A bug in the ad blocking component of Brave’s Tor feature caused the browser to leak users’ DNS queries
Brave, one of the top-rated browsers for privacy, has fixed a bug in its Private Windows with Tor feature that leaked the .onion URLs for websites visited by the browser’s users, according to a report by an anonymous researcher, the browser’s built-in Tor mode – which takes private browsing to a new level by allowing users to navigate to .onion websites on the dark web without having to install Tor – was leaking Domain Name System (DNS) requests for the websites.
“If you’re using Brave you probably use it because you expect a certain level of privacy/anonymity. Piping .onion requests through DNS where your ISP or DNS provider can see that you made a request for an .onion site defeats that purpose,” reads the post.
RELATED READING: 3 ways to browse the web anonymously
While testing the issue, the researcher found that when a request is made for a .onion domain while using Private Window with Tor, the request makes its way to the DNS server and is tagged with the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the requester.
“This shouldn’t happen. There isn’t any reason for Brave to attempt to resolve a .onion domain through traditional means as it would with a regular clearnet site,” sad the researcher. This means that when you use Tor with Brave and access a specific Tor website, your internet service provider (ISP) or DNS provider would be able to tell ..
Support the originator by clicking the read the rest link below.
