News for hackers. Stuff that matters.

A comment on Reddit experiments on users, forcing them to install app or else not use Reddit. Parent comment

Re:Reddit experiments on users, forcing them to install app ... by kitsunesoba on Monday June 12, 2023 @09:07AM (#36292819)
Worth pointing out that not all in-app browsers are created equal, however. A huge number of apps, probably the majority, on iOS use SFSafariViewController for theirs, which is basically an isolated Safari tab that runs out of process and app developers have no access to. Furthermore, SFSafariViewController instances are unique per-app, each with their own separate set of cookies so apps can’t trick you into visiting a link to gain access to full Safari’s cookies.

IIRC Android has something similar that opens an isolated Chrome tab within apps but I have no idea how common usage of that is in Android apps.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Reddit experiments on users, forcing them to install app ... by danaris on Monday June 12, 2023 @09:26AM (#36293059)
The question is, is there any way for the user to tell the difference just by looking? Or is that something you have to be able to examine the binary to be able to determine?
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Reddit experiments on users, forcing them to install app ... by tuukkah on Monday June 12, 2023 @09:35AM (#36293182)
On Android, when you have the WebView open, go to the app switcher and the title will tell you which app provides the view: the original app, or your browser.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Reddit experiments on users, forcing them to install app ... by antgiant on Monday June 12, 2023 @09:30AM (#36293110)
Yes, the one that is “clean” has the open in Safari icon. However, as soon as that becomes common knowledge I’m guessing the malicious apps will be adding that icon
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Reddit experiments on users, forcing them to install app ... by Aulig on Monday June 12, 2023 @09:50AM (#36293396)
They look significantly different on both platforms, so it's easy to notice if you know how ewch one looks
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Reddit experiments on users, forcing them to install app ... by ascagnel_ on Monday June 12, 2023 @09:56AM (#36293488)
You are correct; however, in the case of some of the biggest apps (Reddit's official app among them), they use the old WKWebView specifically for the ability to inject code. The more user-centric third-party apps that Twitter/Reddit have targeted lately used SFSafariViewController.
[ Parent | on HN ]