Probing with a Generic MAC Address: An Alternative to MAC Address Randomisation

Active scanning via probe requests is a means for mobile devices to detect known networks. To protect the device from being tracked via an unchanging identifier contained in the probe request, MAC address randomisation is used. While it has been in use since 2014, the standardisation of MAC address randomisation is still in its draft stage. This also leads to manufacturers devising their own randomisation schemes, some of which have been proven insufficient to prevent tracking. In this paper, we strive to reignite the discussion on standardising the use of Locally Administered Addresses (LAAs) like randomised MAC addresses. To overcome the limitations of MAC address randomisation, we propose the use of one generic address over all devices. We implement and test this scheme, and additionally ascertain that a generic MAC address not only enhances user anonymity during probing but also offers operational efficiency comparable to MAC address randomisation. In conclusion, this contribution highlights the need for a standardised approach to preserve device anonymity, and simultaneously introduces a novel alternative of employing a single generic address across devices.