Verizon Injects Unique IDs Into HTTP Traffic

An anonymous reader writes: Verizon Wireless, the nation's largest wireless carrier, is now also a real-time data broker. According to a security researcher at Stanford, Big Red has been adding a unique identifier to web traffic. The purpose of the identifier is advertisement targeting, which is bad enough. But the design of the system also functions as a 'supercookie' for any website that a subscriber visits. "Any website can easily track a user, regardless of cookie blocking and other privacy protections. No relationship with Verizon is required. ...while Verizon offers privacy settings, they don’t prevent sending the X-UIDH header. All they do, seemingly, is prevent Verizon from selling information about a user." Just like they said they would.

Comments

Re:Is there a way to prevent this?

[Charliemopps]

Don't use Verizon as your ISP?

Personally, I use Verizon and have no other choice for a wireless provider. AT&T has plans to build another tower here in 2021, and it's not like their the champions of my privacy either.

Re: Is there a way to prevent this?

[Anonymous Coward]

TLS from end to end ...

Hello Vodafone

[wabrandsma]

From: Using Browser Properties for Fingerprinting Purposes.

Vodafone injects the X-VF-ACR header: 'Vodafone Anonymous Customer Recognition'. It is unclear what this header exactly does; all headers that have been seen start with the string "204004DYNMVFNLACR", followed by 16 X's, and are followed by a BASE64-encoded 256-byte cyphertext, which we were unable to decrypt. It has been suggested that this string might contain the SIM-card identifier (IMSI) or other personal information, as was found in a research conducted by Mulliner in 2010 [14]. Vodafone did not respond to requests of explaining this header. Nevertheless, the presence of this header, certainly identifies customers of Vodafone as being customers of Vodafone.

Telling The Story Backwards and Upside Down.

[westlake]

It's safer for a supermodel to walk down MLK in your favorite large city naked than a homely woman to walk from one end of Fort Hood to the other, wearing ACUs after dark. When soldiering becomes less of a duty and more of a way to delay starting out your life of dismal poverty, you start making the wrong kind of army.

I have come to the conclusion that anything the geek says about women, rape or the military needs to be fact-checked.

A cash-strapped female soldier told a Fort Hood hearing board Tuesday about how a noncommissioned sexual assault prevention officer on base forced her into a prostitution ring so she could buy groceries for her child.

The private testified against Sgt. 1st Class Gregory McQueen during a proceeding similar to a grand jury hearing. McQueen could face some 21 criminal charges if he is slapped with a military court-martial.

''Basically, it was having sex with higher ranking officers for money," the woman told the board.

The private, who was 20 and struggling as a single mother of a 3-year-old child at the time of the alleged prostitution, was granted immunity in return for her testimony. She told the board how McQueen snapped pics of her naked to distribute to potential clients. The two also had sex so McQueen could see how she would ''act out'' with clients.

McQueen, who has since been relieved from his sexual assault prevention duties, faces charges of pandering, conspiracy, adultery and sexual assault.

Another female private claims McQueen sexually assaulted her when he tried to recruit her into the military sex ring.

That woman told investigators that McQueen ''preys on young females who are in bad financial situations and that he keeps their pictures on his cell phone,'' the Austin American-Statesman reported in December.

Fort Hood sexual assault prevention officer ran on-base prostitution ring: witness [June 3, 2014]

Re:Telling The Story Backwards and Upside Down.

[DamnOregonian]

I have a good friend there right now. There have been 2 attempts on her where she had to physically fight someone off of her, and the first 2 days of reception were sexual assault awareness classes where they're instructed to stay out of the dark and not go anywhere on-base that they're not familiar with or get into any cars they're not familiar with. No shit. On a US army base.

Re:which Verizon services

[jbmartin6]

I just checked using http://centralops.net/co/ over my Verizon mobile phone and sure enough there is the X-UIDH header. Well, this cements my plan to switch carriers in a month when my contract expires. Any tips on moving to a pay-as-you-go plan that lets me keep my phone number?