Ask Slashdot: How Can I Protect My Android Devices From Hackers?

open WiFi? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-22 04:20 · Score: 5, Informative

if you don't use bluetooth turn it off; as for wifi there are lots of reasons why it won't work (overcrowded airspace, microwaves that interfere, etc). If you are not using WPA2; then you need to upgrade. I would try changing the channel your wifi is on as well (e.g. if it is 6 now, go to 1 or 11)

Re:open WiFi? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-22 04:48 · Score: 5, Insightful

100%, absolutely, positively, this. There is no app out there that will effectively protect you from yourself -- and, make no mistake, it is you creating the problem. If you run around roaming from AP to AP, run unsecured at home (what?!), and leave your BT on even when not in use, you're gonna have a bad time.
Re:open WiFi? by spire3661 · 2012-10-22 05:06 · Score: 4, Insightful

I shouldnt have to put up a firewall with stateful packet inspection just to get on the internet either, but we do.

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Good-bye
Re:open WiFi? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-22 05:08 · Score: 1

You don't "have to", but it's a good idea. It saves power, and it blocks with 100% effectiveness a potential attack vector. Even if there are no known exploits for a service, it makes sense to disable that service when not in use -- if for nothing else, as a JIC measure for the most paranoid amongst us. And, really, it's one tap of the screen to shut out all potential threats from a particular source... so just do it.
Re:open WiFi? by jtownatpunk.net · 2012-10-22 05:14 · Score: 5, Funny

I shouldn't have to lock my car but I lock it and most people would agree that I'd be stupid if I left my car unlocked.
Yay, car analogy!
Re:open WiFi? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-22 05:16 · Score: 1

Bluetooth was and is a bitch, just like most poorly designed and secured wireless protocols (and NFC is a worthy successor). Disabling it was a good security sense since Bluetooth-capable feature phones.
Re:open WiFi? by hawguy · 2012-10-22 06:21 · Score: 2, Insightful

100%, absolutely, positively, this. There is no app out there that will effectively protect you from yourself -- and, make no mistake, it is you creating the problem. If you run around roaming from AP to AP, run unsecured at home (what?!), and leave your BT on even when not in use, you're gonna have a bad time.
What good is Bluetooth if I have to turn it on every time I want to use it and then turn it off again when I'm done? At work my phone pairs to a Bluetooth speaker, when I'm on the train it pairs to my Bluetooth headset, when I'm driving it pairs to my car audio system. If I have to mess with my phone to turn Bluetooth on and off each time I want to use it, I may as well just plug in a cable.
Re:open WiFi? by mr1911 · 2012-10-22 06:26 · Score: 1

Yay, car analogy!
But on a day I don't have any mod points for car analogies. :-(

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Re:open WiFi? by mr1911 · 2012-10-22 06:28 · Score: 2

What good is Bluetooth if I have to turn it on every time I want to use it and then turn it off again when I'm done?
He said Bluetooth sucks. I don't think he is here to give you a sales pitch for it.

I have yet to find a Bluetooth gadget that was worth the extra battery drain. YMMV.

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Re:open WiFi? by SternisheFan · 2012-10-22 07:38 · Score: 3, Informative

Yep, at end of last year when my newly bought feature phone 'buzzed' for no reason while hanging with a 'friend' in his garage mancave, that's when I started to investigate phone security. Googled 'forced bluetooth hack' and read links like http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn7461-new-hack-cracks-secure-bluetooth-devices.html AND this http://hassam.hubpages.com/hub/Types-Of-Bluetooth-Hacks-And-Its-Security-Issues and I could go on ......
Re:open WiFi? by SternisheFan · 2012-10-22 07:40 · Score: 1

From http://hassam.hubpages.com/hub/Types-Of-Bluetooth-Hacks-And-Its-Security-Issues
1.Bluejacking 2.Bluesnarfing 3.Bluebugging 4.Bluetoothing Firstly let’s take a look into Bluejacking. In Bluejacking a hacker might send unsolicited messages to the victim in the form of a business card or a mobile contact with a text that may look intimidating to read. In many cases hacker may also send sounds like a ring tone. The victim’s mobile could then be infiltrated and he might never know what has hit him. Bluejacking messages can also be viewed as spam messages with emails. There have also been reports about people getting hacked by Trojan Horse’s which could mean a serious compromise. Bluesnarfing is considered a serious compromise in the category of Bluetooth hacking especially if the information vulnerable, is quite critical, as such attacks can allow the hacker access to victims; contact list, text messages, emails and even private photos and videos. The hacker can use brute force attack even if the device is invisible to guess the victims MAC address. The third type of hacking mechanism is Bluebugging, in which the hacker uses sophisticated attacks to gain control of victims mobile. It works just like Trojan horses, where the hacker can manipulate the users phone the way he desires by executing commands on the victims phone. The hacker could forward mobile calls from the victim’s mobile to his own device and can even manipulate the mobile to follow a Bluetooth headset instructions like; receive call, send messages etc. The final type is Bluetoothing which is just like social engineering; the hacker can use methods like harassment or luring the victim to fall his prey to his intentions.
Re:open WiFi? by desdinova+216 · 2012-10-22 10:27 · Score: 1

plus turning off bluetooth has the (desirable?) side effect of extending battery life between charges.
Re:open WiFi? by Pokey.Clyde · 2012-10-22 15:53 · Score: 2

