I have the xt1526 going to root and I was wondering if there is a way to stop boost from knowing how much data I use a build.prop tweak or something
Data usage is measured on the carrier's side, not on the phone. So, I don't think there is anything you can do on the phone to prevent them from determining your data usage.
Quark is right. But each carrier handles things slightly differently too. Some of them appear to use phone's internal logging somehow to get additional information.
The only way around that is if your carrier/service provider thinks that you have a different phone.
I know this from first hand experience
These days this trick won't help much basically because of what Quark said.
Related
Assuming that my Atrix is always locked (requiring fingerprint scan or PIN to access) when I'm not actively using it, how secure is the stored data? (All data is stored in internal memory, with no removable SD card in the phone.)
I'm specifically wondering about this situation: Say one or more of my Contacts has sensitive info (e.g. a bank account number or the like). Then the phone gets stolen. Could a knowledgeable (or even unknowledgeable) person access that data without the phone being unlocked?
As far as I can tell, accessing the files through USB requires the phone to be unlocked, but is there a way someone could get around that?
Could files be extracted over WiFi from a locked phone?
Does it make any difference whatsoever if the phone is rooted vs. non-rooted?
Is Contacts data stored in a form that could be read by any text editing program?
I know there are third party apps like Moxier Wallet that will encrypt personal info, but for the moment, I'm just trying to understand accessibility to data when the phone is locked.
Anyting is possible if you are smart enough.
Probably the biggest threat to your security is pirated apps. If you are downloading paid apps for free from illegal sources you are at risk of installing malicious software on your phone. Not to mention that an app you use everyday is worth supporting the developer with 99c.
Other than that I know there are data sniffer apps like Shark but I'm not completely sure how those apps work or what information is at risk because I have never used those apps.
CaelanT said:
Anyting is possible if you are smart enough.
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Sure, but that's not a very helpful response. I'm not talking about a scenerio where the CIA has unlimited resources and unlimited time to throw at hacking into my phone in the hopes of finding the whereabouts of al-Qaeda's #2 guy.
Can you provide any insight into by what means an individual with above average computer skills might be able to access the data on a locked phone in a few minutes, or even a few hours?
WiredPirate said:
Probably the biggest threat to your security is pirated apps. If you are downloading paid apps for free from illegal sources you are at risk of installing malicious software on your phone. Not to mention that an app you use everyday is worth supporting the developer with 99c.
Other than that I know there are data sniffer apps like Shark but I'm not completely sure how those apps work or what information is at risk because I have never used those apps.
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Granted, that's a risk of the phone internally revealing data while it's unlocked, but let's assume that the phone does not have any pirated apps.
The scenario I'm interested in is: A hacker has stolen or found a phone sitting in its locked state. Could he get at its data before, for example, the phone's owner realizes the phone is gone and has the opportunity to remotely wipe its contents via MotoBlur or the like (say an hour or two)?
If they knew what they were doing yes I am sure they could. However, its very unlikely that your phone would be recovered by someone who could extract the info. Most likely your phone would be found by someone without the skills to steal your personal info, unless they have your finger. If you are hanging out with a group of Atrix hackers I guess my advice would be dont piss them off. I think there are more concerning security risks with the apps you use than physically loosing a phone that is fingerprint locked.
WiredPirate said:
Most likely your phone would be found by someone without the skills to steal your personal info, unless they have your finger.
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I have noticed traces of my own fingerprints on the screen and case. Not sure if there would be enough there for someone to pull and copy the print and use it to unlock the phone.
Since most of my touch screen use is with the index fingers and/or thumbs, it occurs to me that it might be a good idea to set up the fingerprint scanner with my middle fingers, rather than index fingers, even though the phone specifically asks for the index fingers. That way, it's highly unlikely that a suitable fingerprint would be left on the screen. Perhaps that's being overly paranoid, but as the old saying goes, just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they're not out to get you.
GoodFoot said:
I have noticed traces of my own fingerprints on the screen and case. Not sure if there would be enough there for someone to pull and copy the print and use it to unlock the phone.
