# stygian-browser
High-performance, anti-detection browser automation library for Rust.
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Built on the [Chrome DevTools Protocol](https://chromedevtools.github.io/devtools-protocol/) via
[`chromiumoxide`](https://github.com/mattsse/chromiumoxide) with comprehensive stealth features
for bypassing modern anti-bot systems: Cloudflare, DataDome, PerimeterX, Akamai.
---
## Features
| **Browser pooling** | Warm pool with configurable min/max, LRU eviction, backpressure |
| **Anti-detection** | Navigator spoofing, canvas noise, WebGL randomisation, UA patching |
| **Human behavior** | Bézier-curve mouse paths, realistic keystroke timing, random interactions |
| **CDP leak protection** | Hides `Runtime.enable` artifacts that expose automation |
| **WebRTC control** | Block, proxy-route, or allow WebRTC — prevent IP leaks |
| **Fingerprint generation** | Statistically-weighted device profiles (Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS) |
| **Stealth levels** | `None` / `Basic` / `Advanced` — tune evasion vs. performance |
---
## Installation
```toml
[dependencies]
stygian-browser = { path = "../crates/stygian-browser" } # workspace
# or once published to crates.io:
# stygian-browser = "0.1"
tokio = { version = "1", features = ["full"] }
```
Enable (or disable) stealth features:
```toml
[dependencies]
# stealth is the default feature; disable for a minimal build
stygian-browser = { version = "0.1", default-features = false }
```
---
## Quick Start
```rust,no_run
use stygian_browser::{BrowserConfig, BrowserPool, WaitUntil};
use std::time::Duration;
#[tokio::main]
async fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
// Build a config — defaults are headless Chrome with Advanced stealth
let config = BrowserConfig::default();
// Launch a warm pool (2 browsers ready immediately)
let pool = BrowserPool::new(config).await?;
// Acquire a browser handle (< 100 ms from warm pool)
let handle = pool.acquire().await?;
// Open a tab and navigate
let mut page = handle.browser().new_page().await?;
page.navigate(
"https://example.com",
WaitUntil::Selector("body".to_string()),
Duration::from_secs(30),
)
.await?;
println!("Title: {}", page.title().await?);
// Release the browser back to the pool
handle.release().await;
Ok(())
}
```
---
## Configuration
`BrowserConfig` controls every aspect of browser launch, anti-detection, and pooling.
```rust,no_run
use stygian_browser::{BrowserConfig, StealthLevel};
use stygian_browser::config::PoolConfig;
use stygian_browser::webrtc::{WebRtcConfig, WebRtcPolicy};
use std::time::Duration;
let config = BrowserConfig::builder()
// Browser basics
.headless(true)
.window_size(1920, 1080)
// Use a specific Chrome binary
// .chrome_path("/usr/bin/google-chrome".into())
// Stealth level
.stealth_level(StealthLevel::Advanced)
// Proxy (supports http/https/socks5)
// .proxy("http://user:pass@proxy.example.com:8080".to_string())
// WebRTC policy
.webrtc(WebRtcConfig {
policy: WebRtcPolicy::DisableNonProxied,
..Default::default()
})
// Pool settings
.pool(PoolConfig {
min_size: 2,
max_size: 10,
acquire_timeout: Duration::from_secs(5),
..Default::default()
})
.build();
```
### Environment Variable Overrides
All config values can be overridden at runtime without recompiling:
| `STYGIAN_CHROME_PATH` | auto-detect | Path to Chrome/Chromium binary |
| `STYGIAN_HEADLESS` | `true` | `false` for headed mode |
| `STYGIAN_STEALTH_LEVEL` | `advanced` | `none`, `basic`, `advanced` |
| `STYGIAN_POOL_MIN` | `2` | Minimum warm browser count |
| `STYGIAN_POOL_MAX` | `10` | Maximum concurrent browsers |
| `STYGIAN_POOL_ACQUIRE_TIMEOUT_SECS` | `30` | Seconds to wait for pool slot |
| `STYGIAN_CDP_FIX_MODE` | `addBinding` | `addBinding`, `isolatedworld`, `enabledisable` |
| `STYGIAN_PROXY` | — | Proxy URL |
| `STYGIAN_DISABLE_SANDBOX` | auto-detect | `true` to pass `--no-sandbox` (see note below) |
---
## Stealth Levels
| `None` | — | — | — | — | — |
| `Basic` | ✓ | — | — | ✓ | — |
| `Advanced` | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
**Trade-offs:**
- `None` — maximum performance, no evasion. Suitable for sites with no bot detection.