Because it's just so hard to add a widget to your homescreen that will turn your bluetooth on and off with just one touch. And as an added bonus, increased battery life. Is that so hard to understand?
Re:open WiFi? by hawguy · 2012-10-22 17:08 · Score: 1

Because it's just so hard to add a widget to your homescreen that will turn your bluetooth on and off with just one touch.
And as an added bonus, increased battery life. Is that so hard to understand?
I like to keep my phone in my pocket, it's much less convient to switch audio devices (or just leave my desk to go to a meeting) if I have to take the phone out of my pocket or backpack, wake it up, unlock it, find the bluetooth icon on the main home screen, turn on blue tooth, relock it/turn off the screen, then put it back in my pocket..... if I have to go through all of that, I'd just plug in a cable. Isn't ease of use kind of the point of bluetooth? It automatically connects to paired devices when they are in range so I don't have to do anything.
Re:open WiFi? by hawguy · 2012-10-22 17:11 · Score: 1

Got something capable of reading NFC tags? Get an NFC tag and program it to turn bluetooth off and on like a switch without having to manually do it?

Are you sure that's safer? http://www.zdnet.com/exploit-beamed-via-nfc-to-hack-samsung-galaxy-s3-android-4-0-4-7000004510/

Phone/Tablet can't read NFC tags - why would you even consider purchasing them?
Because I have no NFC tags to read?
Re:open WiFi? by stephanruby · 2012-10-22 18:10 · Score: 1

For instance, my Optimus's Wi-Fi again shows an error, although I am sure that a hack is causing since when I reset the device when it's out of range from this home's signal the Wi-Fi works fine. And now the tablet (as of recently) can't access this home's open Wi-Fi, though it works fine when at other outside hot-spots.

The ssid could be hidden, other hotspots could be using the same ssid, the DHCP on the router could be misconfigured, your phone could be buggy (in addition to the DHCP misconfiguration), and yes, someone could even be intercepting your traffic by spoofing the open hotspot. Etc.
Considering the ambiguity of your report, the only thing that "I'm sure" of -- is actually almost nothing. For instance, this "my Optimus's Wi-Fi again shows an error" really doesn't tell me anything unless you specify the exact error it's giving you. And when I hear someone say "I reset the device" when talking about an Android phone, I really have no idea what they meant by "reset". Does that mean the user reset to factory defaults? Turned off the wi-fi on the phone? Long-pressed and clicked on forget the network? Turned off the phone? Turned off the phone and pulled out the battery for 30 seconds?

Are there any good (free?) security apps out there that would actually prevent this from occurring?
Security tools?
Yes, the hotspot is probably already equipped with one, it's just no enabled -- which is too bad. You should really ask your landlord to change the ssid, enable DHCP, disable ssid hiding (if enabled), use WPA2 authentication and use a good password on the hotspot itself.
And speaking of good third party security (or battery-saving) apps on Android, if you have some already installed, you should consider uninstalling them for a little while to see if they're not the ones causing the actual problem you're having. Third-party security apps on Android are pretty awful in terms of generating bugs, since many of them use undocumented and unsupported features of Android to try achieve their aim.
And yes, you could consider going through a VPN and encrypt your communications as much as you can, if you really don't want someone to able to impersonate the open hotspot and steal your data that way, but if the hotspots' DHCP server is the one that's causing the problem, then there is really nothing a VPN can do to fix your DHCP issues (if that's the case, your VPN won't work properly either anyway, and you'll probably still be get the same error message).
Re:open WiFi? by squiggleslash · 2012-10-23 06:10 · Score: 2

Public service announcement: can people who don't use Bluetooth please refrain from telling those of us who do how to use it. We know how to use it, and you obviously don't, or you wouldn't make silly comments like "Put a widget on the screen to turn it on" (presumably next to the widget that predicts to the second when the next incoming call will come in.)
Thank you.

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You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.

Try.. by mschoolbus · 2012-10-22 04:20 · Score: 5, Insightful

Why don't you turn Bluetooth off until you need it?

I am not convinced you are being 'hacked'.

Re:Try.. by thsths · 2012-10-22 04:46 · Score: 3, Insightful

Exactly. I would recommend to dial back the paranoia, not every bug is evidence of being hacked. Unfortunately the WiFi stack of Android is absolutely full of bugs, but most only cause a bad connection or a disconnect.
That being said, Android 2.2 is way out of date, and you should not consider it secure in any sense of the word. Watch the information that you put on your phone, including login data. And there is nothing you can do about it, except complain to the manufacturer about it not being "fit for purpose".
Re:Try.. by AmiMoJo · 2012-10-22 04:48 · Score: 1

The claims are truly dubious. I can't find any evidence of there being hacks available for the Optimus V or stock Android 2.2, and even if there were the phone is only discoverable for 60 seconds during which the attack would need to be launched.
What was the result of this hack? Can the questioner provide any details?
Basically as long as you only install apps from Google Play you should be fine. The problems with his home wifi sound like a router problem because clearly the phone can connect to other access points.

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Re:Try.. by Samantha+Wright · 2012-10-22 04:53 · Score: 5, Insightful

I've found at least one reliable citation. Note: if, in the future, someone says their Wi-Fi is "showing an error" and equates this to "being hacked," they're completely clueless. This shouldn't be on Slashdot.