Since most of my touch screen use is with the index fingers and/or thumbs, it occurs to me that it might be a good idea to set up the fingerprint scanner with my middle fingers, rather than index fingers, even though the phone specifically asks for the index fingers. That way, it's highly unlikely that a suitable fingerprint would be left on the screen. Perhaps that's being overly paranoid, but as the old saying goes, just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they're not out to get you.
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Haha, I like that quote. I do have to say tho you are being WAAAY over paranoid. You really thing somebody is going to lift a print from your screen and replicate it in a way that can be swiped and recognized on your phone? I say if someone goes through all that trouble they deserve to have the information in your phone! I mean, the Atrix is the only phone I know of that has a fingerprint scanner, most people are content with a pattern or 4 digit number.
Hey, my Atrix burned out on me after less than a year and I'm still under warranty, so I have some questions.
First off, I'm rooted - will Best Buy care a lot? It is a hardware malfunction (the wifi card is dead - "error" when trying to turn on wifi) and if anything, my rooting has prevented that (temperature profiles on SetCPU, so it doesn't get hot).
Now, my main concern (I can probably get a new Atrix cheap anyway) is my data. Can I load a Nandroid/Clockworks backup to my new atrix? I'm assuming I should load up the same ROM and kernal on a rooted device first and then load the backup. Will this restore app data/settings?
Lastly, is there anything else I should do to ensure a smooth transfer? Or there any other options (get a new/better phone). I don't have an upgrade.
Sorry, for the lengthy post, I run a lot of stuff from my phone and I've never had significant problems, so I'm kind of panicking.
Thanks!
I was wondering if anyone has found a way to develop any kind of protection for our phone that does more than apps that are installed once booted up? Let me explain. There are quite a few different apps that protect and find your phone and they can be protected from being uninstalled or turned off so that a thief cannot disable the protection. But there is one glaring weakness. I have yet to find any kind of protection that keeps a person from getting around all of these current apps by simply removing the battery and rebooting into Recovery and flashing to a different ROM or firmware. By doing this they are able to delete everything on the phone and they basically have a brand new phone in hand. We need a way to protect against a person being able to simply take out the battery and reboot and flash a new firmware. The protection needs to be built into the Recovery and Download modes or protect the phone before they reach Recovery or Download modes. If we can't find a way to protect prior to reaching these modes then a thief who knows anything about changing firmwares or recoveries can simply replace what is on the phone and successfully have bypassed all the protection that we invested in with these apps that are on the Play Store or at other places.
So does anyone know of any way that we can get this kind of protection? I have never seen anything that can do this. Is it even possible to build this kind of protection? If anyone knows anything, I would love to hear it. Thanks.
I heard there are apps that can be flashed to the phone and are running in the background that notify you with an sms if the sim card is changed, but they can be easily removed by wiping the cache/factory reset and/or installing a new rom.
However every GSM device as a unique IMEI code so that if your phone gets stolen you can go to your service provider or the police they can search for the code and have a basic idea of where it is. Even if you don't know the code i'm sure your service provider keeps logs of it.
gaka01 said:
I heard there are apps that can be flashed to the phone and are running in the background that notify you with an sms if the sim card is changed, but they can be easily removed by wiping the cache/factory reset and/or installing a new rom.
However every GSM device as a unique IMEI code so that if your phone gets stolen you can go to your service provider or the police they can search for the code and have a basic idea of where it is. Even if you don't know the code i'm sure your service provider keeps logs of it.
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Yeah, I was aware of using the IMEI. But judging from the success that people have of stealing phones and never getting caught, I just assumed that for one reason or another this method just wasn't a very reliable way of getting your phone back.
Well a friend of mine found an old nokia phone in a park near where i live. She needed a 2nd phone and decided to use it. However after 2 or 3 weeks a police officer went to her home and they accused her of theft.
Anyway if you don't trust the authorities your my best guess is flashing one of those background running apps. Do a research i'm not realy familiar with them.
gaka01 said:
Well a friend of mine found an old nokia phone in a park near where i live. She needed a 2nd phone and decided to use it. However after 2 or 3 weeks a police officer went to her home and they accused her of theft.
Anyway if you don't trust the authorities your my best guess is flashing one of those background running apps. Do a research i'm not realy familiar with them.
