Does Instagram Identify Abnormal Environments by Detecting Browser Plugins, Extensions, or Debugging Tools?

Yes, Instagram does identify abnormal environments by detecting the presence of browser plugins, extensions, or debugging tools. This represents a direct method of detection, making it easier to distinguish between genuine users and automated bots.

This article will explain how Instagram identifies anomalous environments by checking for three elements: browser plugins, extensions, and debugging tools.

Browser Plugin Detection

Instagram can utilize the navigator.plugins property, which returns an array of installed browser plugins. By iterating through this array, it's possible to check for the presence of specific plugins. If navigator.plugins.length (which indicates the total number of installed plugins) returns 0, it may signal a bot environment. The browsers of real users almost never return 0, as they typically have some default plugins installed. Therefore, a value of 0 should be considered suspicious.

Solution:
Tools like the puppeteer-extra-plugin-stealth can be used to bypass this detection by spoofing a non-empty plugin list.

Extension Detection

If Instagram detects browser extensions commonly used for front-end development, reverse engineering, or analysis (such as Vue.js DevTools), it may result in immediate account blocking. Various extensions inject their own unique elements into web pages. Instagram can scan the page's DOM (Document Object Model) for these distinctive element signatures. Once detected, access can be blocked.

Solution:
Using a browser in incognito/private mode can help, as these sessions typically disable all extensions, ensuring a clean browser environment.

Debugging Tool Detection

Opening the Developer Tools is often the first step in debugging, but doing so can easily expose the activity. Common methods for detecting open DevTools include:

1. toString() Method Interception: Browsers call the toString() method of objects when they are printed to the console. Monitoring for this specific behavior can detect when the console is open and used to inspect objects.
2. Window Size Changes: When Developer Tools are opened, the browser window's layout often changes. Comparing outerWidth (the total browser window width) and innerWidth (the viewport width) can reveal this. If innerWidth decreases significantly while outerWidth remains constant, the increased difference suggests DevTools are open, triggering detection.
3. debugger Statement: The debugger keyword acts like a breakpoint in code. If the Developer Tools are open when this statement executes, the script execution will pause. By measuring the time delay between triggering the debugger and resuming execution (which requires manual user intervention), it's possible to infer whether the tools are open.

Solution:
Avoid opening Developer Tools directly on the target account. Instead, use a dedicated browser or profile specifically configured for reverse engineering tasks to analyze network requests and page behavior separately.