Passive Circuit Fingerprinting Is a Traffic Analysis Technique for Deanonymizing Tor Users; Understanding It Is Crucial.

EasyChair Preprint 14279

Abstract

Passive circuit fingerprinting is a traffic analysis technique that poses a significant threat to the anonymity provided by the Tor network. By observing and analyzing network traffic patterns without actively probing the system, this technique allows adversaries to build unique "fingerprints" or signatures for individual Tor circuits. These fingerprints can then be used to correlate observed traffic to deanonymize Tor users.

The technical aspects of passive circuit fingerprinting involve monitoring various characteristics of network traffic, such as packet timings, sizes, and directions. By analyzing these features, a distinctive circuit fingerprint can be constructed that can be used to identify a particular Tor circuit, and potentially trace it back to the originating user.

Keyphrases: Anonymity, Packet timings sizes and directions, Tor network, passive circuit fingerprinting, traffic analysis

@booklet{EasyChair:14279,
  author    = {Joseph Oluwaseyi},
  title     = {Passive Circuit Fingerprinting Is a Traffic Analysis Technique for Deanonymizing Tor Users; Understanding It Is Crucial.},
  howpublished = {EasyChair Preprint 14279},
  year      = {EasyChair, 2024}}