New 'SnailLoad' Vulnerability Exposes Online Activities Through Internet Speed

Researchers reveal a method to track users' browsing and streaming habits by monitoring latency fluctuations in internet connections.

The SnailLoad technique allows attackers to spy on online activities without malware or intercepting data.
It works by analyzing latency variations when users download a small, non-malicious file from an attacker's server.
Researchers achieved up to 98% accuracy in identifying videos watched by users with slower internet connections.
The method is difficult to counteract, as it exploits fundamental aspects of internet data transmission.
Currently, there are no practical solutions to mitigate this vulnerability without significantly slowing down internet speeds.