How we reverse-engineered Google Maps pagination

• pbtk

  2 1,296 10.0 Python

  A toolset for reverse engineering and fuzzing Protobuf-based apps

In this story, you'll see the process of decoding URL parameters for pagination on Google Maps. It involved deobfuscation of Closure-compiled JavaScript, reverse-engineering of Protobuf data structures, and a bit of math. We tried to decode URL parameters by ourselves, by using pbtk, and attempted to outsource this work. In the end, we succeeded after several pair programming sessions.

• protobuf

  18 9,648 4.6 JavaScript

  Protocol Buffers for JavaScript (& TypeScript).

  

Google Maps URLs contain the pb parameter contains string-encoded Protobuf. The format is the same as for the data parameter in the browser URL on Google Maps. It contains !-separated values. There are several answers on StackOverflow, gists on GitHub, some blog posts about decoding, and even a kinda official guide on reverse engineering protobuf, but none of this touches pagination.

• SurveyJS

  surveyjs.io sponsored

  Open-Source JSON Form Builder to Create Dynamic Forms Right in Your App. With SurveyJS form UI libraries, you can build and style forms in a fully-integrated drag & drop form builder, render them in your JS app, and store form submission data in any backend, inc. PHP, ASP.NET Core, and Node.js.

  

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