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Re:Try.. by Lumpy · 2012-10-22 05:15 · Score: 5, Informative

Knowing the phone and the OS level, It's not being hacked. it's the craptastic phone and out of Date OS.
2.2.2 had MAJOR problems with wifi. the phone needs to be sold and buy a unlocked nexus from google.

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Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
Re:Try.. by Lumpy · 2012-10-22 05:16 · Score: 3, Informative

you have a junk phone with known problems running a very out of date OS. you at LEAST should be upgraded to 2.3.3 to fix most of the problems you are seeing.

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Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
Re:Try.. by AmazingRuss · 2012-10-22 05:31 · Score: 1

Indeed. My android phone has done this kind of crap since the day I got it. It's a feature.
Re:Try.. by Mister+Transistor · 2012-10-22 05:51 · Score: 3, Informative

I'll second this. I have an old crummy original 'drioid Motorola A855 and that still runs 2.2.3. There was never any further updates for it from .2 to .3 and the unsecured WiFi is completely unusable. It works passably on WEP and WPA2 but unsecured never worked right. If it ever would connect, it would time out or lock up after a few minutes of operation. Totally suck-tastic.

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Re:Try.. by realityimpaired · 2012-10-22 05:54 · Score: 1

Doesn't Virgin offer unlimited 3G data, still? Turn wifi off entirely.... Can't remember the last time I used it on my cell phone, and it's plenty fast enough to handle everything I want to do with data.
Re:Try.. by ThatsMyNick · 2012-10-22 06:05 · Score: 2

Or he could install CM7.2 (everything works) or CM9 Beta (with no USB tethering), and unroot the device.
Re:Try.. by capnkr · 2012-10-22 06:07 · Score: 2

Root it - you paid for it, why not own it, too? Then you can do your own upgrades...

CM7, 9

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Re:Try.. by nevermore94 · 2012-10-22 06:09 · Score: 3, Informative

You have an original OG Droid and you are still complaining about it now? The phone is ancient and should have been replaced a long time ago. That being said, it is also completely unlocked and one of the easiest phones to upgrade the OS on. Check out Cyanogen Mod or Project Elite for a whole new experience on the phone and repurpose it as a useful WiFi based media device.
http://www.droidforums.net/forum/project-elite/
http://rootzwiki.com/forum/205-projectelite/
http://www.cyanogenmod.com/devices/motorola-droid

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Nevermore.
Re:Try.. by SternisheFan · 2012-10-22 07:41 · Score: 1

Why don't you turn Bluetooth off until you need it? I am not convinced you are being 'hacked'.
see above, or click this link, bluetooth does not have to be on to be accessed. Shocked me too. http://hassam.hubpages.com/hub/Types-Of-Bluetooth-Hacks-And-Its-Security-Issues
Re:Try.. by SternisheFan · 2012-10-22 07:46 · Score: 1

Thank you for that. I am going to do more reading up. Tried to 'root' from an Android site about 2 months ago, it wouldn't accept the final step. Programs WERE added to my Optimus V. Worse comes to worse, I'll buy a dupe and never let it out of my sight. This way no one can 'hard hack' it by connecting a computer device to the phones USB. A 'soft hack' via wireless can always be erased by doing a factory reset, from what I've learned. But a hard hack, if I knew how to undo that, I wouldn't have posted this submission. Thanks again, to you and everyone. I'm saving and will be referring back to this /. story many times in the future, I know.
Re:Try.. by SternisheFan · 2012-10-22 07:50 · Score: 1

CM9 beta, huh? Like I've posted elsewhere here, this hard-hacked phone won't take the final step in the standard rooting procedure listed in Android Forums, I'll be trying all these things eventually. It's a quest!
Re:Try.. by SternisheFan · 2012-10-22 07:54 · Score: 1

Not so. Other posts have backed me up. As I've stated elsewhere, my phone's been hard-hacked via a USB cable. All due respect to you, this is an issue when someone is targeted with the right hardware. Don't believe, google "hacking android", here's one fast link... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/25/android-hackers_n_1704341.html
Re:Try.. by SternisheFan · 2012-10-22 07:59 · Score: 1

Root it - you paid for it, why not own it, too? Then you can do your own upgrades... CM7, 9

Since it was hard-hacked earlier this year, several attempts to root have failed at the very last step for me, and I know I typed in the exact string shown in Android Forums. I will be trying again. And I've been using 3g all summer, fast enough. When I factory reset the phone recently (away from the house's wifi), Wifi came back on with no problem. That lasted about 3 days. My Android tablet's (v4.0.1) wifi worked for the first few days also with no problem. Now at this house it's somehow blocked, works fine at the public library where I am now.
Re:Try.. by SternisheFan · 2012-10-22 08:01 · Score: 1

I bet you bought the cheapest you could find. $0 on contract when the phone was new?
All the people who I know that have Android based phones never have problems as you describe.
Pretty much, VirginMobile branded LG OptimusV running 2.2.2 ... $100 and $25 a month for unlimited text/3g, 300 minutes. I'm not cheap, I'm frugal..... Okay, I'm cheap!
Re:Try.. by fredgiblet · 2012-10-22 08:01 · Score: 1

I own an Optimus V, the upgrade to 2.3 was never released for us, it was supposed to be but then they decided to release a new phone instead.