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It appears that relying on the IMEI is going to be the only way for true protection. The background running apps don't work if you note in my OP. All you have to do to get around them is to remove the battery and boot straight into Recovery and flash a different ROM or firmware. That will erase everything on the phone including any apps installed, even if they do run in the background. They can't run in the background if they aren't there.
I have a A52 5g and a tab S7+ wifi, that are both remotely controled and monitored, and serve as gateway to my home network and basicaly every device connected to it. I noticed it at first and mew NOTHING related to this, didnt even know what open source was. Since then i have come to understand that, somehow, my phone seems to run a custom version of android, my guess is, built from AOSP and designed to disguise itself as oem samsung ui, but in background enables remote access and total takeover of every function. I have discovered, using total commander, that storage has been partitioned in 2 separate locations, and that one folder in there is called root system file, and filled with data/apk/installkits/etc.. this has me asking for help in 2 specific questions:
Am i holding a rooted device or is there another possibility that creates this situation? I was convinced its rooted untill i read here that root prevents from using samsung pass, secure folder etc.. and those seem to work on mine(or is it a version of those apps?) If its indeed rooted, will it wype everything if i flash it with the stock rom? And should i trust a small cell repair store to do that or learn how to do it myself?
2: i have bought 3 brand new phones since august, and made sure not to use my usual accounts, no use backups, not even set it up near my home wifi, and it almost instantly started self installing harmful software in background. I see no other way for it to link itself to be owned by me at initial setup, but for the sim card, new of course, but with my usual phone number and service transfered to it. Is that enough to make a breach and compromise a new device? If so, what would be different after fpashing the stock rom, if everything reinstalls itself? Do i need to change my number? Change cellular service provider even? I know its an unusual request but im a fast learner, i have compiled lots of technical info on specific apps, ip's, servers, build id numbers etc.. that i know would make more sense to anyone more qualified than me, and i am about ready to try and wype/flash the thing myself, i just would feel better with a little help since i have gone this far pretty much alone, since no service provider or manifacturer actualy feels like this is their problem to solve....
Here you can download firmware for your phone and flash with Odin, which you can also download at the bottom of the page, there are instructions on how to do it also.
Make sure to download correct firmware for exact device you have. There are few different A52 5G models.. SM-A526B, SM-A526U, SM-A5260, SM-A526U1, SM-A526W.
You will lose all data after flashing new firmware. After this your phone will be like brand new from Samsung..
If your device is rooted then that means your warranty is void and manufacturers and carriers are under no obligation to help you.
I'm trying to understand your situation but its so conflicting I don't know where to begin.
For example, you say your device runs a custom AOSP with a Samsung UI. Thats exactly how it actually works. Samsung take the AOSP, customise it with their own functionality, then overlay their own skin as the UI. Theres absolutely nothing unusual about that.
I'm conflicted as to whether your rooted or not. If the manufacturer or carrier has physically seen the device and won't repair it then that would suggest your definitely rooted. If you spoke to them virtually and told them your rooted then they will use it as an excuse whether you're truly rooted or not. The partitions you mention could be the internal storage and an sd card which can be seen non-rooted. I dont know what you mean when you mention a "root system file". Is it an actual folder called "root" or is the app you're using just telling you that you've reached the "root" of the filesystem? I can't quite work out what you mean. You also say Knox-powered apps still work which just adds to the confusion.
You stated you have had 3 new devices and they all self-installed harmful software. To get one device compromised is possible. To get three compromised means your either a high profile government target (which I doubt because they wouldn't be so sloppy as this) or your doing something to compromise your own devices such as continuously visiting dodgy websites.
Flashing will fix things but so would having a new device. The only common denominator is you so either you're doing something wrong or you truly are a government target in which case I wish you good luck!
First let me appologise for the long silence, i cut off most online activity for a while and just read your answers. To clarify, i have not solved my prolem yet. But ill try to explain better what you ask about my situation:
About de os version arobase40 got it right. I Asked google play help reps. And a stock samsung version of android would not trigger googles warning about running a custom version of android. So that point to a modified after-the-fact more than to the fact samsung has their propierary version installed.
