Researchers spy on BitTorrent users in real-time
Found on The Register on Thursday, 29 April 2010
Researchers have devised a way to monitor BitTorrent users over long stretches of time, a feat that allows them to map the internet addresses of individuals and track the content they are sending and receiving.
The researchers said the information leak is built in to the very core of most BitTorrent systems, including those used by ThePirateBay and IsoHunt.
The insecurities baked into BitTorrent allowed the researchers to discover IP addresses even when they were hidden behind the Tor anonymity service.
Not much rocket science here; the Bittorrent protocol was designed for fast distribution of data, not for anonymity. A quick glance at the protocol specifications tells the reader that during the connection to the tracker, the client can send its true IP address in case it's behind a proxy which would negatively affect the transfer; and Tor is nothing much more than a proxy. So those who don't care about the Tor network and abuse it to get the latest Lady Gaga album are not as anonymous as they would like to be.