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Sam
Asked: 2021-10-05 07:51:43 +0800 CST

How can a url param '?i=1' detect a browser?

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profreehost claims that a '?i=1' url GET param can protect their servers. I wondered how. I did use google before asking question, but all the results was about they are for security and how to remove them (if you have ssh access). I wanted to know the principles and maybe try to implement one for my own (on a vps) site. I guess the answer lies at the behavior of browsers.

http security scraping

1 Answers

  1. The parameter in itself is not the security mechanism, the security mechanism / browser check is the ability of the browser to store and use a cookie...

    The pseudo logic is something along the lines of:

    If a cookie is set:

    1. -> assume that only "real browsers" can use cookies and show the page

    2. If no cookie is set:
      -> When URL parameter i is set and greater than 3 show error (assume that a browser that will follow multiple redirects but won't store cookies is not a real browser and/or broken)
      -> ELSE
      --> set the cookie
      --> increment i with 1
      --> return a redirect to URL?i=$i

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