I rooted mine and am MUCH happier with it now.
Re:Try.. by admdrew · 2012-10-22 10:07 · Score: 2

The HuffPo link references the NFC 'hack' that refers to a device state that describes roughly 0% of Android phones in the field (ie, pre-Android 4.x with NFC enabled). Basically non-news in the world of phone exploits.
While I certainly feel for you, I (as do many others here) truly believe this is a very specific situation in which a conclusion of hacking was jumped to far too quickly, and probably erroneously; the evidence is too anecdotal and not technical enough.

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LegendMUD
Re:Try.. by rwa2 · 2012-10-22 16:12 · Score: 1

Try "Wifi Analyzer" ... it does a great job telling you what wifi access points you can see.
I just picked up an HTC myTouch 4G Slide off of Craigslist... very nice phone, and CyanogenMOD 9.1 (Android 4.1 ICS) went stable for it quite recently. You don't even need any hacks anymore to root the phone, HTC will give you the boot unlock code.
http://trumblings.blogspot.com/2012/10/best-android-keyboard-phone.html
The only downside to CM9.1 so far is that the kernel doesn't have a loopback device, so I can't chroot to a full Debian using the "Complete Linux Installer" app anymore like I could under CM7 :/
Re:Try.. by Xest · 2012-10-22 21:46 · Score: 1

Honestly if it's been "hard hacked" though I'm not entirely sure what the fuck you even mean by that, then it's time to chuck it in the bin.
You're asking for security on a device which you also claim is effectively under someone elses control at a much lower level than you have access.
If you carry on using the device and anything you say is true then you deserve everything you get. In other words, you're the problem, you're putting yourself in a situation where you are using a compromised device.

uh what? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-22 04:21 · Score: 1

you cant connect to the wifi at your house with two devices so you assume its the devices and not the wifi?

Re:uh what? by spazdor · 2012-10-22 08:11 · Score: 1

Yes.

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More likely bad wifi chip/driver in the phone by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-22 04:22 · Score: 1

Probably bad wifi chip or drivers on the phone. My android moto phone would regularly hork up my router until it got an update

Re:More likely bad wifi chip/driver in the phone by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-22 04:25 · Score: 2, Insightful

Also, compatibility between routers and hardware is not uncommon either. My toshiba laptop couldn't reliably connect to my parent's router, though it works fine with Linksys. And I've seen many HP laptops have problems with many router brands.
Its likely your phone, or your router diverges from the wifi standard in some non compatible that causes problems.
I seriously doubt you are being hacked. Just shit technology.
Re:More likely bad wifi chip/driver in the phone by Mister+Transistor · 2012-10-22 06:01 · Score: 1

I can second this, too. I have had some early 802.11b stuff that used to lock up and BSOD whenever they would get around a router that did 802.11g. I had others that worked fine with linksys and netgear stuff but would lock up around Apple Airport routers. So yes, there are definitively incompatibility issues between differing hardware setups and especially so between differing generations of hardware.

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-- You are in a maze of little, twisty passages, all different... --

Re:Good fix by djl4570 · 2012-10-22 04:23 · Score: 5, Insightful

This IOS versus Android stuff is as tired as the Windows 95 versus OS/2 screeds of 1995.

A few tips.... by abhi2012 · 2012-10-22 04:23 · Score: 5, Informative

1. Put bluetooth in invisible mode unless you require somebody to find it. 2. Don't put the devices you add on auto send/receive. 3. Try putting an antivirus with a firewall. There are quite a few on the market. 4. Ask the network admin (of the WiFi at your home) to disallow listing of devices on the network. I suppose that should get you started.

Re:A few tips.... by stillpixel · 2012-10-22 04:38 · Score: 1

Good advice, sad that you have to go to this amount of effort for a smart phone or tablet.. You would think devices like these should be by default set in the most secure configuration requiring the end user to open them up as they find it necessary.
Re:A few tips.... by SternisheFan · 2012-10-22 08:04 · Score: 1

1. Put bluetooth in invisible mode unless you require somebody to find it. 2. Don't put the devices you add on auto send/receive. 3. Try putting an antivirus with a firewall. There are quite a few on the market. 4. Ask the network admin (of the WiFi at your home) to disallow listing of devices on the network. I suppose that should get you started.
Thanks for the advice, wish I could. When it's hacked, I get an error on both Wifi and Bluetooth, though I know that there is nothing wrong with them. I recently factory reset the phone away from the home's wifi signal, activated via Virgin Mobile, and all features worked fine again. That lasted only a few days though...
Re:A few tips.... by SternisheFan · 2012-10-22 08:08 · Score: 2

5. Install Wifi Protector. It prevents the ARP cache poisoning techniques commonly used to packet sniff on open WiFi networks, as well as DoS attacks in the same vein.
Looks interesting, I hadn't found that one, lots of apps available on android. Thank you. :-)

How to prevent being hacked by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-22 04:23 · Score: 3, Funny

Turn the devices off.

Faraday by Antipater · 2012-10-22 04:24 · Score: 4, Funny

Not Farraday. Damnit, timothy!

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Some tips: by kiriath · 2012-10-22 04:24 · Score: 5, Informative

Be wary of "any ol' bob's" android distro. Try to stay mainstream and stay up to date. If you're not using bluetooth, turn it off. If your vendor's version of Android isn't as secure as it could be complain with much loudness, if you don't get satisfaction switch vendors.

Your Wifi issues seem to me to be related more to your AP than the devices themselves. Perhaps try a different AP/Router?

