LinkedIn secretly scans for 6,000+ Chrome extensions, collects data
嗯,用户让我总结一下这篇文章的内容,控制在100字以内,而且不需要用“文章内容总结”这样的开头。首先,我需要仔细阅读文章,抓住主要信息。 文章主要讲的是LinkedIn被指控使用隐藏的JavaScript脚本扫描用户浏览器中的扩展,并收集设备数据。这个指控来自Fairlinked e.V.,他们声称LinkedIn通过注入JavaScript来检测数千个扩展,并将结果与可识别的用户资料相关联。这样做的目的是收集敏感的个人信息和企业信息,因为LinkedIn账户通常与真实身份、雇主和职位相关。 接着,文章提到LinkedIn扫描了超过200个竞争对手的产品,比如Apollo、Lusha和ZoomInfo。由于LinkedIn知道每个用户的雇主,它可以映射哪些公司使用哪些竞争对手的产品。这相当于从用户的浏览器中提取数千家软件公司的客户名单,而无需任何人的知情。 然后,BleepingComputer通过独立测试确认了部分指控。他们观察到LinkedIn网站加载了一个随机命名的JavaScript文件,该脚本检查了6,236个浏览器扩展。这种方法是通过尝试访问特定扩展ID相关的文件资源来检测扩展是否安装的已知技术。 此外,该脚本还收集了广泛的浏览器和设备数据,包括CPU核心数、可用内存、屏幕分辨率、时区、语言设置、电池状态、音频信息和存储功能等。 然而,BleepingComputer无法验证BrowserGate报告中关于数据使用或是否与第三方共享的说法。但类似的指纹识别技术过去曾被用来构建独特的浏览器配置文件,从而实现跨网站跟踪用户。 LinkedIn否认了这些指控,并表示他们检测特定浏览器扩展是为了保护平台和用户的安全。他们指出报告是由一个因违反条款而被封禁账户的人发布的,并且法院已经驳回了该人的申诉。 最后,文章提到无论报告的原因如何,一个不可否认的事实是:LinkedIn的网站确实使用了一个指纹识别脚本,检测超过6,000个在Chromium浏览器中运行的扩展,并收集其他关于访问者系统的信息。 总结一下,我需要把这些关键点浓缩到100字以内:LinkedIn被指用隐藏脚本扫描用户浏览器扩展并收集设备数据;涉及隐私和竞争问题;BleepingComputer证实部分指控;LinkedIn否认并称是为了安全;法院支持LinkedIn。 </think> 微软旗下的领英(LinkedIn)被指控在其网站上使用隐藏的JavaScript脚本扫描用户浏览器中的扩展程序并收集设备数据。这一行为被认为用于收集敏感个人信息和企业信息,并可能用于商业竞争目的。领英否认相关指控,并表示此举旨在保护平台安全。 2026-4-4 14:30:20 Author: www.bleepingcomputer.com(查看原文) 阅读量:3 收藏

LinkedIn

A new report dubbed "BrowserGate" warns that Microsoft's LinkedIn is using hidden JavaScript scripts on its website to scan visitors' browsers for installed extensions and collect device data.

According to a report by Fairlinked e.V., which claims to be an association of commercial LinkedIn users, Microsoft's platform injects JavaScript into user sessions that checks for thousands of browser extensions and links the results to identifiable user profiles.

The author claims that this behavior is used to collect sensitive personal and corporate information, as LinkedIn accounts are tied to real identities, employers, and job roles.

"LinkedIn scans for over 200 products that directly compete with its own sales tools, including Apollo, Lusha, and ZoomInfo. Because LinkedIn knows each user's employer, it can map which companies use which competitor products. It is extracting the customer lists of thousands of software companies from their users' browsers without anyone's knowledge,' the report says.

"Then it uses what it finds. LinkedIn has already sent enforcement threats to users of third-party tools, using data obtained through this covert scanning to identify its targets."

BleepingComputer has independently confirmed part of these claims through our own testing, during which we observed a JavaScript file with a randomized filename being loaded by LinkedIn's website.

