How Did Facebook Disable Developer Tools in Chrome?

How Facebook Foiled Browser Developer Tools

In a bid to thwart scams prevalent on the platform, Facebook has devised a unique solution to disable the browser's integrated Developer Tools. This raises the question: how did they achieve this seemingly impossible feat?

The answer, surprisingly, lies in a clever manipulation of the JavaScript execution environment. Facebook redefined the console._commandLineAPI property, a Chrome-specific wrapper used to execute console commands, to throw an error. This effectively blocked any code typed into the console, preventing execution.

Despite claims to the contrary, Facebook demonstrated that disabling developer tools is indeed possible. The protective measure proved particularly effective in combating social engineering attacks where users were lured into pasting malicious JavaScript into the console.

While disabling client-side hacking attempts may seem counterintuitive, Facebook's approach targeted a specific type of attack. The measure was designed to reduce the number of users falling victim to scams rather than offer blanket protection against all hacking attempts.

Interestingly, the initial implementation of this technique had a loophole that позволило one to execute code in the console. Chrome later addressed this issue, rendering the original technique invalid. Facebook subsequently introduced additional protections to prevent self-XSS attacks, further enhancing the security of the platform.

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