JavaScript allows you to exploit human cognitive abilities to a remarkable extent; tools such as
window positioning, history.forward()
and history.back()
, open some
scary possibilities that we are completely unprepared to deal with.
This proof-of-concept aims to demonstrate this; while it is intentionally crude and makes no real effort to
conceal its operation, the transitions can be made seamless and very
difficult to perceive. Very accurate click prediction can be achieved by carefully measuring
mouse velocity and distance to destination, too.
I discuss these attacks and many other unsolved challenges in web app design in "The Tangled Web". A similar approach poses a problem with many browser UIs; for that, check out this post.