gstack/docs/REMOTE_BROWSER_ACCESS.md

# Remote Browser Access — How to Pair With a GStack Browser

A GStack Browser server can be shared with any AI agent that can make HTTP requests.
The agent gets scoped access to a real Chromium browser: navigate pages, read content,
click elements, fill forms, take screenshots. Each agent gets its own tab.

This document is the reference for remote agents. The quick-start instructions are
generated by `$B pair-agent` with the actual credentials baked in.

## Architecture

```
Your Machine                          Remote Agent
─────────────                         ────────────
GStack Browser Server                 Any AI agent
  ├── Chromium (Playwright)           (OpenClaw, Hermes, Codex, etc.)
  ├── Local listener  127.0.0.1:LOCAL         │
  │    (bootstrap, CLI, sidebar, cookies)      │
  ├── Tunnel listener 127.0.0.1:TUNNEL ◄───────┤
  │    (pair-agent only: /connect, /command,   │
  │     /sidebar-chat — locked allowlist)      │
  ├── ngrok tunnel (forwards tunnel port only) │
  │     https://xxx.ngrok.dev ─────────────────┘
  └── Token Registry
        ├── Root token (local listener only)
        ├── Setup keys (5 min, one-time)
        ├── Session tokens (24h, scoped)
        └── SSE session cookies (30 min, stream-scope)
```

### Dual-listener architecture (v1.6.0.0)

The daemon binds two HTTP sockets. The **local listener** serves the full command surface to 127.0.0.1 only and is never forwarded. The **tunnel listener** is bound lazily on `/tunnel/start` (and torn down on `/tunnel/stop`) with a locked path allowlist. ngrok forwards only the tunnel port.

A caller who stumbles onto your ngrok URL cannot reach `/health`, `/cookie-picker`, `/inspector/*`, or `/welcome` — those paths don't exist on that TCP socket. Root tokens sent over the tunnel get 403. The tunnel listener accepts only `/connect`, `/command` (with a scoped token + the 26-command browser-driving allowlist), and `/sidebar-chat`.

See [ARCHITECTURE.md](../ARCHITECTURE.md#dual-listener-tunnel-architecture-v1600) for the full endpoint table.

## Connection Flow

1. **User runs** `$B pair-agent` (or `/pair-agent` in Claude Code)
2. **Server creates** a one-time setup key (expires in 5 minutes)
3. **User copies** the instruction block into the other agent's chat
4. **Remote agent runs** `POST /connect` with the setup key
5. **Server returns** a scoped session token (24h default)
6. **Remote agent creates** its own tab via `POST /command` with `newtab`
7. **Remote agent browses** using `POST /command` with its session token + tabId

## API Reference

### Authentication

All command endpoints require a Bearer token:

```
Authorization: Bearer gsk_sess_...
```

`/connect` is unauthenticated (rate-limited) — it's how a remote agent exchanges a setup key for a scoped session token. `/health` is unauthenticated on the local listener (bootstrap) but does NOT exist on the tunnel listener (404).

SSE endpoints (`/activity/stream`, `/inspector/events`) accept either a Bearer token or the HttpOnly `gstack_sse` cookie (minted via `POST /sse-session`, 30-minute TTL, stream-scope only — cannot be used against `/command`). As of v1.6.0.0 the `?token=<ROOT>` query-string auth is no longer accepted.

### Endpoints

#### POST /connect
Exchange a setup key for a session token. No auth required. Rate-limited to 300/minute (flood defense — setup keys are 24 random bytes, unbruteforceable).

```json
Request:  {"setup_key": "gsk_setup_..."}
Response: {"token": "gsk_sess_...", "expires": "ISO8601", "scopes": ["read","write"], "agent": "agent-name"}
```

#### POST /command
Send a browser command. Requires Bearer auth.

```json
Request:  {"command": "goto", "args": ["https://example.com"], "tabId": 1}
Response: (plain text result of the command)
```

#### GET /health
Server status. No auth required. Returns status, tabs, mode, uptime.

### Commands

#### Navigation
| Command | Args | Description |
|---------|------|-------------|
| `goto` | `["URL"]` | Navigate to a URL |
| `back` | `[]` | Go back |
| `forward` | `[]` | Go forward |
| `reload` | `[]` | Reload page |

#### Reading Content
| Command | Args | Description |
|---------|------|-------------|
| `snapshot` | `["-i"]` | Interactive snapshot with @ref labels (most useful) |
| `text` | `[]` | Full page text |
| `html` | `["selector?"]` | HTML of element or full page |
| `links` | `[]` | All links on page |
| `screenshot` | `["/tmp/s.png"]` | Take a screenshot |
| `url` | `[]` | Current URL |

#### Interaction
| Command | Args | Description |
|---------|------|-------------|
| `click` | `["@e3"]` | Click an element (use @ref from snapshot) |
| `fill` | `["@e5", "text"]` | Fill a form field |
| `select` | `["@e7", "option"]` | Select dropdown value |
| `type` | `["text"]` | Type text (keyboard) |
| `press` | `["Enter"]` | Press a key |
| `scroll` | `["down"]` | Scroll the page |