I'm not sure how you could be sure a hack is causing a Wifi error. Even if it popped up and said "Hi! Your wifi is disabled because we're haxoring you" I'd be skeptical. You should try some of the mainstream android support forums with that and see what they say.

Good luck!

Re:Some tips: by Radish03 · 2012-10-22 04:53 · Score: 2

Your Wifi issues seem to me to be related more to your AP than the devices themselves.

I've had a similar wifi issue with my phone (Nexus S) maintaining a connection to a home network running one of those ISP provided all-in-one router/modems. The solution was to turn off "Avoid Poor Connections" in Settings > Wi-Fi> Advanced.
Re:Some tips: by kiriath · 2012-10-22 05:22 · Score: 1

That seems logical... from the AP standpoint having a low signal device trying to get its share of time can drag down the performance of the rest of the connections to the AP. If your phone is the only or one of the only devices connecting then it wouldn't matter(as much). A lot of times the AP will continually kick low signal devices if the threshold is set even marginally strict, so that it doesn't have to degrade the connectivity of the faster connections.
If you're on a low power device across the house from the router, investigating an option like the one above in your router settings might help you out.
Also, inversely you may be 'too close'. If you've got your tablet laying on top of your wireless router you might consider lowering power across both the device (if possible) and the router/AP (likely possible) to keep the signal from being too intense for it to efficiently communicate.
Re:Some tips: by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · 2012-10-22 05:40 · Score: 1

Wouldn't most hacking try to keep your connection working and remain unobtrusive?
A kid might wanna wreck your phone but most hacking would be to look for nudie shots or spy on you or coopt you into a botnet. All want to keep you running smoothly.

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Re:Some tips: by SternisheFan · 2012-10-22 08:11 · Score: 1

After the "forced bluetooth hack" happens, anything is possible to do to the phone. The routers at my place are not in my control, unfortunately. Until I can move to a secure place, I'm forced to learn a lot of new stuff. Really, thanks for your input.

Short-range attacks by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-22 04:24 · Score: 5, Informative

If the vectors you're being "hacked" through are BlueTooth or WiFi, it would seem that they're both occurring from fairly close to your physical location. Maybe you should figure out which of your housemates is hacking your devices and take appropriate action.

Re:Short-range attacks by K.+S.+Kyosuke · 2012-10-22 05:13 · Score: 3, Funny

Maybe you should figure out which of your housemates is hacking your devices and take appropriate action.
Like, deleting his porn?

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Ezekiel 23:20
Re:Short-range attacks by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-22 05:42 · Score: 1

Maybe you should figure out which of your housemates is hacking your devices and take appropriate action.
Like, deleting his porn?
Hold on now, we don't this to escalate into vendetta territory.

You're blocked. by drakaan · 2012-10-22 04:25 · Score: 3, Informative

Correlation is not causation.

You assume that since you were hacked via bluetooth before at a particular place (maybe) that since your connection to an unsecured wifi hotspot (!!! seriously? you're *really* worried about getting hacked but you're connecting to an open wifi connection?) doesn't work, it must be because of hacking.

Most routers have the ability to allow specific MAC addresses to connect, and to deny connections to MAC addresses not in that list. My guess is that's what's going on...hard to say, since you didn't mention whether you spoke to the person who pays for the internet connection associated with the previously-mentioned wireless access point.

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"Murphy was an optimist" - O'Toole's commentary on Murphy's Law

Re:You're blocked. by characterZer0 · 2012-10-22 04:56 · Score: 1

Why is connecting to an open WiFi access point a security problem? The device should never trust the network.

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Re:You're blocked. by Dan+East · 2012-10-22 06:04 · Score: 1

I wish I had mod points. Unless the submitter has direct evidence that he was hacked via Bluetooth (astoundingly, not just once, but twice on completely different devices that would require entirely different attack vectors / exploits), then I seriously doubt his device is being compromised in that way. I also find it very unlikely that WiFi was used to gain access to his device either.
I question what kinds of apps, modifications, custom roms, etc, this person is using, or if anyone that has access to his device (a significant other, etc) would have motivation to install "security" software that monitors his texts, calls, etc.
My opinion? I think more mundane things have gone wrong with his last two phones (running out of storage, radio hardware failures, bloatware hogging CPU all the time, etc) and he's simply attributing those problems to his device being "hacking" by a 3rd party.

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Better known as 318230.
Re:You're blocked. by spazdor · 2012-10-22 08:16 · Score: 1

By "waaaaaaaaaaay harder" you mean a few days of GPU cracking?

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DRM: Terminator crops for your mind!
Re:You're blocked. by SternisheFan · 2012-10-22 08:21 · Score: 1

Too pat. I don't believe in coincidence anymore, not after all I've been through the last 3 years, more to my story than I'm letting on here. It's real. Caught on last year to a 'forced bluetooth attack' (google it, you'll learn as I had to) when my feature phone vibrated while hanging in a 'friends' garage. No text, no phone call, but something made it vibrate. (Someone was outside with a 'hacking device') My 'friend' played a little too dumb, and checking that phone later, I noticed a big slowdown in response when pressing buttons, my first solid proof (to me) that something was definitely wrong.
Re:You're blocked. by admdrew · 2012-10-22 10:11 · Score: 1

Can you post some of the Bluetooth hack-related info you found? I'm honestly not finding anything concrete from some cursory Googling.

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LegendMUD
Re:You're blocked. by ShoulderOfOrion · 2012-10-22 16:19 · Score: 1

Find a new 'friend'?