This script checked for 6,236 browser extensions by attempting to access file resources associated with a specific extension ID, a known technique for detecting whether extensions are installed.

This fingerprinting script was previously reported in 2025, but it was only detecting approximately 2,000 extensions at that time. A different GitHub repository from two months ago shows 3,000 extensions being detected, demonstrating that the number of detected extensions continues to grow.

Snippet of the list of extensions scanned for by LinkedIn's script
Snippet of the list of extensions scanned for by LinkedIn's script
Source: BleepingComputer

While many of the extensions that are scanned for are related to LinkedIn, the script also strangely detected language and grammar extensions, tools for tax professionals, and other seemingly unrelated features.

The script also collects a wide range of browser and device data, including CPU core count, available memory, screen resolution, timezone, language settings, battery status, audio information, and storage features.

Gathering information about visitors' devices
Gathering information about visitors' devices
Source: BleepingComputer

BleepingComputer could not verify the claims in the BrowserGate report about the use of the data or whether it is shared with third-party companies.

However, similar fingerprinting techniques have been used in the past to build unique browser profiles, which can enable tracking users across websites.

LinkedIn denies data use allegations

LinkedIn does not dispute that it detects specific browser extensions, telling BleepingComputer that the info is used to protect the platform and its users.

However, the company claims the report is from someone whose account was banned for scraping LinkedIn content and violating the site's terms of use.

"The claims made on the website linked here are plain wrong. The person behind them is subject to an account restriction for scraping and other violations of LinkedIn's Terms of Service.

To protect the privacy of our members, their data, and to ensure site stability, we do look for extensions that scrape data without members' consent or otherwise violate LinkedIn's Terms of Service.

Here’s why: some extensions have static resources (images, javascript) available to inject into our webpages. We can detect the presence of these extensions by checking if that static resource URL exists. This detection is visible inside the Chrome developer console. We use this data to determine which extensions violate our terms, to inform and improve our technical defenses, and to understand why a member account might be fetching an inordinate amount of other members' data, which at scale, impacts site stability. We do not use this data to infer sensitive information about members.

For additional context, in retaliation for this website owner's account restriction, they attempted to obtain an injunction in Germany, alleging LinkedIn had violated various laws. The court ruled against them and found their claims against LinkedIn had no merit, and in fact, this individual's own data practices ran afoul of the law.

Unfortunately, this is a case of an individual who lost in the court of law, but is seeking to re-litigate in the court of public opinion without regard for accuracy."

❖ LinkedIn

LinkedIn claims the BrowserGate report stems from a dispute involving the developer of a LinkedIn-related browser extension called "Teamfluence," which LinkedIn says it restricted for violating the platform's terms.

In documents shared with BleepingComputer, a German court denied the developer's request for a preliminary injunction, finding that LinkedIn's actions did not constitute unlawful obstruction or discrimination.

The court also found that automated data collection alone could infringe upon LinkedIn's terms of use and that it was entitled to block the accounts to protect its platform.

LinkedIn argues the BrowserGate report is an attempt to re-litigate that dispute publicly.

Regardless of the reasons for the report, one point is undisputed.

LinkedIn's site uses a fingerprinting script that detects over 6,000 extensions running in a Chromium browser, along with other data about a visitor's system.

This is not the first time that companies have used aggressive fingerprinting scripts to detect programs running on a visitor's device.

In 2021, eBay was found to use JavaScript to perform automated port scans on visitors' devices to determine whether they were running various remote support software.

While eBay never confirmed why they were using these scripts, it was widely believed that they were used to block fraud on compromised devices.

It was later discovered that numerous other companies were using the same fingerprinting script, including Citibank, TD Bank, Ameriprise, Chick-fil-A, Lendup, BeachBody, Equifax IQ connect, TIAA-CREF, Sky, GumTree, and WePay.

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文章来源: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/linkedin-secretly-scans-for-6-000-plus-chrome-extensions-collects-data/
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