{
  "id": 3232456,
  "title": "AliExpress allegedly uses your browser's audio system to fingerprint your PC — hidden code runs even when no sound is playing",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/aliexpress-allegedly-uses-your-browsers-audio-system-to-fingerprint",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-25T09:44:53.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Tom's Hardware",
    "slug": "tom-s-hardware",
    "url": "https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/cyber-security/aliexpress-allegedly-uses-your-browsers-audio-system-to-fingerprint-your-pc-hidden-code-runs-even-when-no-sound-is-playing"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Chinese tech company Alibaba faces allegations of tracking web users through hidden audio processes on its online marketplace, AliExpress. Developer Matt Callaghan discovered the issue while troubleshooting a Bluetooth audio problem. Upon loading an AliExpress webpage in Firefox or Chrome, Callaghan noticed his phone's multipoint Bluetooth audio feature would stop playing, despite no media being played on his PC. Closing the AliExpress tab resolved the issue immediately. Callaghan's investigation revealed two suspicious scripts, collina.js and fireyejs.js, which created a Web Audio graph using a sawtooth oscillator. The scripts measured frequency data and serialized/encrypted it before sending it to Alibaba's telemetry services using fetch() or sendBeacon() functions. This audio fingerprinting method works even when no sound is playing, preventing multipoint Bluetooth headphones from switching between devices. Firefox and Brave have implemented protections against such fingerprinting, with Firefox adding additional safeguards in version 118 released in September 2023.",
  "summary": "A developer's investigation into a Bluetooth headphone issue uncovered hidden Web Audio processing on AliExpress that allegedly fingerprints browsers and collects detailed device information.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "TechSpot",
        "title": "AliExpress was silently running audio in your browser to fingerprint and track your device",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/aliexpress-was-silently-running-audio-in-your-browser-to-fingerprint",
        "published": "2026-08-23T17:37:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Ars Technica",
        "title": "Inaudible sounds used to fingerprint browsers catch AliExpress red-handed",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/inaudible-sounds-used-to-fingerprint-browsers-catch-aliexpress-red",
        "published": "2026-08-24T19:19:21.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}