FireAMP by whitelabrat · 2012-10-22 04:26 · Score: 1

I use FireAMP on my phone, but obviously if you are security conscious keep the bluetooth turned off when in public. And only use WiFi hot spots that you trust.

Move? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-22 04:26 · Score: 2, Insightful

I know it may not be real practical but if your roomates or close neighbors are hacking you all the time this might not be a very good establishment? I wonder what their motives are and if they can be trusted outside the digital realm as well. I'm also skeptical as to whether or not you are really being hacked. These things aren't that easy. I don't see how any non root app is going to be able to solve security problems which appear to be a problem of the OS.

Re:Move? by SternisheFan · 2012-10-22 08:24 · Score: 1

Thank you for your post. I have moved several times the last 12 months, can't keep doing it. Making my stand here. The same shit has happened to me for over a year now, I can't prevent it, .... (yet!).... Timothy and /. 's printing this story is helping me a whole hell of a lot, new things I haven't known about until today. :-)
Re:Move? by Xest · 2012-10-22 21:43 · Score: 1

Sorry but it sounds like you're a paranoid schizophrenic or similar, and you need a doctor, not a technical site.

Umm... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-22 04:28 · Score: 2, Informative

I think your problem is the "Open WiFi" in your house instead of your device. Maybe it's too overloaded to actually provide service with everyone using it.

Ask your housemates to secure the wifi connection or don't use it.

Why are you a target? by ebunga · 2012-10-22 04:29 · Score: 4, Interesting

Why are you a target? If you are actually a victim here, and not some person suffering from paranoid delusions, what makes you worthy of the risk of a close range attack?

Re:Why are you a target? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-22 04:40 · Score: 1

That's like asking why some teenager tagged the side of my house. Um.... because people are DUMB. That's why.
Re:Why are you a target? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-22 05:17 · Score: 1

Why are you a target? If you are actually a victim here, and not some person suffering from paranoid delusions, what makes you worthy of the risk of a close range attack?
Submitter posting AC here, possiblities include a lovely, concerned ex-fiancee who came into a boatload of money many years back (her 7 sisters + 3 brothers didn't want me to marry her, had me arrested on false assault charges) plus family members cincerned enough to want to keep tabs on me. I have moved, several times in the last 12 months. GPS hacked, other cheap tablet hacke last year while I was at work, made into a listening device, I smashed that one. This crap follows me wherever I go. I'd move out of state, but I have to figure this out or it will keep happeninf, I feel...
Re:Why are you a target? by dave420 · 2012-10-22 06:24 · Score: 5, Insightful

Have you seen a doctor? You have given a pretty decent account of what life feels like to a paranoid schizophrenic. I'd rule that out first before assuming that all your devices are hacked. Do you even have any evidence they were hacked? Or did they just start acting weirdly, and you assume them to be hacked? Give us something to go on, at least.
Re:Why are you a target? by murder_face · 2012-10-22 07:11 · Score: 3, Informative

I remember splicing some speaker wires together for a friend with scotch lock clips, and his (unknown at the time) bi-polar schizo wife tried to stab me because she said I was bugging their house.
Re:Why are you a target? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-22 07:18 · Score: 1

I had a friend who felt the same way, only he though an imaginary man in the sky was watching his every move. I recommended psychiatric help as well.
Re:Why are you a target? by SternisheFan · 2012-10-22 08:27 · Score: 1

How much meth do you turkey baste, and how long have you been up?
Captcha=discord
Are the captchas learning?
Never messed with that s**t, never will. Been off drinking beer for over 6 years now, at least. Not paranoid-delusional, though that would have explained it all very neatly. Thanks for your 'input'.
Re:Why are you a target? by SternisheFan · 2012-10-22 08:29 · Score: 1

Why are you a target? If you are actually a victim here, and not some person suffering from paranoid delusions, what makes you worthy of the risk of a close range attack?
I've explained elsewhere here, somebody who's very much a lady from my past still cares about me, I think. She would have the resources, if she so chose, to pay to 'monitor' me. As someone else posted, sounds like a bad novel, and I agree. Story of my life, lately...
Re:Why are you a target? by SternisheFan · 2012-10-22 08:35 · Score: 1

other cheap tablet hacke last year while I was at work, made into a listening device, I smashed that one. This crap follows me wherever I go. I'd move out of state, but I have to figure this out or it will keep happeninf
I had a friend who thought people were coming after him and putting listening devices in his home. Like you, he could provide no solid evidence that this was true, but he believed it to be the case anyways. Turns out he was paranoid schizophrenic. I'm not joking here. You sound like you might be as well, and should probably seek professional psychiatric help.
Like I posted before, thanks for your 'input'. I'm as sane as anyone else is, just had a very "interesting" few years of late. More to this story than I wish to get into, already I've said more than necessary. What's that quote from the famous psychologist from the 1930's? Something like, "It's not paranoia when they're really out to get you." That's been really the deal in my life the last 3-5 years. And yes, I've seen the Mel Gibson movie with the tin-foil room, no, I don't have a compulsion to buy the same novel over and over. :-)
Re:Why are you a target? by SternisheFan · 2012-10-22 08:37 · Score: 1

