A technique that exploits the way in which Web browsers store recently viewed data could compromise privacy by allowing an attacker to check what sites a Netizen has visited recently. Called a "timing attack," the exploit allows an unethical Web site . . .
A technique that exploits the way in which Web browsers store recently viewed data could compromise privacy by allowing an attacker to check what sites a Netizen has visited recently. Called a "timing attack," the exploit allows an unethical Web site to play 20 questions (or more) with a user's browser and check whether the surfer has recently viewed sites from a predetermined list.

"The attacks allow any Web site to determine whether or not each visitor... has recently visited some other site (or set of sites)," said Princeton University computer science professor Edward Felten and graduate student Michael Schneider in a paper published at a technical conference last month. "The attacker can do this without the knowledge or consent of either the user or the other site."

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