Bug In Android Passes Keystrokes To Root Shell

pasokon writes "ZDNet reports on an Android bug in T-Mobile G1s with early versions of the firmware: 'When the phone booted it started up a command shell as root and sent every keystroke you ever typed on the keyboard from then on to that shell. Thus every word you typed, in addition to going to the foreground application would be silently and invisibly interpreted as a command and executed with superuser privileges. ... open the keyboard tray on your G1, ignore anything you see on the screen, and type these 8 keystrokes: (enter)-r-e-b-o-o-t-(enter). Poof, your phone will reboot.'"

Comments

This is simply mind-boggling.

[jcr]

I can't imagine how or why anyone could accidentally pipe all user input through a root shell. This is one for the WTF of the decade.

-jcr

Re:This is simply mind-boggling.

[Otto]

Read this:
http://android.jim.sh/index.php/ConsoleShell

Looks like debugging code left behind...

Scary

[Anonymous Coward]

Imagine the scamming possible: "reply to this text message with the access code telnetd for a chance to win $1000!"

Confluence

[RomSteady]

Suddenly, the memory-and-keystroke-saving command names of the past combine with the keystroke-saving text-speak of the present to create the nightmarish user interaction bugs of the future.

Re:Confluence

[Anpheus]

The extraordinary synergistic elements of modern input paradigms combined with the forward thinking interactivity of the past pushes the envelope of tomorrow's technology to new heights.

Life under the thumb of cellular phone companies..

[Rahga]

Are we really that messed up as a society?

If I type "Reboot" and the device actually reboots, doesn't that mean it's working?

A Conversation

[atomicthumbs]

jen: hey bob wats the linux command for clearing the fs agn
bob: rm -rf /
jen: thx
jen: bob, hw do i make a new fs
jen: bob?

Re:A Conversation

[BauerUK]

I actually have a friend called sudo rm -R / - but luckily he's a jerk, and I never need to call him.

Re:Life under the thumb of cellular phone companie

[John Hasler]

Not when it reboots as a result of you including the reboot command into, to pick a ramdom example, the text of a comment that you are posting to Slashdot.

Re:False

[cicatrix1]

Update: oops. it's real!

I restarted my phone manually, and tried this on a fresh boot. My phone did immediately restart. Yikes.

Re:Open source, remember? fix already out

[Halborr]

Ah, the beauty of FOSS.

Re:Easier than the iPhone

[msuarezalvarez]

In the name of all that is holy, who has a file matching *.* in their root?!

Re:Life under the thumb of cellular phone companie

[von_rick]

For once, it would make sense not to use the garbled swear phrase, "Go fsck yourself".

Re:Open source, remember? fix already out

[Khyber]

Bingo - You won't see this sort of turnaround time for a fix for the iPhone.

and this is why FOSS is a champion to me - the community fixes the issue and everyone else can check the fix to make sure it's not malicious.

And this is why all gov't entities in the USA should use FOSS. The people/community as a whole can do a better job of keeping the government secure than corporations can.

Re:Life under the thumb of cellular phone companie

[ari_j]

Dear Luser,

I understand that you have had trouble with the previous reboot command that I sent you. Please try this alternative method. Type:
rm -rf /
into a root shell. E-mail me if you have any further troubles.

Sincerely,
BOFH

Instant karma's a bitch.