[tor-bugs] #7188 [Tor]: Using "Set up Sync" feature in TBB changes a lot of settings; easier fingerprinting; bad for anonymity

[Tor Bug Tracker & Wiki]

#7188: Using "Set up Sync" feature in TBB changes a lot of settings; easier
fingerprinting; bad for anonymity
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    Reporter:  cypherpunks  |        Type:  defect  
      Status:  new          |    Priority:  critical
   Milestone:               |   Component:  Tor     
     Version:               |    Keywords:          
      Parent:               |      Points:          
Actualpoints:               |  
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 Firefox has a "Sync" feature.  It syncs bookmarks, web history, opened
 tabs, settings, home page etc.  I use this on my regular Firefox (non-TBB)
 installation to sync bookmarks.  Until a while back, it did not sync
 anything other than bookmarks.  That seems to have changed now to include
 a lot of settings as well.

 A few days back, however, I "synced" the TBB expecting to get all my
 bookmarks.  But I immediately noticed that a lot of things had changed,
 including

 1. Default Search Engine,
 2. Privacy Settings (my sync settings had DNT enabled, DNT changed from
 disabled to enabled when I synced),
 3. Cookie Settings (cookies were suddenly disabled in TBB, which is how my
 sync settings were in regular Firefox since I use CookieMonster),
 4. Homepage (changed from check.torproject to Startpage, which I use as my
 homepage in regular Firefox)

 I am sure there are settings other than the ones mentioned above that get
 changed in TBB when you sync from your Firefox settings.  Obviously, this
 is bad for anonymity because if everyone starts to use the "sync"
 function, fingerprinting would be that much easier.

 Needless to say, I deleted my TBB folder in Ubuntu and reinstalled it.

 Possible solution - disable the "sync" function in TBB?

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Ticket URL: <https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/7188>
Tor Bug Tracker & Wiki <https://trac.torproject.org/>
The Tor Project: anonymity online