Posted by garbetjie 1 year 51 weeks ago
Hey all.
I've been having some issues recently with a BlackBerry model - specifically, the BlackBerry 8520.
For some reason, this model seems to be sending through a user-agent string of Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; rv:1.8.1.14) Gecko/20080404 Firefox/2.0.0.14, which would obviously cause it to be identified as a web browser.
I've taken a look at the other request variables that are available to me, and I've managed to take a look at the phone's user-agent profile descriptor file, and it definitely says that the browser is RIM OS, and that it's the BlackBerry 8520 that is visiting the site.
So, in my mind, it's been narrowed down to one of two possibilities.
1) The BlackBerry device's default user-agent string has been set to something that doesn't actually describe the browser (this could have been set by the user themselves), or
2) The user has installed a mobile version of some other browser that is identifying as Firefox.
Basically, I was wondering whether anyone else has come across this strange phenomenon of this BlackBerry model identifying as a web browser? Additionally (and this is born more out of ignorance, as I do not own a BlackBerry), is it possible to completely spoof another device as is currently being done?
Posted by aurelio 1 year ago
AFAIK you can change in the handset how the browser identifiers itself. If its not set to blackberry it uses a different useragent.
Posted by garbetjie 1 year ago
Has anyone come across a solution for this? Anyone know of any ways of getting around this?
Posted by deepasobhana 1 year ago
Hi,
We are also facing the same issue with BlackBerry simulator. Did you manage to get a solution for this problem?
Thanks,
Deepa
Posted by garbetjie 1 year ago
Hey Deepa. Not really, not for the identifying of the user-agent. However, I have started implementing a workaround for this.
If it is a web-browser, and I find a "Profile" or "X-Wap-Profile" header, then I presume that this is a mobile browser identifying as a web browser. I then download the RDF file found at the location supplied in the header, and parse the RDF file for phone properties.
Hardly ideal, as there might be a phone that identifies as a web-browser, but does not supply a user-agent profile. If this is the case, then I do not know what could be done.
Hope this is helpful :)
Posted by saravanak8 1 year ago
We tried out the option but the X-WAP Profile happens to be null/empty in those scenarios.
Any other work around is appreciated..