Did we miss the obvious?

https://www.arubanetworks.com/vrd/AOSDHCPFPAppNote/wwhelp/wwhimpl/common/html/wwhelp.htm#href=Chap2.html&single=true

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[-] 14th_cylon@lemm.ee 1 points 4 months ago

Most modern operating systems randomize the MAC.

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.

[admin@MikroTik] > ip arp print 
Flags: X - disabled, I - invalid, H - DHCP, D - dynamic, P - published, C - complete 
 #    ADDRESS         MAC-ADDRESS       INTERFACE                                                    
 0 DC 192.168.88.160  A2:35:xx:xx:xx:xx bridge                                                       
 1 DC 192.168.88.159  F4:60:xx:xx:xx:xx bridge                                                       
 2 DC 192.168.0.1     44:32:xx:xx:xx:xx ether1                                                       
 3 DC 192.168.88.168  18:3D:xx:xx:xx:xx bridge                                                       
 4 DC 192.168.88.156  70:BB:xx:xx:xx:xx bridge

[-] ReversalHatchery@beehaw.org 1 points 4 months ago

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.

[-] 14th_cylon@lemm.ee 1 points 4 months ago

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.

this post was submitted on 04 Jul 2024

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