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[SITUATION] · [QUIET] · [TECHNOLOGY]

2 clusters · 31 sources · 3 days · First seen · Last updated

AliExpress device fingerprinting via audio signals

Overview

AliExpress, owned by the Alibaba Group, has been identified as using silent Web Audio API processes to perform device fingerprinting. This technique involves generating inaudible audio signals to measure how a user’s specific hardware, such as the CPU and sound card, processes waveforms. By analyzing these minute variations, the platform can create a unique digital signature to track devices and returning visitors without relying on traditional cookies.

Reports indicate that the process is highly stealthy, utilizing audio-processing graphs set to zero volume so that the activity remains active even if a user mutes their browser tab. This has been noted to interfere with hardware functionality; for instance, one developer observed that Bluetooth headphones would stop playing audio from a phone whenever the AliExpress website was open on a computer. This suggests the scripts maintain an active audio connection to the system.

While the practice may serve legitimate security purposes like bot detection and fraud prevention, it has raised significant privacy concerns. In addition to audio signals, the scripts reportedly collect data regarding canvas rendering, WebGL, hardware configurations, screen dimensions, and network information to build detailed device profiles. In response to these findings, privacy-focused browsers like Brave have implemented protections to block these specific fingerprinting scripts. As of late August 2026, Alibaba has not issued an official response to these findings.

Entities

AliExpress · Brave · Web Audio API · Alibaba Group · Malwarebytes

Timeline

  1. 18 days ago

    [TECHNOLOGY] 15 sources
    AliExpress accused of using silent audio for device fingerprinting

    AliExpress is accused of using inaudible audio signals via the Web Audio API to create unique device fingerprints for tracking users without cookies, a method discovered via Bluetooth connectivity glitches.

  2. 20 days ago

    [TECHNOLOGY] 16 sources
    AliExpress uses hidden audio to fingerprint user devices

    AliExpress was caught using inaudible Web Audio API signals to fingerprint user devices, a technique discovered after it interfered with Bluetooth headphones.

Sources

ascii.jp · conservativeplaylist.com · cybernoz.com · demagog.cz · developpez.net · dobreprogramy.pl · donanimhaber.com · elektronikpraxis.de · en.dailypakistan.com.pk · es.gizmodo.com · etailment.de · funchalnoticias.net · gry-online.pl · ipaddisti.it · iphonesoft.fr · it-boltwise.de · itmagazine.ch · latestly.com · mamstartup.pl · nemosnewsnetwork.com · presse-citron.net · science.slashdot.org · secretchina.com · sector.sk · techstory.in · tecnoandroid.it · thelibertydaily.com · touchit.sk · weekly.ascii.jp · wykop.pl · zentrum-der-gesundheit.de

This summary has been updated 1 time: see revision history