Linkedin Browsergate

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LinkedIn Is Illegally Searching Your Computer.

Microsoft is running one of the largest corporate espionage operations in modern history.

Every time any of LinkedIn’s one billion users visits linkedin.com, hidden code searches their computer for installed software, collects the results, and transmits them to LinkedIn’s servers and to third-party companies including an American-Israeli cybersecurity firm.

The user is never asked. Never told. LinkedIn’s privacy policy does not mention it.

Because LinkedIn knows each user’s real name, employer, and job title, it is not searching anonymous visitors. It is searching identified people at identified companies. Millions of companies. Every day. All over the world.

This is illegal and potentially a criminal offense in every jurisdiction we have examined.

LinkedIn uses hidden JavaScript to silently scan users' browsers for over 6,000 installed extensions. This includes scans for competitors' tools, privacy software (VPNs/Ad-blockers), and extensions revealing sensitive personal data (religion/politics). The scan bypasses security boundaries and maps corporate software infrastructure without user consent.

Incident

LinkedIn uses hidden JavaScript to silently scan users' browsers for over 6,000 installed extensions. This includes scans for competitors' tools, privacy software (VPNs/Ad-blockers), and extensions revealing sensitive personal data (religion/politics). The scan bypasses security boundaries and maps corporate software infrastructure without user consent.

Targeting:

The scans look for tools used by competitors, VPNs, ad blockers, and even extensions that reveal sensitive personal info like religion or political leanings

Corporate Espionage:

Because LinkedIn knows your employer, it can map the internal software infrastructure of millions of companies

Consumer response

• Recommendation: Use Firefox, which is not susceptible to this specific API exploit.
• Technical Fix: Block the specific script Chunk 905 via network filtering.

References

2. https://browsergate.eu/

3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHj6IvBmlpU

4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2i4KuXlF7c