[Anti-adblock] washingtonpost.com #5070

Woofy-Wolf · 2019-03-07T04:00:19Z

URL(s) where the issue occurs

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/03/06/facebooks-mark-zuckerberg-says-hell-reorient-company-towards-encryption-privacy

most washingtonpost.com urls other than the front page

Describe the issue

An anti-adblock notice and overlay appear with a request to unblock ads.

Screenshot(s)

Versions

Browser/version: Firefox 65
uBlock Origin version: v1.18.4

Settings

All official/included lists except mobile ads filter, plus nano defender & its lists

Notes

washingtonpost.com permits non-subscribers to view x articles for free, IIRC, in which case this issue is not about a paywall. It's about anti-adblocker behavior when the site detects a blocker.

The text was updated successfully, but these errors were encountered:

okiehsch · 2019-03-07T04:24:58Z

Have you tried with an up to date uBO-filters list?
I added a fix a few hours ago. 06363f8

Woofy-Wolf · 2019-03-07T16:28:30Z

Hi. I updated the filter and confirmed that your revision is present. The site still serves its anti-adblock response to me. I checked on a second computer that runs old Windows (XP, crazy), FF, & uBO. The anti-adblock overlay began the same day on that pc too. Updating filters didn't help there either.

gitshopping · 2019-03-07T17:57:25Z

Updated filters and like @Woofy-Wolf I still see the blocker.

My observations: Can disable the anti-adblock by blocking first-party scripts, in which case the page loads but many images are masked. Have not been able to fix by trying to whitelist specific parts of the first party script. Another workaround is immediately stopping the page load after reload, which must stop the page load before the problem script runs. A previously suggested filter of washingtonpost.com##script:inject(abort-on-property-read.js, WpPwapi2) also does not work.

dumbusernameidk · 2019-03-07T18:02:28Z

Updated my filters and went through a few links on the site and waited no anti-adblock here. Using Chrome v72 latest ublock.

lain566 · 2019-03-07T18:15:18Z

I can reproduce, if I use a VPN from USA, but I can't reproduce if I use my real IP.
https://screenshots.firefox.com/2mSQqrzQuEPxYpV0/www.washingtonpost.com

yourduskquibbles · 2019-03-07T18:34:49Z

Can you test the following filter and confirm if it works?

washingtonpost.com###drawbridge-signup-overlay, #exposeMask, .jqm-init.arrow_box.story-label-explainer, .jqmOverlay, .overlay-template, .simple-overlay, .modal, .modal-backdrop

gitshopping · 2019-03-07T18:37:16Z

Does not work for me; thank you though.

yourduskquibbles · 2019-03-07T18:39:06Z

Did you test with my edit to include .modal, .modal-backdrop?

gitshopping · 2019-03-07T18:45:27Z

Thanks; .modal, .modal-backdrop must not have pasted in somehow. Added the entire line to my filters and now it partially works.

It removes the blue bar at left. The article is still truncated, and there is a gray mask over it. Using @Woofy-Wolf 's original URL screenshot: https://screenshots.firefox.com/zCNGF5JhGkFp8C0c/www.washingtonpost.com (though same behavior on other pages)

yourduskquibbles · 2019-03-07T18:49:39Z

I think it is a cookie set by the site triggering the limit, not sure if it is appropriate to fix in uAssets

Possible other things you can try on your end:

Clear cookies
Browse in private browsing
Use an extension like anti-paywall that spoofs user-agent to google bot? You may have to install from github release page because it is removed from extension stores

gitshopping · 2019-03-07T18:56:00Z

Thanks. Any idea what cookie? I can perhaps whitelist. Third-party tracking cookies are blocked by FF's strict setting. I disabled/changed that to standard but same result. I also have a cookie destruction plug-in, but that only triggers upon leaving the site and I can whitelist there too.

yourduskquibbles · 2019-03-07T19:01:55Z

You could try blocking all cookies from washingtonpost.com, I haven't tested if that works though

gitshopping · 2019-03-07T19:08:09Z

Tried switching FF to block all cookies, cleared cookies, and reloaded... No change.

okiehsch · 2019-03-07T20:54:44Z

Weird, I can't reproduce no matter what IP I use.
Does
||washingtonpost.com/pb/api/*/adblocker-feature$xhr,1p
work for you?

gitshopping · 2019-03-07T21:17:55Z

Looks like that fixed it @okiehsch. Many thanks!

Woofy-Wolf · 2019-03-07T21:50:00Z

||washingtonpost.com/pb/api/*/adblocker-feature$xhr,1p

You nailed it, @okiehsch . Thank you!

reagle · 2019-05-24T17:59:44Z

I added ||washingtonpost.com/pb/api/*/adblocker-feature$xhr,1p to "My filters" and still see the ad-blocker blocker...? (I also clear my cached and updated my default rules.)

okiehsch · 2019-05-24T18:43:46Z

It works on my end with an up to date uBlock-filters list.
What browser and OS are you using?

reagle · 2019-05-24T19:15:09Z

Google Chrome 74.0.3729.169 on macOS 10.14.5 (18F132).

Checking uBlock-filters ("16,588 out of 16,605") I see WaPo in the following chunk

! https://www.reddit.com/r/dataisbeautiful/comments/4t4d16/chart_shows_why_pharma_companies_are_fighting/d5ejqc0
! https://github.com/uBlockOrigin/uAssets/issues/2317
! https://github.com/uBlockOrigin/uAssets/issues/5070
washingtonpost.com##+js(abort-on-property-read.js, pwapiPaywallResponse)
washingtonpost.com##+js(addEventListener-defuser.js, pb-adblocked)
||washingtonpost.com/pb/api/*/adblocker-feature$xhr,1p
washingtonpost.com##.adblocker-root
! https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1466730
washingtonpost.com##html:style(overflow: auto !important;)

So it is in there...

okiehsch · 2019-05-24T19:26:17Z

This is probably a macOS issue, see #2317 (comment).

