Feedback: searching on nvarchar causes 403

[OzBob]

Describe the bug
SQL nvarchar search 403s with oAuth cookies

To Reproduce
Steps to reproduce the behavior:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/search/index?search=nvarchar
with a strange combination of Microsoft Id cookies causes 403

Searching on
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/search/index?search=datalength
does not

Result: Access Denied Http 403
On Screen:
'You don't have permission to access "http://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/search/index?" on this server.'
Reference #18.9c464868.1528259318.11d4727
Destination IP: 104.74.35.39:443

Issue replicated on Edge, and Firefox.
Issue is not replicateable in Chrome as I have logged out of my Microsoft Account and cleared all my cookies.
Issue is not replicateable in InPrivate Edge or InPrivate Firefox as the oAuth ID cookies aren't accessible.

Expected behavior
Search results as per after 'Clear Cookies and website data'

Screenshots

Desktop (please complete the following information):

• OS: Windows 10
• Browser: All uptodate versions: Edge, Firefox, Chrome
• Version 42.17134.1.0, 60.0.1, 66.0.3359.181

Additional context
In the past 24 hours I have logged on Edge and Firefox with 2 private microsoft accounts. Maybe the cookies cached for those IDs are an issue.
Searching on the specific phrase 'nvarchar' and not 'datalength' is very confusing!

[spacecadet980]

I get the same issue on my usual browser (Chrome, with most of my cookies) and Edge (with some of my cookies). I get normal search results with Firefox (with none of my cookies). I encountered this a few times over the past few days, and just assumed that the site was down momentarily; unfortunately I didn't note my search queries at the time.

[Powerhelmsman]

@presleyy Can you take a look to see if this is a bug?

[dend]

Seems to be a transient issue, as I can perform the search normally right now. However, we likely need to check what is causing this - @Sampy @DuncanmaMSFT, can you please take a look?

[Sampy]

It looks like this is an issue with getting the search page which is different than the search service. An error with the service (which doesn't authenticate at all) would still show the page itself but fail to load any results. The page itself is simply another page on Docs like all the others (mostly) so we'd need to look at the docs hosting to see why it wasn't returning the page.

[presleyy]

I reproduced the bug at Edge browser at first time when I searched for 'nvarchar'. Created the bug to track it. @Sampy

[dend]

We've worked on addressing this issue - it can no longer be reproduced.

[Powerhelmsman]

@OzBob The bug is fixed. Please verified it. I will close this issue as resolved.

[OzBob]

@Powerhelmsman not quite yet.

Edge browser: signed out, and cleared cookies. Signin. Go to : https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/search/index?search=nvarchar
All OK

BUT ...

on Firefox, with an older session, and never logged out from Microsoft account.

Same error.

If required I can supply (via email) the HAR file from Firefox. No idea how to generate one for EDGE...

[Powerhelmsman]

@OzBob Yes, it is not fully resolved yet. So I reopen the issue. Engineer is working on it now. I will let you know when the issue is truly fixed.

[Powerhelmsman]

@presleyy what's the status now?

[presleyy]

@Powerhelmsman the problem was said caused by some anti SQL injection rules. The issue is being investigated by Akamai team. So, still open

[presleyy]

With a recent fixing applied, I can search out "nvarchar" related articles at the Edge browser that I used to be able reproduce the bug there. @OzBob could you help verify the scenario in your environment? Thank you for reporting this bug and thank you in advance for helping double verify the fixing.

[OzBob]

On Edge and Chrome, OK.
On Private Edge and Private Chrome, OK.
On Private Firefox OK

Sorry
Test1

1. Open Firefox
2. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/search/index
3. Sign out (if already signedin)
4. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/search/index?search=nvarchar
5. Signin
6. Redirected to: https://docs.microsoft.com/api/auth/signin?replyUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fdocs.microsoft.com%2Fen-us%2Fsearch%2Findex%3Fsearch%3Dnvarchar
7. Access Deined Error

Test2

1. Open Firefox
2. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/search/index
3. Sign in (if not already signedin)
4. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/search/index?search=nvarchar
5. Signout
6. Redirected to: https://docs.microsoft.com/api/auth/signout?replyUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fdocs.microsoft.com%2Fen-us%2Fsearch%2Findex%3Fsearch%3Dnvarchar
7. Access Deined Error

[presleyy]

@OzBob thanks for the great details with steps. I have Firefox but somehow I can't reproduce it by the steps. Let me bring it to dev team for further investigation. We may need more help from you later. Thanks again!

[presleyy]

Hey @OzBob we can't reproduce the bug using firebox by your steps here. Would you please clear the cookie and try it again? (from the steps, problem happens after sign-in/sign-out, might be due to the stale cookie). If you would still be able to reproduce the bug after clearing the cookie, could you help attach the screenshot of any error you see via the F12 tool and its network console? Thanks!

[OzBob]

Open Firefox (not firebox as you put it - probably a typo, right?)
Clear cookies etc.
Open https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/search/index?search=nvarchar
Wait 40!!! seconds to see results.
Signin
All ok.

Now thinking about it, I should have saved my old cookie for you to share withAkami team.

Other users still have old signin cookies and will experience the same issue.

May I suggest that you recommend saving/exporting cookies before asking to clear them. The aim is not to solve my issue but to design Akami to be robust for all users.

[presleyy]

@OzBob, yeah, that's a great suggestion. I should have asked for that. I put this on my notes to make sure to ask for the saved cookie next time. Anyway, many thanks for the help!