Protobuf Tools & Decoders
Protobuf Tools
Section titled “Protobuf Tools”| Tool | Language | Purpose | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| pbtk | Python | Extract and fuzz protobuf structures from Chrome | GitHub |
| google-maps-pb-decoder | Ruby | Decode pb URL params to JSON | GitHub |
| deproto | Python | Decode, manipulate, re-encode protobuf strings (round-trip conversion) | GitHub |
XHR/Network Interception
Section titled “XHR/Network Interception”Intercept browser XHR requests during Google Maps navigation; responses contain protobuf-encoded data with “XHR1” signature. Use CDP Network.requestWillBeSent event + history.replaceState() hooks. Supported by Puppeteer request interception and Playwright route handlers.