Tracking Protection In Wi-Fi Networks Coming Soon To Linux

prisoninmate writes: Fedora contributor and NetworkManager developer Lubomir Rintel explains how your devices are being identified on a network by a unique number that most of us know by the name of MAC address. Same goes for mobile networking, as your laptop's or mobile phone's MAC address is, in most cases, broadcasted everywhere you go before you even attempt a connection to a wireless network. And that's a problem for your privacy. The solution? Randomization of the MAC address while scanning for Wi-Fi networks. Apple is already using this method on iOS 8 and later mobile operating systems, and so is Microsoft in Windows 10, so Linux users will ["likely"] get it in the upcoming NetworkManager 1.2 release.

Comments

Re:This will mess with DHCP reservation

[Anonymous Coward]

This is automatically done when scanning for WiFi access points, which your phone or laptop or whatever is probably doing constantly. When you connect you use whatever MAC rules you normally have.

This is about not advertising your real MAC address to APs you have no intention of connecting to, so third parties (NSA and friends) cant scatter a bunch of APs around town to track your movements.

Re:You can already change your MAC on linux

[Anonymous Coward]

The MAC randomization used here is only while scanning, not while connecting, in order to not break MAC whitelisting where it may be used.

"What seems like a viable option is randomizing the MAC address while scanning, chainging it every now and then, but still use the hard-wired MAC address for association and actual connectivity. Apple pioneered this approach with its mobile operating system, iOS version 8. Since the worst thing that can happen in an unlikely event of MAC address clash is that your AP list is incomplete for a while it seems like a fairly safe choice."