About beeing rooted or not, ylwhat you are asking is what im not totaly certajn of, also. I know partition can happen without rooting, its seems to have created a "virtual sd card" since its named as such when sd card slot is actualy empty. About the root files folder, i cant say for sure, all i can say is that its holding a large amount of Gigs that dont get taken into account when looking at storage capacity and usage, and accessing that folder gives me a message that root files cant be access from this device. Does it mean my device had root acess privileges revoked to prevent viewing files that hide what is given control of the software remotely, so i dont find out or have the capacity to remove or alter those files?
What is absolutely sure is that if it is rooted, it wasnt done by me. As for the chance the devices were not factory brand new, 1 of them was not, got it opend box from amazon, a saudi arabia version, but my prkblems had started months before getting it, did not keep it more than 2 months, and all others before and since are 100% pure factory new, some directly from my cellular service provider, as financed device came with 2 year agreement of service,(actualy 2 of them i got this way) and the last one is my tab s7+ i got online directly from samsung canada website, on preorder, delivered on release day.
And lastly the fact i cant seem to shake those persistent leeches, is not from having reckless habbits online, but from having careless and uneducated habbits before that all started, usual older lazy dude stuff, like not changing my wifi password after a ruff breakup with bipolar psycho ex gf, or having only a few passwords reused on most my accounts. I have stopped doing those things long ago now that i know better, but i suspect that i could have been unaware something gettnng installed and staying dormant for a while, maybe? The ex had way more opportunities than needed to do something like this and is more than psycho enough to realy do it also. For having the skills to do it, lets say she has "assets" that can easily get her guys willing to help about that. It may also be coming from somwhere else, but as you say im not a super spy or a high ranking gov. Official. Im not even that interesting, and have absolutely no usable id for fraud or anything, my credit history would raise more red flags then there is in all china. So after so long struggling with this still very active, i cant even think of a rational reason to do so much effort into this, theres nothing to gain, i only can imagine that maybe a twisted mind seeking revege, or with a sick way of amusing themselves could see the point to all that, but i dont realy care. I only want to get rid of it.
As for the way it manages to be so much persistent, i can only see one option left i didnt remove from the process, and its through my phone number/account on the sim card, even a new sim on a new phone, still is linked to my cell service. I did initial setup with only that new sim card, accounts freshely created during setup, with no info or anythink linkable to my previous accounts, and even did it sitting outside, far from any building that could get me in range of a wifi network. And it still was no more effective at staying secure.
Thats why i did not yet try to flash a stock rom myself on my device, because it would, at best, become exactly like it was when brand new, and i know that this is not enough to keep it secure, and that means theres still something im missing in the whole picture.
My phone got hacked into and I'm wondering if I were to flash the latest or previous stock firmware to my phone, would it no longer be compromised?
How can I prevent this from happening again? I'm hoping that if I activate my phone and never connect to wifi. I say this because this phone hasn't been activated and always been connected to what I thought was a trusted wifi. Also if I were to do this would it be possible for this person to hack my phone again even if I don't use wifi?
I could be wrong but I'd rather do this first than sell my phone for the 3rd time and stop using smart phones altogether.
It is hard to say really. It depends on the vector of attack used to hack your phone in the first place. And it depends on who hacked your phone. Was it someone who can gain physical access your phone? If so flashing your phone isn't going to help because they can just do it again. If it is someone who doesn't have physical access to your phone, did you download a piece of malware? Were you tricked into running some malicious code? Was it a sketchy website your phone went to.
When you say your phone was "hacked" what does that look like? Is it opening random dialogues while you are using it and typing messages to you? Is it that your phone is running slow and lags and freezes all the time? Is your phone locked up and encrypted demanding you pay a ransom in bitcoin? Did you accidentally boot into recovery more and not know wha you were looking at and assumed it had to have been hacked?
So will flashing your phone help? We dont know. Does the wifi have anything to do with it? We can't say. It may be tha specific wifi network is the culprit. It could be any connection to the outside internet. We just dont have enough information to say.
Had to make a new account, however I have everything typed out on a text file on my OnePlus. I'll post it once I get to the public library and use a computer there. I don't have a computer to use at the moment and I'm not gonna make the same mistake and see my files regarding this on my Drive disappear again.