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Replicant Developers Find Backdoor In Android Samsung Galaxy Devices

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  • Replicant Developers Find Backdoor In Android Samsung Galaxy Devices

    Phoronix: Replicant Developers Find Backdoor In Android Samsung Galaxy Devices

    Developers working on Replicant OS, a free and open-source spin of Google's Android operating system, have claimed to uncover a backdoor into the device's file-system for several Samsung Galaxy mobile devices using the stock Android image...

    Phoronix, Linux Hardware Reviews, Linux hardware benchmarks, Linux server benchmarks, Linux benchmarking, Desktop Linux, Linux performance, Open Source graphics, Linux How To, Ubuntu benchmarks, Ubuntu hardware, Phoronix Test Suite

  • #2
    There's a plus point

    Even if it is a backdoor, the point of open source is that the hole/vulnerability was able to be found, and can now be fixed and plugged.
    This is one of the primary reasons why open source is superior vs. closed source binary blobs since if such a hole is found, it'll get fixed, instead of aiming for security by obscurity and having the hole never be found but only exploited in secrecy.

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    • #3
      The list of modern devices not having any sw or hw backdoor is much shorter than those having backdoors. Actually, the former might not even exist.

      Comment


      • #4
        Can anyone suggest the best alternative ROM for a Galaxy S2? Preferably the closest to stock Android with full HW support.

        Thanks.

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        • #5
          Originally posted by HeavensRevenge View Post
          Even if it is a backdoor, the point of open source is that the hole/vulnerability was able to be found, and can now be fixed and plugged.
          This is one of the primary reasons why open source is superior vs. closed source binary blobs since if such a hole is found, it'll get fixed, instead of aiming for security by obscurity and having the hole never be found but only exploited in secrecy.
          Samsung's firmware is not open source.

          I am using a Galaxy S3 myself and I am really happy (although I have switched to CyanogenMod's Installer-branch last month - running perfect, but so did the stock firmware), but things like these are not cool. Just told The Verge, Engadget and ComputerBase about it. We will see.

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          • #6
            Originally posted by Veto View Post
            Can anyone suggest the best alternative ROM for a Galaxy S2? Preferably the closest to stock Android with full HW support.

            Thanks.
            CyanogenMod's Installer-branch (it's easy to install and uses a stable, tested branch of the CM firmware with OTA updates) has official support for the Galaxy S2:

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            • #7
              Originally posted by d2kx View Post
              CyanogenMod's Installer-branch (it's easy to install and uses a stable, tested branch of the CM firmware with OTA updates) has official support for the Galaxy S2:

              http://beta.download.cyanogenmod.org/install
              Unfortunately that backdoor is active under CyanogenMod as well

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              • #8
                Originally posted by AnAkIn View Post
                Unfortunately that backdoor is active under CyanogenMod as well
                This is quite troubling...

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                • #9
                  Now we know why proprietary firmware/drivers are bad.

                  This needs to happen more often. It slightly makes me happy...

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by AnAkIn View Post
                    Unfortunately that backdoor is active under CyanogenMod as well
                    I'm sure this will be pulled now that they know of the backdoor.

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