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authorDaniel Baumann <daniel.baumann@progress-linux.org>2024-04-07 19:33:14 +0000
committerDaniel Baumann <daniel.baumann@progress-linux.org>2024-04-07 19:33:14 +0000
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Adding upstream version 115.7.0esr.upstream/115.7.0esr
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+# Query Parameter Stripping
+
+To combat [Navigational
+Tracking](https://privacycg.github.io/nav-tracking-mitigations/#navigational-tracking)
+through [link
+decoration](https://privacycg.github.io/nav-tracking-mitigations/#link-decoration),
+Firefox can strip known tracking query parameters from URLs before the
+user navigates to them.
+
+## Protection Background
+
+### What similar protections do other browsers have?
+
+Brave also has a list-based query parameter stripping mechanism. A list
+of query parameters stripped can be found
+[here](https://github.com/brave/brave-core/blob/5fcad3e35bac6fea795941fd8189a59d79d488bc/browser/net/brave_site_hacks_network_delegate_helper.cc#L29-L67).
+Brave also has a strip-on-copy feature which allows users to copy a
+stripped version of the current URL.
+
+### Is it standardized?
+
+At this time there are no standardized navigational tracking
+protections. The PrivacyCG has a [work item for Navigation-based
+Tracking
+Mitigations](https://privacycg.github.io/nav-tracking-mitigations/).
+Also see Apple’s proposal
+[here](https://github.com/privacycg/proposals/issues/6).
+
+### How does it fit into our vision of “Zero Privacy Leaks?”
+
+Existing tracking protections mechanisms in Firefox, such as ETP and TCP
+focus mostly on third-party trackers. Redirect tracking can circumvent
+these mechanisms by passing identifiers through link decoration and
+first-party storage. Query parameter stripping contributes to the “Zero
+Privacy Leaks” vision by mitigating this cross-site tracking vector.
+
+## Firefox Status
+
+Metabug: [Bug 1706602 - \[meta\] Implement URL query string stripping
+prototype](https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1706602)
+
+### What is the ship state of this protection in Firefox?
+
+Query stripping is enabled in release in ETP strict with an initial list
+of query params:
+
+- mc\_eid
+
+- oly\_anon\_id
+
+- oly\_enc\_id
+
+- \_\_s
+
+- vero\_id
+
+- \_hsenc
+
+- mkt\_tok
+
+- fbclid
+
+It is enabled in Nightly by default in all modes with an extended
+strip-list. You can find the current list of parameters that are
+stripped
+[here](https://firefox.settings.services.mozilla.com/v1/buckets/main/collections/query-stripping/records).
+Note that some records have a *filter\_expression* that limits where
+they apply.
+
+### Is there outstanding work?
+
+After our initial release on ETP strict, we are considering to ship the
+feature to Private Browsing Mode and possibly also to enable it by default
+in release in the future.
+
+Other possible improvements:
+
+- Extend the list of query parameters stripped, in accordance with our policy.
+
+- Extend the protection to cover different kinds of link decoration, beyond just query parameters.
+
+- Ability to identify and strip hashed link decoration fields
+
+- Strip query params for urls shared / copied out from the browser
+
+Outstanding bugs:
+
+- See dependencies of [Bug 1706602 - \[meta\] Implement URL query
+ string stripping
+ prototype](https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1706602)
+
+### Existing Documentation
+
+- [Anti-Tracking Policy: Navigational cross-site
+ tracking](https://wiki.mozilla.org/Security/Anti_tracking_policy#2._Navigational_cross-site_tracking)
+
+## Technical Information
+
+### Feature Prefs
+
+| Pref | Description |
+| ---- | ----------- |
+| privacy.query_stripping.enabled | Enable / disable the feature in normal browsing. |
+| privacy.query_stripping.enabled.pbmode | Enable / disable the feature in private browsing. |
+| privacy.query_stripping.allow_list | Comma separated list of sites (without scheme) which should not have their query parameters stripped. |
+| privacy.query_stripping.redirect | Whether to perform stripping for redirects. |
+| privacy.query_stripping.strip_list | List of space delimited query parameters to be stripped. |
+
+### How does it work?
