ALL twitch.tv issues

[PhiZero]

URL(s) where the issue occurs

twitch.tv

Describe the issue

Embedded video ads are showing again after the fix from #5138 that lasted until now.

Screenshot(s)

Versions

• Browser/version: Chrome 73.0.3683.75
• uBlock Origin version: 1.18.0

Settings

Default settings.

Notes

Fix that was pushed as part of issue 5138 worked until a few hours ago, now getting embedded ads again. No changes made between then and now. Maybe a recent filter change broke this, or maybe Twitch patched this workaround?

[lain566]

The @pixeltris's solution has been broken.

[pixeltris]

The next logical step is removing the ad chunks in the stream. This unfortunately can add quite a delay until the actual stream starts. See https://github.com/instance01/Twitch-HLS-AdBlock

EDIT: If you play around with the params to the access_token request there seem to be more workarounds. Probably futile to do so though? Maybe implement something similar to Twitch-HLS-AdBlock and then add any additional workarounds as they are found?

[stoically]

I've just noticed that the initial request, when entering a stream, to https://usher.ttvnw.net/api/channel/hls/<channelname>.m3u8 (serves the playlists for the different encodings) contains a parameter called show_ads set to true. Might be worth trying to rewrite that one to false.

[TheEnhas]

The platforms (aside from the regular site) are listed here, but I'm not sure what the actual values to use are for each: https://www.twitch.tv/p/platforms/

Might be worth trying though. I think it's odd that platform being undefined worked (for a while) to prevent ads, which means that was probably the default and that the other values are also meant to enable them. On reddit someone (supposedly) doesn't get ads via FireTV so that one may work.

[pixeltris]

@stoically that request includes a "sig" param which looks like a SHA1 based on the length. The json request is probably hashed along with some server side secret so I don't think it's feasible to modify that request.

@TheEnhas there is at least one value which can currently bypass the server_ads thing and avoid ads. But I think with a great certainty if it were added to uBlockOrigin it would get fixed within 24 hours.

[TheEnhas]

@TheEnhas there is at least one value which can currently bypass the server_ads thing and avoid ads. But I think with a great certainty if it were added to uBlockOrigin it would get fixed within 24 hours.

If it's by design on some platforms to save bandwidth or that already have other ads then I'm not sure if they'd "fix it", but I get the feeling it's more likely that they've just not updated those apps yet to work with the new system and they'll get the ads like everyone else once they do.

[stoically]

@pixeltris Although you're probably right and the token needs to match the sig, I wanted to at least give it a try - but it seems that the overwritten fetch in twitch-videoad.js never gets called with the request to usher.ttvnw.net. Could the reason for that be that the call is maybe made inside a ServiceWorker? Is there a way for uBO to inject something into ServiceWorkers?

FWIW, I've also tried to redirect the request using the WebExtensions onBeforeRequest API, but that leads to a Network Error in the Twitch player and it also doesn't show the request at all in the Network log. The only reason I can think of that causes this, is that the fetch request.redirect for that request is set to manual and fails for non-200 status.

[pixeltris]

@stoically https://gist.github.com/pixeltris/e659867516ed0be149bf5e9e22d7d6e0 something like this should work (I have been using it for tests, modifying the response on a locally hosted server so I don't have to deal with the pain of javascript).

[stoically]

That works, thanks. Though rewriting the token params results in the server responding with a 403 error, so you're probably right about the sig.

[pijcab]

Hi guys,
Is there a documentation on how to add the sort of snippet @pixeltris is giving us ?
Im a complete noob when it comes to modifying Chrome/Firefox extensions...
Edit : This Twitch ad thing is getting out of hand, if I'm a Twitch Prime user I dont want to watch ads on top of that (ads which are usually for services like Amazon Video that are meant for Prime subs...)

[stoically]

@pijcab Select advanced in the uBO dashboard, click the appearing cog, replace unset for userResourcesLocation with the raw url to the gist (needs a click on raw on the linked gist). This will break all rules which depend on the default resources that are not included in the gist.

[Jap2-0]

Wouldn't sig= be generated client-side, or no?

[stoically]

Yeah, it looks like the sig is generated in the WASM module. Call stack for the request (version 2.9.2):

[pijcab]

@stoically thank you very much, didn't know that userResourcesLocation was used for that.

Also this might help some people : I found a workaround by using a VPN and connecting to the countries outside of the SureStream available geos (Such as Romania or Hungary).
Didn't get any ads for an hour or two as of now

[TheEnhas]

Some people reportedly had success by changing their browser's user agent to Android while on Twitch. I tried it and ads still got through.