[pm-h] Client Computer Name

[Zakariyya Mughal]

On 2014-11-15 at 13:01:24 -0600, G. Wade Johnson via Houston wrote:
> On Sat, 15 Nov 2014 12:18:22 -0600
> Fraser Baker via Houston <houston at pm.org> wrote:
> 
> > Hi Y'all:
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > Is there a way to get the Client's computer name or any other
> > identifying term? I can get the server's name, but that doesn't help
> > me. I have searched for this, without avail.
> 
> I assume you are talking about a web request?
> 
> Advertisers (and some three letter agencies) would love this. You only
> have access to what's in the request (including headers) and any
> information needed for the TCP/IP communication itself. Without doing
> something interesting client side, you have:
> 
>   * IP address (possibly machine or NAT router)
>   * Referrer header
>   * User Agent string
>   * Cookies that you have sent
>   * Request parameters
>   * The URL itself
>   * Some other protocol details that are probably not useful
> 
> People with more JavaScript experience might be able to suggest some
> cool JavaScript tricks to grab some kind of identifying information.
> 
> I'm not really sure what use the Client's computer name would be, in
> the general case. Out on the wide internet, you cannot guarantee the
> computer name is unique or adheres to any particular scheme.
> 
> Inside a given company or subset, the IP address might be good enough
> to identify a user. But, it's hard to know without a better
> understanding of your goal.
> 
> This is why most login systems use Cookies to track the user.

Interestingly enough, it is very possible to identify a unique browser
without cookies. That's what the Panopticlick experiment
<https://panopticlick.eff.org/> tried to test. *dons tinfoil hat*

Regards,
- Zaki Mughal

> 
> (I realize that you probably know at least some of this. But, some
> background might help to eliminate the obvious stuff you've already
> tried.)
> 
> Anyone else have an idea for Fraser?
> 
> G. Wade
> -- 
> There will always be things we wish to say in our programs that in all
> known languages can only be said poorly.             -- Alan Perlis
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