#### Tabs
| Command | Args | Description |
|---------|------|-------------|
| `newtab` | `["URL?"]` | Create a new tab (required before writing) |
| `tabs` | `[]` | List all tabs |
| `closetab` | `["id?"]` | Close a tab |

## The Snapshot → @ref Pattern

This is the most powerful browsing pattern. Instead of writing CSS selectors:

1. Run `snapshot -i` to get an interactive snapshot with labeled elements
2. The snapshot returns text like:
   ```
   [Page Title]
   @e1 [link] "Home"
   @e2 [button] "Sign In"
   @e3 [input] "Search..."
   ```
3. Use the `@e` refs directly in commands: `click @e2`, `fill @e3 "search query"`

This is how the snapshot system works, and it's much more reliable than guessing
CSS selectors. Always `snapshot -i` first, then use the refs.

## Scopes

| Scope | What it allows |
|-------|---------------|
| `read` | snapshot, text, html, links, screenshot, url, tabs, console, etc. |
| `write` | goto, click, fill, scroll, newtab, closetab, etc. |
| `admin` | eval, js, cookies, storage, cookie-import, useragent, etc. |
| `meta` | tab, diff, frame, responsive, watch |

Default tokens get `read` + `write`. Admin requires `--admin` flag when pairing.

## Tab Isolation

Each agent owns the tabs it creates. Rules:
- **Read:** Any agent can read any tab (snapshot, text, screenshot)
- **Write:** Only the tab owner can write (click, fill, goto, etc.)
- **Unowned tabs:** Pre-existing tabs are root-only for writes
- **First step:** Always `newtab` before trying to interact

## Error Codes

| Code | Meaning | What to do |
|------|---------|------------|
| 401 | Token invalid, expired, or revoked | Ask user to run /pair-agent again |
| 403 | Command not in scope, or tab not yours | Use newtab, or ask for --admin |
| 429 | Rate limit exceeded (>10 req/s) | Wait for Retry-After header |

## Security Model

- **Physical port separation.** Local listener and tunnel listener are separate TCP sockets. ngrok only forwards the tunnel port. Tunnel callers cannot reach bootstrap endpoints at all (404, wrong port).
- **Tunnel command allowlist.** `/command` over the tunnel only accepts 26 browser-driving commands (goto, click, fill, snapshot, text, newtab, tabs, back, forward, reload, closetab, etc.). Server-management commands (tunnel, pair, token, useragent, js) are denied on the tunnel.
- **Root token is tunnel-blocked.** A request bearing the root token over the tunnel listener returns 403 with a pairing hint. Only scoped session tokens work over the tunnel.
- **Setup keys** expire in 5 minutes and can only be used once.
- **Session tokens** expire in 24 hours (configurable).
- The root token never appears in instruction blocks or connection strings.
- **Admin scope** (JS execution, cookie access) is denied by default.
- Tokens can be revoked instantly: `$B tunnel revoke agent-name`
- **SSE auth** uses a 30-minute HttpOnly SameSite=Strict cookie, stream-scope only (never valid against `/command`).
- **Path traversal guarded** on `/welcome` — `GSTACK_SLUG` must match `^[a-z0-9_-]+$` or falls back to the built-in template.
- **SSRF guards** on `goto`, `download`, and scrape paths — validates URL target against a localhost/private-range blocklist.
- **Tunnel surface denial logging.** Every rejection on the tunnel listener (`path_not_on_tunnel`, `root_token_on_tunnel`, `missing_scoped_token`, `disallowed_command:*`) is appended to `~/.gstack/security/attempts.jsonl` with timestamp, source IP, path, method. Rate-capped at 60 writes/min.
- All agent activity is logged with attribution (clientId).

**Known non-goal (tracked as #1136):** on Windows, the cookie-import-browser path launches Chrome with `--remote-debugging-port=<random>`. With App-Bound Encryption v20, a same-user local process can connect to that port and exfiltrate decrypted v20 cookies — an elevation path relative to reading the SQLite DB directly. Fix direction is `--remote-debugging-pipe` instead of TCP.

## Same-Machine Shortcut

If both agents are on the same machine, skip the copy-paste:

```bash
$B pair-agent --local openclaw    # writes to ~/.openclaw/skills/gstack/browse-remote.json
$B pair-agent --local codex       # writes to ~/.codex/skills/gstack/browse-remote.json
$B pair-agent --local cursor      # writes to ~/.cursor/skills/gstack/browse-remote.json
```

No tunnel needed. Uses localhost directly.

## ngrok Tunnel Setup

For remote agents on different machines:

1. Sign up at [ngrok.com](https://ngrok.com) (free tier works)
2. Copy your auth token from the dashboard
3. Save it: `echo 'NGROK_AUTHTOKEN=your_token' > ~/.gstack/ngrok.env`
4. Optionally claim a stable domain: `echo 'NGROK_DOMAIN=your-name.ngrok-free.dev' >> ~/.gstack/ngrok.env`
5. Start with tunnel: `BROWSE_TUNNEL=1 $B restart`
6. Run `$B pair-agent` — it will use the tunnel URL automatically