LinkedIn scanned browsers for 6,236 Chrome extensions with hidden fingerprinting script

LinkedIn was reported to be running a hidden JavaScript fingerprinting script on its website that checks visitors’ browsers for 6,236 Chrome extensions and collects device characteristics including CPU core count, available memory, screen resolution, time zone, language settings, battery status, and storage capabilities. BleepingComputer said it independently verified the script’s presence and behavior, finding that it used randomized filenames and probed static resources associated with extension IDs to determine which add-ons were installed.

LinkedIn confirmed that it scans for extensions, saying the practice is intended to detect tools that scrape member data without permission, violate its terms of service, or generate unusual data-fetching activity that could affect platform stability. Reports said the extension list includes competing sales-intelligence tools such as Apollo, Lusha, and ZoomInfo, alongside unrelated categories like grammar and tax software, and noted the scope of the scanning had expanded from roughly 2,000 extensions to more than 6,000; questions remain about how the collected data is stored, linked to user identities, or used for enforcement.