Blank User Agent & Android Devices

[yaashul]

I have found a very strange with Android devices. My website has both pc version & mobile version. I have blocked blank user-agent. But I was seeing very strange logs in my error_logs. Most of the android devices getting 403 error pages.

When someone from android device save image from stock browser. It generate an 403 error than try to download that image with "AndroidDownloadManager" user-agent.

But chrome browser in Android devices not able to download images as while downloading image it use blank user agent.

Is it happening to my site only or is it a general problem?

[lucy24]

:: detour to riffle through last few days of logs ::

If you don't want them, send 'em my way. I'd love to have androids will blank UAs; then they wouldn't be able to grab so many of my images :(

Are you talking about ordinary image downloads as part of a page view, or scraping of some kind?

[yaashul]

:: detour to riffle through last few days of logs ::

what does that means?

My 2 friends have samsung galaxy s4 and s3. I test on there mobile. Site open without issue but in case they try to save images on there mobile via chrome on android they are not able and with stock browser they r able to save images but in logs first there is an 403 error for blank user agent than image saved using "AndroidDownloadManager".

Is this normal?

[wilderness]

Is this normal?

Hardly, however no such description applies to mobile devices.

This is a plug in application that user was required to intentionally add to their machine.
With that intent, the visitor deserves what ever door possible slammed in their face.

I had an instance of this on one my sites just two days ago. In my instance, download software's are violation of TOS.

FWIW, these seems to be a new device added to the mobile-mix:

Samsung today (Apr 17, 2013) announced that the Galaxy S 4 will be available from seven different wireless network operators before the end of April. The four national carriers, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile USA, and Verizon Wireless, as will smaller carriers U.S. Cellular, Cricket, and C Spire, will each have customized variants of the device specific for their 4G LTE and 3G networks. Samsung said that individual carriers will announce exact availability and pricing during the course of the next few weeks. In addition to carrier availability, the GS4 can also be purchased at various electronics stores
end of quote

I've denied a major provider that seems to be one of the primary providers for this device and as mentioned above in their alliance with major providers.

[lucy24]

Oh, good, you're reading the question the same way I did. To me it looked as if the problem wasn't when Androids tried to visit pages in the first place. That's why I took a quick look at logs: no unexpected blocks during page views. It's only when they try to download images separately. And if so, why would a site owner care that they're blocked? Unless it's an atypical site that relies on image downloads :(