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Getting past IE detection

Theres this website called [url]www.mapleglobal.com[/url] that only allows IE, it checks for the browser you are using by javascript, I’m using firefox, is there any way to get past this javascript? By the way this is what it looks like:

<!–
function on_unload()
{
if ( getCookies( “MIL” ) == “1” )
{
con = frmTop.mxconn;
con.ResetCookie();
openPopupWindow(“/PAGE.ASPX?PART=/Common/Logout”, 420, 300);
}
}
//Browser Check (IE 5.5 ????? ??)
IE_Version = new Number(((window.navigator.appVersion.split(‘; ‘))[1].split(‘ ‘))[1]);
if (navigator.appName != “Microsoft Internet Explorer” || IE_Version < 5.5)
{
document.location.href = “/Common/Explorer_Error.html”;
}

//Block Plug in User

var numPlugins = navigator.plugins.length; if (numPlugins > 0) { alert(“Please use Internet Explorer to access.”); document.location.href = “http://www.mapleglobal.com“; }

//–>

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20 Comments(s)

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@JPnycDec 29.2005 — Disabling JS is the quickest easiest way.
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@nickkov89authorDec 29.2005 — tried it, the page loads, and everything works, but when i try to log in, it says i need to use IE ?
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@FromU2MEDec 29.2005 — Then they're using a server-side script to determine which browser you're using. No way you can pass that...
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@JPnycDec 29.2005 — Right, there's no way round that unless they're dumb enough to test for navigator.appName or UA string. You can find out by trying with Opera, cloaked as IE. If you get in and log in with it, then their serverside browser sniffing is crap and can be gotten around
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@nickkov89authorDec 29.2005 — i think they are

look at this line of script

if (navigator.appName != "Microsoft Internet Explorer" || IE_Version < 5.5)
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@methodpgDec 29.2005 — I think there are extensions for FF that allow you to change what is sent as the "useragent".
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@nickkov89authorDec 29.2005 — Right, there's no way round that unless they're dumb enough to test for navigator.appName or UA string. You can find out by trying with Opera, cloaked as IE. If you get in and log in with it, then their serverside browser sniffing is crap and can be gotten around[/QUOTE]

by the way, when trying to use opera, is it automatically cloaked as IE or do you have to do it yourself?
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@JPnycDec 29.2005 — You have to set it yourself. Not too tough to find, although I can't remember where the setting is offhand. By the way, the code you posted is javascript. You wouldn't be able to access the serverside code directly
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@nickkov89authorDec 29.2005 — Damn, I used Opera and same thing happened as when I used firefox.....im guessing im screwed right?
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@JPnycDec 29.2005 — If you're intent on logging in with a non-IE browser, then yep. But there's an extension for FF that lets you use the IE engine but as a tab in firefox.
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@methodpgDec 29.2005 — In Opera..

Tools > Quick Preferences > Identify as Internet Explorer...

but... it's not perfect.


---

If you're using Firefox... as JPnyc stated above.. there are extensions...

https://addons.mozilla.org/extensions/moreinfo.php?application=firefox&id=59

(that's the first I found.. there are others out there though)
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@acorbelliDec 30.2005 — I think in the long run you have to ask yourself why you need to be running FF for it? Some pages use technologies that FF doesn't support but IE does...
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@felgallDec 30.2005 — What you really need to ask yourself is if someone is really dumb enough to create an IE only site why you would want to visit it in the first place. There are plenty of web sites out there that work properly with any decent browser.
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@methodpgDec 30.2005 — Well said!!!

For me.. the only thing I've really had difficulty doing in non-IE browsers is a WYSIWYG IFRAME editor... but you can make a DHTML WYSIWYG for those users.

What other IE-only things are there?
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@acorbelliDec 30.2005 — What you really need to ask yourself is if someone is really dumb enough to create an IE only site why you would want to visit it in the first place. There are plenty of web sites out there that work properly with any decent browser.[/QUOTE]

Last time I was on some microsoft website it was IE only. Though I think it was windowsupdate, which has now become obsolete...

I'll have to take a look. I just remember that there was a site that made it necessary to use IE, and I needed the site.

There is also an virus scanner that uses ActiveX, and does not work in FF. It is, however, a very good virus scanner.

Though for most normal browsing, any browser should be sufficient unless the site owner wants to disenchant half of his users.
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@JPnycDec 30.2005 — That's true, there's more than one online virus scanner that uses activeX. Excellent scan sites too. pandascan and trendmicro both, I believe.
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@methodpgDec 30.2005 — Ahhh yeah.. o course.. activex controls.. thanx acorbelli... forgot about that.
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@FromU2MEDec 30.2005 — That's why it's always good having IE installed :p
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@acorbelliDec 30.2005 — pandascan is the one I was referring to. It's helped me out of more than one bind, considering it is updated daily and is free.

If the site does not use ActiveX in a productive manner, I would probably stop visiting it until they made it cross-browser friendly. Write a letter to the webmaster asking them why it's IE only, see what you come up with.
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@felgallDec 30.2005 — Windowsupdate is about the only web site that can even remotely justify being IE only. Microsoft themselves recommend turning ActiveX off to plug several hundred security holes they haven't had time to fix yet. At least with IE you can turn them off in the internet zone and put the few sites you really need to use them on into the trusted zone.
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