I remember splicing some speaker wires together for a friend with scotch lock clips, and his (unknown at the time) bi-polar schizo wife tried to stab me because she said I was bugging their house.
I'm not schizo, nor bi-polar, nor anything else but a 6+ year ex-beer drinker. The doctor's all say I'm much better now! (sarcasm)
Re:Why are you a target? by SternisheFan · 2012-10-22 08:42 · Score: 1

So if I trolled your post you'd be the a target for a reason? Sometimes the reason is to see if something can be done. This idea that a crime needs motive beyond "just because" is nonsense. Especially when it comes to hacking. When I was a kid I use to phreak. I had no one to call long distance until I got involved with the phreaking culture. By today's standards it would be a solution looking for a problem. For me it was just something to do.
I've learned this had a definite reason, to monitor my whereabouts, and at times to also use the microphone to 'monitor' the room the phone is in. It's benign, I'm sure, from well-meaning people from my past who wish to remain in the background. I've known about it for quite some time, just lived with it, no other choice. I've gotten real sick of it happening all over again lately, so now it's kind of a 'quest', like Chevy Chase's character getting to Wally World. I'm getting good leads here from the responders.
Re:Why are you a target? by thePowerOfGrayskull · 2012-10-22 11:28 · Score: 1

The best way to tell for sure is if you deny that's the case.
She's a witch! Burn her!
Re:Why are you a target? by Xest · 2012-10-22 21:58 · Score: 2

"Like I posted before, thanks for your 'input'. I'm as sane as anyone else is"
Look, that's precisely the problem with disorders like this, you wouldn't know that, you'd have no idea.
So just take this advice, okay, you're fine, or you believe you are or whatever, the point is you wouldn't know if you weren't.
So go to the doctors regardless, and just say people are questioning your sanity, there's no harm if you're right the doctor will tell you you're fine and you can carry on as is and everyone questioning your sanity here will be proven wrong. But if you do have problems that you don't realise you have then the doctor will be able to help break the cycle of denial about whether you have a problem and you'll be able to realise all along that you had issues.
What's the harm? Just do it, it's best to be sure.
Re:Why are you a target? by dave420 · 2012-10-23 04:04 · Score: 1

How do you know you're not mentally ill? That's the problem with mental illness - you might swear you're fine, but in the depths of some horrible illness.
Re:Why are you a target? by niado · 2012-10-23 05:44 · Score: 1

This post is GOLD. I'm sadface that it didn't get modded up :(:(

Re:Good fix by grub · 2012-10-22 04:29 · Score: 1

I remember the "DOS PC vs. Apple ][" crap in the early 80s. Just thought I'd toss out that bone and see the results. Too funny.

--
Trolling is a art,

hacked?! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-22 04:30 · Score: 5, Insightful

You aren't being hacked, the owner of the wifi in your house is fed up with you skanking his wifi and blocking you.
How did this get posted?

Re:hacked?! by SternisheFan · 2012-10-22 08:43 · Score: 1

You aren't being hacked, the owner of the wifi in your house is fed up with you skanking his wifi and blocking you. How did this get posted?
Not in this case, Wifi was part of the deal when I first rented. But thanks for playing!
Re:hacked?! by Tr3vin · 2012-10-22 10:40 · Score: 1

Deals are never broken. That would break the universe. (which is bad (the breaking part, not the universe (can't tell how bright you are)))

Webroot SecureAnywhere by colfer · 2012-10-22 04:33 · Score: 1

Don't know if it's the best, but it's the one the WSJ recommended a year or so ago. Yet for the last few months a pretty bad bug, failure to update, has affected many users: http://community.webroot.com/t5/Webroot-Mobile-for-Android/Definition-Update-Failed/td-p/9404 A fix is finally due this week, they say.

The problem is that many phones have very little volatile memory available. On my phone, apps like Facebook and Youtube and Twitter and Poynt cannot be deleted, nor the detested music content app of my provider. These are among the apps constantly demanding updates, and probably memory.

Otherwise it's a pretty good deal at $35/month for phone service & data, no contract (Sprint reseller), so it's a tradeoff

Useless apps clogging up the ability to scan for current viruses
vs.
reasonable cost
vs.
rooting the phone.

The latter is confusing enough from what I can tell, but might allow tethering.

How about COMODO? by cribera · 2012-10-22 04:35 · Score: 1

I've used it a while ago, and my phone seems ok, not sure if it's thanks to Comodo or to myself rejecting to go into unknown sites. How about the rest of the community? How has Comodo worked for you?

Check: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.comodo.pimsecure&hl=es

Re:How about COMODO? by SternisheFan · 2012-10-22 08:59 · Score: 1

I've used it a while ago, and my phone seems ok, not sure if it's thanks to Comodo or to myself rejecting to go into unknown sites. How about the rest of the community? How has Comodo worked for you?
Check: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.comodo.pimsecure&hl=es
Haven't tried that, yet. Thanks. Done a few others, they basically scan the installed apps on the device. This hack seems to go deeper. A scan app called X-Ray (I highly recommend getting it free from the Android PlayStore) has been the only one that picked up on actual problems, there's programs that I can't get off without rooting the device. Can't root the device after it's been properly hard-hacked via a usb cable connected to a computer device of some sort. Soft-hacks via over the air can be erased by doing a factory reset on android, I've learned.

