Apple Prepares Fix for Safari Bug Allowing Websites to Decipher Your Recent Browsing Activity

by

Over the weekend, we reported on a bug in WebKit's implementation of a JavaScript API called IndexedDB that can reveal your recent browsing history and even your identity, according to browser fingerprinting service FingerprintJS.

safari icon blue banner
Apple has since prepared a fix for the bug, according to a WebKit commit on GitHub, but the fix will not be available to users until Apple releases macOS Monterey, iOS 15, and iPadOS 15 updates with an updated version of Safari. Apple declined to comment when asked to provide a timeframe for a fix being released to the public.

The bug allows any website that uses IndexedDB for client-side data storage to access the names of IndexedDB databases generated by other websites during a user's browsing session. The bug could allow one website to track other websites the user visits in different tabs or windows, as the database names are often specific to each website, and sometimes the database names contain user-specific identifiers that could reveal a user's identity.

FingerprintJS has a live demo of the bug, which affects newer versions of browsers using Apple's open source browser engine WebKit, including Safari 15 for macOS and Safari on all versions of iOS 15 and iPadOS 15. The bug also affects third-party browsers like Chrome and Edge on iOS 15 and iPadOS 15, as Apple requires all iPhone and iPad browsers to use WebKit.

The bug does not affect Safari 14 for macOS or any browser on iOS 14 and iPadOS 14, according to FingerprintJS, which has a blog post with more details.

Tag: Safari

Top Rated Comments

ouimetnick Avatar
ouimetnick
30 months ago

but the fix will not be available to users until Apple releases macOS Monterey, iOS 15, and iPadOS 15 updates with an updated version of Safari.
Why can't we have Safari separated from the OS? I didn't have to update macOS for iTunes updates. Never had to update iOS for updates to Pages, Numbers, Keynote, etc.

They do update Safari separate from macOS on older versions of macOS.. Why can't the same be done with the latest/current release of macOS (and iOS/iPadOS)?
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
TheYayAreaLiving ?️
30 months ago

What do you mean Apple is preparing for a fix?

Apple just issued a fix for macOS and users can get it right here ('https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/') :p
I’m a big fan of Mozilla, Firefox browser. Been using it for years. Possibly a decade. It's too bad I'm addicted to Safari. But Firefox is my 2nd go-to.

Good suggestion though. ?☝️
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
KaliYoni Avatar
KaliYoni
30 months ago

The bug does not affect Safari 14 for macOS or any browser on iOS 14 and iPadOS 14
Yet again, upgrading right when a new macOS or iOS is released causes major problems for users! If I could get Tim Cook to do one thing, it would be to stop the forced annual releases of OS's. It's not like Apple would take a sales revenue hit from stretching out releases to 18 or 24 months...
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sw1tcher Avatar
sw1tcher
30 months ago
What do you mean Apple is preparing for a fix?

Apple just issued a fix for macOS and users can get it right here ('https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/') :p
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
diamondsw Avatar
diamondsw
30 months ago

Why can't we have Safari separated from the OS? I didn't have to update macOS for iTunes updates. Never had to update iOS for updates to Pages, Numbers, Keynote, etc.

They do update Safari separate from macOS on older versions of macOS.. Why can't the same be done with the latest/current release of macOS (and iOS/iPadOS)?
Because Safari is the new IE. I only somewhat kid... Remember when we all blasted Microsoft for this exact behavior in Win98? :(
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ian87w Avatar
ian87w
30 months ago

Using Firefox while Safari is being repaired is a great idea ?
Not when you are on iOS. Every browsers on iOS use the same Safari/Webkit engine, and are affected by this bug.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments

Popular Stories

iOS 18 Apple Music Messages and Notes Feature 1

iOS 18 Rumored to Add New Features to These 16 Apps on Your iPhone

Tuesday April 30, 2024 10:44 am PDT by
Apple is expected to announce iOS 18 during its WWDC keynote on June 10, and new features have already been rumored for many apps, including Apple Music, Apple Maps, Calculator, Messages, Notes, Safari, and others. Below, we recap iOS 18 rumors on a per-app basis, based on reports from MacRumors, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, and others: Apple Maps: At least two new Apple Maps features are...
Read Full Article • 74 comments
apple watch ipad demo 1

Check Out This Apple Watch iPad Demo Unit From 2014

Wednesday May 1, 2024 1:46 pm PDT by
With the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch approaching, we thought it would be fun to take a look back at an interesting bit of Apple Watch history. After the Apple Watch was announced in 2014, and before it became available in 2015, Apple sent out custom Apple Watch iPad demo kiosks to retail stores. The Apple Watch and iPad units used for these devices were specially designed, had custom ...
Read Full Article • 42 comments
maxresdefault

Will the New iPad Pro Really Have the M4 Chip?

Wednesday May 1, 2024 8:30 am PDT by
While Apple's upcoming iPad Pro models have been expected to feature the M3 chip for over a year, recent reports have unexpectedly suggested that the new devices will instead feature the as-yet-unannounced M4 chip. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Last week, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that he now believes there is a "strong possibility" that the upcoming iPad Pro ...
Read Full Article • 356 comments
Apple CarPlay Dash

Report Examines GM's Controversial Move to Abandon Apple CarPlay

Wednesday May 1, 2024 4:53 am PDT by
An in-depth Bloomberg report today resurfaced General Motors' decision to replace Apple CarPlay with its own software. Last year, GM announced that it planned to forgo Apple CarPlay in its new electric vehicles, starting with the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV. Instead, the automaker introduced a proprietary infotainment platform, aiming to control and customize the digital experience within its...
Read Full Article • 437 comments
Apple Watch Ultra 2 hero feature blorange

Kuo: Apple Watch Ultra to Get 'Almost No' Hardware Upgrades This Year

Wednesday May 1, 2024 6:53 am PDT by
Just over six months ago, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the likelihood of a new Apple Watch Ultra being released in 2024 was "decreasing," but it now sounds like there will be an Apple Watch Ultra 3 this year after all. In a direct message shared with MacRumors today, Kuo said that while the Apple Watch Ultra will be updated this year, the new model will have "almost no"...
Read Full Article • 109 comments
maxresdefault

Apple Announces 'Let Loose' Event on May 7 Amid Rumors of New iPads

Tuesday April 23, 2024 7:11 am PDT by
Apple has announced it will be holding a special event on Tuesday, May 7 at 7 a.m. Pacific Time (10 a.m. Eastern Time), with a live stream to be available on Apple.com and on YouTube as usual. The event invitation has a tagline of "Let Loose" and shows an artistic render of an Apple Pencil, suggesting that iPads will be a focus of the event. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
Read Full Article • 284 comments