The Good, the Bad, the IPv6

As more network-capable devices are developed, it becomes easier for us to remain connected to our friends, colleagues, and even our homes. Unfortunately, it becomes easier for unintended third parties to remain connected to us as well. The impact of this has been limited by our proximity to the third party (i.e. the same local area network) -- until now. The Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) includes a method for devices to automatically configure their own addresses. This technique relieves some administrative burden, but provides an opportunity to monitor users from anywhere in the world. We explain why this problem exists. We also provide proof of host tracking and monitoring. We then illustrate examples of how both well-intended and malicious parties can exploit auto configured addresses. We submit that the benefits of using auto configured addresses do not outweigh the privacy implications. Finally, we present some alternatives to resolve this issue before IPv6 is deployed globally.