[tor-bugs] #19262 [Applications/Tor Browser]: Clicking inside Tor Browser search box or opening its drop-down causes network activity

[Tor Bug Tracker & Wiki]

#19262: Clicking inside Tor Browser search box or opening its drop-down causes
network activity
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     Reporter:  cypherpunks          |      Owner:  tbb-team
         Type:  defect               |     Status:  new
     Priority:  Medium               |  Milestone:
    Component:  Applications/Tor     |    Version:
  Browser                            |   Keywords:  fingerprinting,
     Severity:  Minor                |  privacy, tracking, search
Actual Points:                       |  Parent ID:  #5816
       Points:                       |   Reviewer:
      Sponsor:                       |
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 Greetings,

 I have recently noticed that even the simple "offline" activities in TB
 mentioned above initiate some kind of network traffic. I unfortunately do
 not know how to see the specific contents of this traffic, but it is
 definitively there as I have viewed it from the activity of the FoxyProxy
 Add-On which I am using for a unique use-case. Regardless of the Add-On
 being outside TBB's scope, I believe that this is an issue that affects
 all Tor Browser users.

 Leaking traffic like this assists with fingerprinting users and improves
 correlation/timing-style attacks. It is also possible that some kind of
 tracking cookie or other information is exchanged in this traffic, see
 #5816.

 It would be good to know what is in this traffic, and furthermore, to
 disable this activity from a simple "offline" focus of the search box.
 Thank you.

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Ticket URL: <https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/19262>
Tor Bug Tracker & Wiki <https://trac.torproject.org/>
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