Tor, the world's most trusted tool for online anonymity, has taken a major blow.
German authorities have cracked its supposedly impenetrable wall, exposing users who thought they were safe behind layers of encryption.
According to ARD and STRG_F investigative reports, law enforcement has been monitoring Tor nodes for months.
They use a technique known as timing analysis to track user activity and, in at least one case, successfully deanonymize criminals.
This marks the first documented success in breaking Tor's anonymity cloak, which was previously thought to be impossible.
Tor, with 8,000 nodes in 50 countries, has long been the go-to for those seeking privacy.
Journalists, human rights activists, and even media outlets such as Deutsche Welle use it to circumvent censorship in countries with strict internet regulations.
However, where there is privacy, criminals will follow. Darknet markets and cybercriminals have flocked to Tor, taking advantage of its anonymity to conduct illicit transactions.
For years, law enforcement agencies were left scratching their heads as they attempted and failed to break through Tor's encrypted layers.
But this is all changing. German authorities discovered a way to monitor individual Tor nodes and deanonymize users.
Investigators can trace a user's online activity back to them by timing data packets and comparing them to monitored nodes.
It sounds like something out of a cyber-thriller, but it is real—and it works. In fact, it has already resulted in the arrest of Andreas G., the mastermind behind the darknet platform “Boystown.”
The tactical use of timing analysis is a game changer. Tor's anonymous network, once thought to be unbreakable, is now vulnerable.
The Tor Project, a nonprofit that runs the network, admitted it had no prior knowledge of the attacks.
Matthias Marx of the Chaos Computer Club warns that this breakthrough could have far-reaching consequences beyond criminal cases.
Activists, whistleblowers, and political dissidents who rely on Tor for protection may now be vulnerable to authoritarian regimes employing the same tactics.
What was once considered the gold standard for privacy is now under scrutiny, as more governments may use these techniques to monitor Tor users.