Seeker Tool for Smartphone Location and Device Information

Seeker is an open-source proof-of-concept tool that demonstrates how a website can collect location and device information through a browser. It uses a social engineering approach: the tool hosts a web page that resembles a legitimate location-based service and asks visitors to grant location permission.

Once a visitor grants permission, Seeker can retrieve geographic coordinates through the browser’s Geolocation API. It also collects several device and browser details that are available without requesting additional permissions. The project highlights the privacy risks of opening untrusted links and approving sensitive browser permission requests.

How Seeker Collects Location and Device Information

Seeker runs a PHP-based web server and can use a tunnelling service such as Serveo to make the hosted page accessible through a public link. The link can then be shared with a visitor for an authorized security demonstration.

If the visitor grants location access, the tool can collect the following information, depending on browser and device support:

• Latitude and Longitude: Geographic coordinates reported by the browser.
• Accuracy: The estimated accuracy of the reported coordinates.
• Altitude: Elevation information, when available.
• Direction: Device movement direction, when supported and available.
• Speed: Movement speed, when supported and available.

Seeker can also gather browser and device information without a separate location permission prompt. This may include:

• Operating system and platform details
• Number of CPU cores reported by the browser
• Approximate device memory information, where supported
• Screen resolution
• GPU and graphics information exposed by the browser
• Browser name and version
• Public IP address and related IP reconnaissance information

The information available varies by browser, operating system, device capabilities, and privacy settings. Some values may be approximate or unavailable.

How Seeker Differs from IP Geolocation

IP geolocation estimates a device’s location using its public IP address. The result often identifies an approximate ISP or network location rather than the physical position of the device.

Seeker uses the browser’s HTML5 Geolocation API instead. After the visitor grants permission, the browser can use available location sources, which may include GPS, Wi-Fi, cellular networks, and other device location services. This can provide more precise coordinates on supported smartphones.

The original project documentation describes location accuracy of approximately 30 metres in typical conditions, while noting that results depend on the device. It also mentions approximately 65-metre accuracy on some iPhones. These figures are not guaranteed: actual accuracy depends on hardware, browser support, environmental conditions, and available location signals.

If precise location data is unavailable, the browser may return less accurate coordinates or fail to provide a location. IP geolocation is not a guaranteed GPS fallback.

Available Seeker Templates

Seeker includes templates that provide different page appearances for its demonstrations:

• NearYou: A location-oriented page template.
• Google Drive: An alternative template contributed to the project.

Supported Platforms

The original project lists the following tested environments:

• Kali Linux 2019.2
• BlackArch Linux
• Ubuntu 19.04
• Kali NetHunter
• Termux
• Parrot OS

These are the environments documented by the project, not a guarantee that every listed version remains compatible with current dependencies.

Seeker Installation

Clone the official repository before installing Seeker. The project provides installation instructions for several Linux environments.

Kali Linux, Ubuntu and Parrot OS

git clone https://github.com/thewhiteh4t/seeker.git
cd seeker/
chmod +x install.sh
./install.sh

BlackArch Linux

sudo pacman -S seeker

Docker

docker pull thewhiteh4t/seeker

Termux

git clone https://github.com/thewhiteh4t/seeker.git
cd seeker/
chmod +x termux_install.sh
./termux_install.sh

For current installation requirements and platform-specific instructions, refer to the official Seeker GitHub repository.

Known Issues and Limitations

The original documentation notes that tunnelling services such as Serveo and Ngrok may be restricted in certain countries or networks. These restrictions can prevent the tool from generating or using a public URL.

Compatibility can also depend on browser permissions, network configuration, and changes to third-party services. Check the repository’s closed issues before reporting an installation or connectivity problem.

Seeker Demo and Download

The project provides a demonstration video showing its workflow. Review it alongside the repository documentation to understand the tool’s capabilities and limitations.

Watch the Seeker demonstration

Download: Seeker on GitHub

Seeker is intended for educational use and authorized security testing. Use it only with informed consent in a controlled environment. The project demonstrates why users should verify links carefully and avoid granting location permissions to websites that do not genuinely need them.

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