Can Websites Detect Selenium WebDriver Usage, and How Can It Be Avoided?

Can Websites Detect the Use of Selenium with Chromedriver?

Despite claims that there should be no way to detect the use of a webdriver, some websites have developed mechanisms to identify the presence of Selenium.

Detection Techniques

Website scripts can check for specific JavaScript variables or objects that are typically set by Selenium, such as:

• document variables: $cdc_ and $wdc_
• window object variables: _phantom, __selenium_evaluate
• Custom JavaScript functions: callPhantom, callSelenium

Case Study: Stubhub

Stubhub, for example, uses a fingerprint that includes information about the browser, plugins, and system settings. While the fingerprint appears identical in Selenium and Chrome, blocking occurs.

Solution

According to the accepted answer, the key to evading detection is the removal of $cdc_ as a document variable. This can be achieved by modifying the chromedriver source code, recompiling, and modifying a function to assign $cdc_ to a different name.

Other Methods

• Opening chromedriver.exe with a HEX editor and removing all instances of $cdc_
• Bypassing the detection scripts using headless browsers like Puppeteer or Headless Chrome
• Using a service like Selenium Stealth to disable or modify suspicious variables
• Implementing custom anti-detection or stealth techniques

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