+
+![Architecture](overview.png "Overview")
+
+[**UrlQueryStrippingListService**](https://searchfox.org/mozilla-central/rev/3269d4c928ef0d8310c2f57634e9b6057aa636e9/toolkit/components/antitracking/URLQueryStrippingListService.jsm)
+
+- Collects list of query parameters to be stripped and allow-list from
+ the *privacy.query\_stripping.strip\_list/allow\_list* preference
+ and the *query-stripping* Remote Settings collection
+
+- Lists from the two sources are
+ [concatenated](https://searchfox.org/mozilla-central/rev/3269d4c928ef0d8310c2f57634e9b6057aa636e9/toolkit/components/antitracking/URLQueryStrippingListService.jsm#150-151)
+
+- Lists are distributed via [observer
+ notification](https://searchfox.org/mozilla-central/rev/3269d4c928ef0d8310c2f57634e9b6057aa636e9/toolkit/components/antitracking/URLQueryStrippingListService.jsm#158-161)
+ via the
+ [nsIUrlQueryStrippingListService](https://searchfox.org/mozilla-central/rev/3269d4c928ef0d8310c2f57634e9b6057aa636e9/toolkit/components/antitracking/nsIURLQueryStrippingListService.idl#25).
+ [onQueryStrippingListUpdate](https://searchfox.org/mozilla-central/rev/3269d4c928ef0d8310c2f57634e9b6057aa636e9/toolkit/components/antitracking/nsIURLQueryStrippingListService.idl#25)
+ is called initially on registration and whenever the preferences
+ or the Remote Settings collection updates.
+
+[**URLQueryStringStripper**](https://searchfox.org/mozilla-central/rev/3269d4c928ef0d8310c2f57634e9b6057aa636e9/toolkit/components/antitracking/URLQueryStringStripper.h)
+
+- Only subscriber of the
+ [UrlQueryStrippingListService](https://searchfox.org/mozilla-central/rev/3269d4c928ef0d8310c2f57634e9b6057aa636e9/toolkit/components/antitracking/URLQueryStrippingListService.jsm)
+
+- Holds [hash set
+ representations](https://searchfox.org/mozilla-central/rev/3269d4c928ef0d8310c2f57634e9b6057aa636e9/toolkit/components/antitracking/URLQueryStringStripper.h#56-57)
+ of the strip- and allow-list.
+
+- [URLQueryStringStripper::Strip](https://searchfox.org/mozilla-central/rev/3269d4c928ef0d8310c2f57634e9b6057aa636e9/toolkit/components/antitracking/URLQueryStringStripper.cpp#45):
+ takes a nsIURI as input and strips any query parameters that are
+ on the strip-list. If the given URI matches a site on the
+ allow-list no query parameters are stripped.
+
+**Consumers**
+
+- [nsDocShell::DoURILoad](https://searchfox.org/mozilla-central/rev/3269d4c928ef0d8310c2f57634e9b6057aa636e9/docshell/base/nsDocShell.cpp#10569):
+ Strips in the content, before creating the channel.
+
+- [BrowsingContext::LoadURI](https://searchfox.org/mozilla-central/rev/3269d4c928ef0d8310c2f57634e9b6057aa636e9/docshell/base/BrowsingContext.cpp#2019):
+ Strips before loading the URI in the parent.
+
+- [nsHttpChannel::AsyncProcessRedirection](https://searchfox.org/mozilla-central/rev/3269d4c928ef0d8310c2f57634e9b6057aa636e9/netwerk/protocol/http/nsHttpChannel.cpp#5154):
+ Strips query parameters for HTTP redirects (e.g. 301).
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