An alternative filter fixing the issue on my end is
washingtonpost.com##+js(addEventListener-defuser.js, pb-core-loaded, _pvbr_init)
you can try adding that to your filter list but I don't have a macOS device, so I can't tell if it works or not.

okiehsch · 2019-05-24T19:34:22Z

If that ##+js filter also does not work you can try the "normal" filters.

@@||pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/adx$xhr,domain=washingtonpost.com
@@||washingtonpost.com/wp-stat/ad/zeus/*$script,1p

they should work with macOS.

yetisyny · 2019-08-03T03:00:42Z

Hey this is a problem again, you should reopen it. I started getting this problem today, August 2nd 2019 after previously not having it, seems washingtonpost.com updated their code.

I have isolated the problem to this uBlock filter in the filter list "uBlock filters":

washingtonpost.com##+js(abort-current-inline-script, Promise.all, adblocked)

If I disable the uBlock filters filter list I don't get the anti-adblock message but if I do have uBlock filters on, washingtonpost.com story pages (not the front page) all come up with an anti-adblock message as described earlier, and this is something new as of August 2nd, 2019, this was not happening yesterday on August 1st.

I have not found a workaround other than disabling that filter.

I would also mention this issue likewise happens with the "EasyList" filter list too now with this change washingtonpost.com did, which blocks several different things, so it also has to be disabled too to get rid of this anti-adblock message. But that is a separate issue for EasyList to deal with.

Anyway if both uBlock filters and EasyList are turned off I can have all my other filter lists turned on and washingtonpost.com works fine.

liamengland1 · 2019-08-03T03:07:59Z

I can reproduce in Chrome.

Bait: https://d2ty8gaf6rmowa.cloudfront.net/ad/ads.js

liamengland1 · 2019-08-03T03:11:43Z

This filter washingtonpost.com##+js(abort-current-inline-script, Promise.all, adblocked) breaks a big obfuscated inline script that is responsible for incognito mode checking and adblock checking. Since they have updated their method, the inline script must be unbroken so the adblocker checks can run.

okiehsch · 2019-08-03T03:30:47Z

washingtonpost.com##+js(abort-current-inline-script.js, Promise, "0x)
works on my end using Chromium.
The site should still work fine for Firefox users.

okiehsch · 2019-08-03T03:34:10Z

But that is a separate issue for EasyList to deal with.

They won't EasyList will not circumvent anti-adblock messages.

mapx- mentioned this issue Mar 7, 2019

Washington Post anti-adblock #5077

Closed

okiehsch referenced this issue Mar 7, 2019

fix #5050

5487e7a

okiehsch closed this as completed Mar 7, 2019

okiehsch mentioned this issue Mar 9, 2019

washingtonpost.com NanoMeow/QuickReports#774

Closed

okiehsch added a commit that referenced this issue May 24, 2019

update #5070

2edfef5

okiehsch added a commit that referenced this issue May 30, 2019

update #5070

30d16f7

okiehsch added a commit that referenced this issue Jun 7, 2019

update #5070

35da4fd

okiehsch added a commit that referenced this issue Jul 12, 2019

update #5070

90ab0eb

liamengland1 mentioned this issue Aug 3, 2019

washingtonpost.com NanoMeow/QuickReports#1499

Closed

okiehsch added a commit that referenced this issue Aug 3, 2019

update #5070

2641f2d

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[Anti-adblock] washingtonpost.com #5070

[Anti-adblock] washingtonpost.com #5070

Woofy-Wolf commented Mar 7, 2019

okiehsch commented Mar 7, 2019

Woofy-Wolf commented Mar 7, 2019

gitshopping commented Mar 7, 2019 •

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dumbusernameidk commented Mar 7, 2019

lain566 commented Mar 7, 2019

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liamengland1 commented Aug 3, 2019

okiehsch commented Aug 3, 2019

okiehsch commented Aug 3, 2019

[Anti-adblock] washingtonpost.com #5070

[Anti-adblock] washingtonpost.com #5070

Comments

Woofy-Wolf commented Mar 7, 2019

URL(s) where the issue occurs

Describe the issue

Screenshot(s)

Versions

Settings

Notes

okiehsch commented Mar 7, 2019

Woofy-Wolf commented Mar 7, 2019

gitshopping commented Mar 7, 2019 • edited Loading

dumbusernameidk commented Mar 7, 2019

lain566 commented Mar 7, 2019

yourduskquibbles commented Mar 7, 2019 • edited Loading

gitshopping commented Mar 7, 2019

yourduskquibbles commented Mar 7, 2019

gitshopping commented Mar 7, 2019

yourduskquibbles commented Mar 7, 2019 • edited Loading

gitshopping commented Mar 7, 2019

yourduskquibbles commented Mar 7, 2019

gitshopping commented Mar 7, 2019

okiehsch commented Mar 7, 2019

gitshopping commented Mar 7, 2019

Woofy-Wolf commented Mar 7, 2019

reagle commented May 24, 2019

okiehsch commented May 24, 2019

reagle commented May 24, 2019 • edited Loading

okiehsch commented May 24, 2019

okiehsch commented May 24, 2019

yetisyny commented Aug 3, 2019

liamengland1 commented Aug 3, 2019 • edited Loading

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okiehsch commented Aug 3, 2019

okiehsch commented Aug 3, 2019

gitshopping commented Mar 7, 2019 •

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