HTTP GET Works in Browser but not in Application

If an HTTP GET works in a browser, but does not work from your application, then check to see if your site uses Cloudfare with the Browser Integrity Check turned on.   If so, then for testing purposes, temporarily turn BIC off, and try again.

The Browser Integrity Check (BIC) feature in Cloudflare is a security measure designed to protect websites from malicious traffic by verifying the legitimacy of incoming requests. This feature helps to prevent automated bots, spammers, and other potentially harmful traffic from reaching your site. Here’s how it works and why it’s useful:

How the Browser Integrity Check Works

1. Request Analysis
   • When a visitor attempts to access your website, Cloudflare examines the HTTP headers and other attributes of the request to determine whether it comes from a legitimate browser or a potentially harmful source.
2. Detection of Known Threats
   • Cloudflare compares the request against a database of known bad actors, including malicious bots, scrapers, and spammers. If the request matches known patterns of malicious activity, Cloudflare may challenge or block the request.
3. Checking for Anomalies
   • The BIC also checks for anomalies in the request headers. For instance, some bots may mimic a web browser but might fail to include certain expected headers or use incorrect values. The BIC identifies these discrepancies.
4. Response to Suspicious Activity
   • If a request is deemed suspicious, Cloudflare may:
     • Block the Request: Preventing the potentially harmful traffic from reaching your site.
     • Serve a Challenge: Displaying a CAPTCHA or similar challenge to verify that the visitor is a human user.
   • Transparency to Users
     • Legitimate users usually do not notice the Browser Integrity Check because it works silently in the background. Only suspicious or malicious requests are challenged or blocked.