- `Basic` — hides `navigator.webdriver`, masks the headless UA, enables CDP protection.
Fast; appropriate for most scraping workloads.
- `Advanced` — full fingerprint injection (canvas noise, WebGL, audio, fonts, hardware
concurrency, device memory), human-like mouse/keyboard events. Adds ~10–30 ms overhead
per page but passes all major detection suites.
---
## Browser Pool
The pool maintains a configurable number of warm browser instances and enforces
backpressure when all slots are occupied.
```rust,no_run
use stygian_browser::{BrowserConfig, BrowserPool};
use stygian_browser::config::PoolConfig;
use std::time::Duration;
# async fn run() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
let config = BrowserConfig::builder()
.pool(PoolConfig {
min_size: 2,
max_size: 8,
idle_timeout: Duration::from_secs(300),
acquire_timeout: Duration::from_secs(10),
})
.build();
let pool = BrowserPool::new(config).await?;
let stats = pool.stats();
println!("pool: {}/{} browsers, {} active", stats.available, stats.max, stats.active);
# Ok(())
# }
```
Browsers returned via `BrowserHandle::release()` go back into the pool automatically.
Browsers that fail their health check are discarded and replaced with fresh instances.
---
## Anti-Detection Techniques
### `navigator` Spoofing
- Overwrites `navigator.webdriver` to `undefined`
- Patches `navigator.plugins` with a realistic `PluginArray`
- Sets `navigator.languages`, `navigator.language`, `navigator.vendor`
- Aligns `navigator.hardwareConcurrency` and `navigator.deviceMemory` with the
chosen device profile
### Canvas Fingerprint Noise
Adds sub-pixel noise (<1 px) to `HTMLCanvasElement.toDataURL()` and
`CanvasRenderingContext2D.getImageData()` — indistinguishable visually but unique
per page load.
### WebGL Randomisation
Randomises `RENDERER` and `VENDOR` WebGL parameter responses to prevent GPU-based
fingerprinting while keeping values plausible (real GPU family names are used).
### CDP Leak Protection
The Chrome DevTools Protocol itself can expose automation. Three modes are
available via `CdpFixMode`:
| `AddBinding` | Wraps calls to hide `Runtime.enable` side-effects | Best overall |
| `IsolatedWorld` | Runs injection in a separate execution context | Moderate |
| `EnableDisable` | Toggles enable/disable around each command | Broad |
### Human-Like Behavior (Advanced only)
`MouseSimulator` generates Bézier-curve mouse paths with:
- Distance-aware step counts (12 steps for <100 px, up to 120 for >1000 px)
- Perpendicular control-point offsets for natural arc shapes
- Sub-pixel micro-tremor jitter (±0.3 px)
- 10–50 ms inter-event delays
`TypingSimulator` models:
- Per-key WPM variation (70–130 WPM base)
- Configurable typo-and-correct rate
- Burst/pause rhythm typical of humans
---
## Page Operations
```rust,no_run
use stygian_browser::{BrowserConfig, BrowserPool, WaitUntil};
use stygian_browser::page::ResourceFilter;
use std::time::Duration;
# async fn run() -> stygian_browser::error::Result<()> {
let pool = BrowserPool::new(BrowserConfig::default()).await?;
let handle = pool.acquire().await?;
let mut page = handle.browser().new_page().await?;
// Block images/fonts to speed up text-only scraping
page.set_resource_filter(ResourceFilter::block_media()).await?;
page.navigate(
"https://example.com",
WaitUntil::Selector("h1".to_string()),
Duration::from_secs(30),
).await?;
// Evaluate JavaScript
let title: String = page.eval("document.title").await?;
