US 12,107,838 B1
Protecting against a tracking parameter in a web link
David Luz Silva, Dublin (IE); and Iskander Sanchez Rola, Antibes (FR)
Assigned to GEN DIGITAL INC., Tempe, AZ (US)
Filed by Gen Digital Inc., Tempe, AZ (US)
Filed on Aug. 23, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/454,681.
Application 18/454,681 is a continuation of application No. 17/356,987, filed on Jun. 24, 2021, granted, now 11,777,908.
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04L 9/40 (2022.01); G06F 21/55 (2013.01)
CPC H04L 63/0414 (2013.01) [G06F 21/552 (2013.01); G06F 2221/2149 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A computer-implemented method for protecting against a tracking parameter in a web link, at least a portion of the method being performed by a computing device comprising one or more processors, the computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving an input uniform resource locator (URL) during a browser navigation session on a user device, the input URL including parameters that are configured to direct a web browser to a destination web page;
determining, from the URL, that the parameters include (i) a destination parameter that corresponds to the destination web page and (ii) a tracking parameter that corresponds to a tracking domain configured to track online movements and/or deliver harmful software to the user device;
pausing the browser navigation session on the user device;
launching the input URL in a headless browser, the headless browser operating in an isolated environment that simulates one or more features of the user device, wherein the simulated one or more features of the user device include an operating system, a web browser, or a geolocation;
in response to launching the input URL in the headless browser, landing on the destination web page in the isolated environment;
identifying the destination parameter that corresponds to the destination web page as a destination URL; and
resuming the browser navigation session on the user device by replacing the input URL, which includes the tracking parameter, with the destination URL that does not include the tracking parameter, in order to protect the user device from the tracking parameter.