[Enhancement] Add option to *automatically* visit embedded URLs w/o tracker

[e-t-l]

Prerequisites

• I verified that this is not a filter issue (MUST be reported at filter issue tracker)
• This is not a support issue or a question
• I performed a cursory search of the issue tracker to avoid opening a duplicate issue
• The issue is not present after wholly disabling uBlock Origin ("uBO") in the browser
• I checked the documentation to understand that the issue I report is not a normal behavior

I tried to reproduce the issue when...

• uBO is the only extension
• uBO with default lists/settings
• using a new, unmodified browser profile

Description

This is related to #524, which discussed decoding the embedded target URL from a tracking link in order to visit the target URL directly. The author of that issue didn't realize that UBO already performs this function; however, I am opening this issue to request that an option be added to perform this function automatically.

A specific URL where the issue occurs

https://clickserve.dartsearch.net/link/click?lid=92700066828755385&ds_s_kwgid=58700007438573770&ds_s_inventory_feed_id=97700000008788619&ds_a_cid=593251564&ds_a_caid=14889755037&ds_a_agid=129004833835&ds_a_lid=pla-1435658028215&&ds_e_adid=79233728385239&ds_e_target_id=pla-4582833208586567&ds_e_product_group_id=4582833208586567&ds_e_product_id=238373&ds_e_product_country=US&ds_e_product_language=EN&ds_e_product_channel=Online&ds_e_network=s&ds_url_v=2&ds_dest_url=https://www.gamestop.com/electronics/cell-phones/accessories/microsd-cards/products/pny-512gb-elite-usb-3.1-gen-1c-flash-drive/238373.html?gclid=13edb60cb04f1f7c91b4d776002f80bd&gclsrc=3p.ds&msclkid=13edb60cb04f1f7c91b4d776002f80bd&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=%24PLA_%24BNG_%24NB_Category_Electronics&utm_term=4582833208586567&utm_content=Electronics_All_Other_Products

Steps to Reproduce

1. Click a tracking link (like the example given above) that triggers the UBO redirect page that says, "uBlock Origin has prevented the following page from loading: [...]"
2. Click the symbol of the magnifying glass with a plus "+" in it.
3. Find the entry that says either url = or ds_dest_url = (or some other way the target URL is encoded), if it exists.
4. Find its subentry that says without parameters = if it exists.
5. Click on the URL following that entry.

Expected behavior

Ideally, when the original link is clicked, UBO would automatically navigate to the tracker-free target URL. The UBO redirection page would not appear at all, and the user would not have to perform all the steps listed above.

Actual behavior

[same as Steps to Reproduce]

uBlock Origin version

1.38.6

Browser name and version

Firefox 1.38.6

Operating System and version

Windows 10 Home

[gorhill]

I have declined such requests in the past, it's in there somewhere in the huge pile of closed issues. We can't have uBO taking internal decisions about silent redirection, such feature could be the target of malicious actors to cause redirection to undesirable destinations with carefully crafted URL. There are extensions which primary purpose is to do this, I suggest you install one of there.

[e-t-l]

@gorhill I appreciate your swift and informative reply. There are a few things that don't make sense, though...

internal decisions about silent redirections

That's why I suggested making it an option in the settings that users could enable or disable at will.

There are extensions which primary purpose is to do this, I suggest you install one of there.

It makes little sense to install a whole new extension just to override a function that uBO has done 90% of the work for already. There are plenty of uBO settings that, if used carelessly, can open the user up to some nasty side effects. Why should this be any different?

...At the very least, would it be possible to add a button to the redirection page, so that in addition to "Allow temporarily" and "Allow permanently," there would also be "Go directly to [target URL]"? That way, it would be 2 steps for the user instead of 5.

[gorhill]

I'm sure everything look simple from outside.

Who is going to invest their time when new issues are opened with "hey, uBO is not offering the right URL" when more than one URL are found in the parsing of the parameters, or "hey, uBO is not offering any URL" when the target URL is doubly encoded, and so on?

As said, the issue has been declined in the past because of stated reasons and because if I accepted anyways I expect it will open a can of worms which I do not want to deal with, so I would appreciate that my decision to decline is not argued every single time about this. For people who really feel strongly about this, then I invite them to do all the work to implement it and have their idea tested in the actual world for long period of time to see how this work out. I prefer to pass.

[imTHAI]

@gorhill
I've seen it has been declined. Too bad. 😞
But as you mentioned, some add-on do such filtering as ClearURLs. And AdGuard also will implement it too (CoreLibs v1.11).
Do you think they take unreasonable risk ? Or it's because their way of filtering is different and it's less dangerous for a reason I don't understand because I know nothing about all those filtering stuff ?

Please, consider it as a real question, not a troll. I'd like to understand and I certainly don't argue your decision. (and english is not my native lang so I worry you misinterpret it)
Thank you

[gorhill]

AdGuard has concept of "trusted list", so I am guessing those redirect bypass filters will work only when present in a trusted list. I will introduce the concept of trusted list eventually as a solution to #1845.

As for ClearURLs, from the screenshot seen here, it appears it's using its own rules, so they are of course trusted.

[imTHAI]

AdGuard has concept of "trusted list", so I am guessing those redirect bypass filters will work only when present in a trusted list.

You are right, the dev indeed said "the problem with it is that it can be rather dangerous. We might consider it for trusted filters, though."

I will introduce the concept of trusted list eventually as a solution to #1845.

So after this concept will be introduced, you maybe will reconsider implementing the filtering we talked about here, I suppose correctly ?
Thank you for your explanations.

[gorhill]

Yes, I will reconsider once trusted lists are a thing in uBO, and also depending on support at that point on AdGuard.

[imTHAI]

Thanks, I'll keep you posted about AdGuard. I follow it closely as I was the requestor.