Cloudflare CDN flaw could expose user location simply by sending an image
Posted by:
John Harrison
Security researchers have identified a potential privacy vulnerability in Cloudflare’s content delivery network (CDN), allowing for partial de-anonymization of individuals based on their general location when viewing images on specific messaging platforms. The 15-year-old cybersecurity researcher, Daniel, discovered the flaw which exploited how Cloudflare cached images to determine the nearest data center to the recipient, potentially revealing their location within a 200-mile radius.
Cloudflare’s caching feature was noted to store frequently accessed content in local data centers to enhance delivery speeds, with some file extensions automatically cached and site operators configuring additional cache rules. By leveraging a bug in Cloudflare Workers and using Cloudflare Teleport, researchers could force requests through a specific data center to obtain location data. However, Cloudflare promptly addressed and patched the vulnerability upon disclosure in December 2024.
The incident underscores the importance of bug bounties and ongoing security research collaboration to fortify systems against potential threats.
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