let h1: String = page.eval("document.querySelector('h1')?.textContent ?? ''").await?;
// Full page HTML
let html = page.content().await?;
// Save cookies for session reuse
let cookies = page.save_cookies().await?;
page.close().await?;
handle.release().await;
# Ok(())
# }
```
---
## WebRTC & Proxy
```rust,no_run
use stygian_browser::{BrowserConfig};
use stygian_browser::webrtc::{WebRtcConfig, WebRtcPolicy, ProxyLocation};
let config = BrowserConfig::builder()
.proxy("http://proxy.example.com:8080".to_string())
.webrtc(WebRtcConfig {
policy: WebRtcPolicy::DisableNonProxied,
location: Some(ProxyLocation::new_us_east()),
..Default::default()
})
.build();
```
`WebRtcPolicy::BlockAll` is the safest option for anonymous scraping — it prevents
any IP addresses from leaking via WebRTC peer connections.
---
## FAQ
**Q: Does this work on macOS / Linux / Windows?**
A: macOS and Linux are fully supported. Windows support depends on the `chromiumoxide`
backend; not actively tested.
**Q: Which Chrome versions are supported?**
A: The library targets Chrome 120+. Older versions may work but stealth scripts are
only tested against current release channels.
**Q: Can I use it without a display (CI/CD)?**
A: Yes — the default config is `headless: true`. No display server is required.
**Q: Does Advanced stealth guarantee Cloudflare bypass?**
A: There is no guarantee. Cloudflare Turnstile and Bot Management use both
JavaScript signals and TLS/network-layer heuristics. Advanced stealth eliminates
all known JavaScript signals, which is necessary but may not be sufficient.
**Q: How do I set a custom Chrome path?**
A: Set `STYGIAN_CHROME_PATH=/path/to/chrome` or use
`BrowserConfig::builder().chrome_path("/path/to/chrome".into()).build()`.
**Q: Why does `stats().idle` always return 0?**
A: `idle` is a lock-free approximation. The count is not maintained in the hot
acquire/release path to avoid contention. Use `available` and `active` instead.
**Q: Should I set `STYGIAN_DISABLE_SANDBOX=true`?**
A: Only inside a container (Docker, Kubernetes, etc.) where Chromium's renderer
sandbox cannot function due to missing user namespaces. This is auto-detected via
`/.dockerenv` and `/proc/1/cgroup` on Linux — you normally don't need to set it
explicitly. **Never set this on a bare-metal host** without an equivalent isolation
boundary; doing so removes a meaningful OS-level security layer.
For highest-security deployments, run each browser session in its own container and
let the container runtime provide isolation — the sandbox flag will be set
automatically inside the container.
---
## Testing
```bash
# Pure-logic unit tests (no Chrome required)
cargo test --lib -p stygian-browser
# Integration tests (requires Chrome 120+)
cargo test --all-features -p stygian-browser
# Run only ignored Chrome tests explicitly
cargo test --all-features -p stygian-browser -- --include-ignored
# Measure coverage for logic units
cargo tarpaulin -p stygian-browser --lib --ignore-tests --out Lcov
```
**Coverage notes**: All tests that launch a real browser instance are annotated
`#[ignore = "requires Chrome"]` so the suite passes in CI without a Chrome binary.
Pure-logic coverage (config, stealth scripts, fingerprint generation, simulator math)
is high; overall line coverage is structurally bounded by the CDP requirement.
---
## License
Licensed under the [GNU Affero General Public License v3.0](../../LICENSE) (`AGPL-3.0-only`).