[tor-bugs] Re: #1517 [Tor-Torbutton]: Torbutton should randomize times from Date()

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#1517: Torbutton should randomize times from Date()
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 Reporter:  mikeperry      |       Owner:     
     Type:  enhancement    |      Status:  new
 Priority:  normal         |   Milestone:     
Component:  Tor-Torbutton  |     Version:     
 Keywords:                 |  
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Description changed by mikeperry:

Old description:

> To help reduce information available to fingerprinting, we should
> randomize the values returned from Date(). I've never thought this was a
> useful thing to do before, because Tor latency is high enough and
> variable enough that most machines using NTP should be well concealed
> within the noise.
>
> However, but bug #1261 brings up a good point about javascript being able
> to measure the time intervals of various things (such as typing, but
> really it could be anything) to produce a fingerprint.

New description:

 To help reduce information available to fingerprinting, we should
 randomize the values returned from Date(). I've never thought this was a
 useful thing to do before, because Tor latency is high enough and variable
 enough that most machines using NTP should be well concealed within the
 noise.

 However, bug #1261 brings up a good point about javascript being able to
 measure the time intervals of various things (such as typing, but really
 it could be anything) to produce a fingerprint.

 Unfortunately, we may need Firefox support for this, unless their
 javascript engine has changed to allow hooking of the Date() object again.

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Ticket URL: <https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/1517#comment:1>
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