fix(page): collect DOM elements retained by locator hit-target interceptor

packages/injected/src/injectedScript.ts

@@ -1113,7 +1113,7 @@ export class InjectedScript {
     }[action];
     let result: 'done' | { hitTargetDescription: string } | undefined;
 
-    const listener = (event: PointerEvent | MouseEvent | TouchEvent) => {
+    let listener: ((event: PointerEvent | MouseEvent | TouchEvent) => void) | undefined = (event: PointerEvent | MouseEvent | TouchEvent) => {
       // Ignore events that we do not expect to intercept.
       if (!events.has(event.type))
         return;
@@ -1142,6 +1142,7 @@ export class InjectedScript {
     const stop = () => {
       if (this._hitTargetInterceptor === listener)
         this._hitTargetInterceptor = undefined;
+      listener = undefined;
       // If we did not get any events, consider things working. Possible causes:
       // - JavaScript is disabled (webkit-only).
       // - Some <iframe> overlays the element from another frame.

packages/playwright-core/src/server/chromium/crPage.ts

@@ -221,6 +221,8 @@ export class CRPage implements PageDelegate {
   }
 
   async requestGC(): Promise<void> {
+    // A no-op mouse move off-viewport clears Blink's native hit-target state, which retains the last-targeted element as a GC root invisible to V8.
+    await this._mainFrameSession._client.send('Input.dispatchMouseEvent', { type: 'mouseMoved', x: -1, y: -1 });
     await this._mainFrameSession._client.send('HeapProfiler.collectGarbage');
   }
 

tests/page/page-request-gc.spec.ts

@@ -32,3 +32,14 @@ test('should work', async ({ page }) => {
   await page.requestGC();
   expect(await page.evaluate(() => globalThis.weakRef.deref())).toBe(undefined);
 });
+
+test('should collect element retained by locator hit-target interceptor after detach', async ({ page }) => {
+  await page.setContent('<button id="btn">click me</button>');
+  await page.locator('#btn').click();
+  await page.evaluate(() => {
+    globalThis.weakRef = new WeakRef(document.getElementById('btn')!);
+    document.getElementById('btn')!.remove();
+  });
+  await page.requestGC();
+  expect(await page.evaluate(() => globalThis.weakRef.deref())).toBe(undefined);
+});