Is this a joke? by DigitAl56K · 2012-10-22 04:36 · Score: 5, Insightful

So you have two devices having problems connecting to your home access point, and you assume you need protection for your android devices? It sounds more like you need to fix a problem with your access point, in that it's stopped accepting connections. Maybe it's exhausted DHCP assignments for your devices, or your MAC addresses are being blocked - maybe because someone was trying to spoof them, maybe because of a bug in the access point.

Going from "my devices are having problems connecting to my access point at home only" to "help, hackers are attacking my android devices" is a bit of a stretch, isn't it?

And more of a stretch is how this got front page...

Re:Is this a joke? by Mister+Transistor · 2012-10-22 06:32 · Score: 1

You forgot the part where Bill Gates personally will deliver to you a giant pile of Microsoft Preferred Stock and $1,000,000.00 for forwarding the message on...

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-- You are in a maze of little, twisty passages, all different... --
Re:Is this a joke? by SternisheFan · 2012-10-22 09:04 · Score: 1

So you have two devices having problems connecting to your home access point, and you assume you need protection for your android devices? It sounds more like you need to fix a problem with your access point, in that it's stopped accepting connections. Maybe it's exhausted DHCP assignments for your devices, or your MAC addresses are being blocked - maybe because someone was trying to spoof them, maybe because of a bug in the access point.
Going from "my devices are having problems connecting to my access point at home only" to "help, hackers are attacking my android devices" is a bit of a stretch, isn't it?
And more of a stretch is how this got front page...
The Tablet is new, hasn't left my sight since I've gotten it, no chance of a hard wired usb hack, and it has the Android version Ice Cream Sandwich, 4.0.1 ... It's wifi works whenever I am away from this house I rent from. The phone was likely hacked this spring when I lived elsewhere. I left it behind and out of my posession for a few hours, some made up 'emergency repair' ruse was used. I've learned since to never let it out of your sight, and password protect or best use the tic-tac-toe board to safeguard it from being hard hacked.
Re:Is this a joke? by BatGnat · 2012-10-22 14:06 · Score: 1

How do I protect my Commodore 64 from this????

Para-droid? by WoodburyMan · 2012-10-22 04:39 · Score: 3, Insightful

Okay so you are paranoid about someone attacking your device via Bluetooth, yet you're connection is a unsecured unencrypted WiFi network. Also if you believe someone is coming in via Bluetooth, then it's limited range, and someone in your home is doing it. Time to file criminal charges or move. This might be legit. However this strongly reminds me of a client we had to deal with that we had to finally tell to stop calling us, as he believed "hackers" were out to get him, and installed a virus in his phone line. As in the wire. Despite hours and hours of patiently explaining how it was impossible, and local phone company replacing and checking for wire taps according to him. He believed it because a person would always join the AOL Chat room he was in and tell him his phone conversations he just had. This was in dial up days. Within the last year, the same guy stopped in. (Only I recognized him as others who were working for our business at the time have all left). He claimed hackers kept installing viruses on his smart phone and he wiped it and they kept coming back.

Re:Para-droid? by dave420 · 2012-10-22 06:26 · Score: 1

Android apps can run as services and the visible app can be started for any reason by said services. You've leapt straight to the explanation of "I'm being hacked", and missed out the rational steps of actually identifying a hack. Paranoia isn't helping you.
Re:Para-droid? by SternisheFan · 2012-10-22 09:12 · Score: 1

Android apps can run as services and the visible app can be started for any reason by said services. You've leapt straight to the explanation of "I'm being hacked", and missed out the rational steps of actually identifying a hack. Paranoia isn't helping you.
I've learned that this spring. I know the difference when apps are activated via a google services program, and when I leave the wifi area with my phone, the pre-installed program "Where" becomes active, and it doesn't ever usually do that. I don't know about Poynt or some others. They can all be turned on at times, as if the launcher was force-stopped and reset every program to start. No, not normal behaviour for the OS, this I'm sure of...
Re:Para-droid? by dave420 · 2012-10-23 04:26 · Score: 2

I have no idea how you can tell the difference. Please go into details. So far you've not mentioned a single thing that differentiates your claims from those of a person suffering a paranoid episode. Have you used a task manager to actually see what services your phone is running? You sound indistinguishable from this guy, who let his paranoid imagination run rampant.

blocked MAC adresses by backwardMechanic · 2012-10-22 04:48 · Score: 4, Informative

Maybe he's being blocked because it's not his access point?

Re:blocked MAC adresses by SternisheFan · 2012-10-22 09:07 · Score: 1

Maybe he's being blocked because it's not his access point?
No, the wifi was part of the rent deal when I moved in at the start of the summer, never could use it until recently, stayed on 3g. Only very recently it's different. Another tenant got a new shiny tower computer, which he shouldn't be able to afford....
Re:blocked MAC adresses by BatGnat · 2012-10-22 14:04 · Score: 1

It means he must be a 'old skool' hacker. Does he have a neck-beard?
Re:blocked MAC adresses by Xest · 2012-10-22 21:48 · Score: 1

He's so old school he has a neck-beard AND wears sandals.

possible/probably by meerling · 2012-10-22 04:57 · Score: 1

I apologize for not being familiar with the current market of android security apps, and though that may be a good thing to have, I'm rather doubtful it's your current issue.

It seems you are concluding that you have been hacked because you can't connect to one home network that someone else administers, but are fine on other networks. It's probably the network, not your phone.

Some probably causes:
The admin changed the security protocol to one your devices don't support. (I see that with nintendo 3ds gameboys all the time.)
The admin changed the network key, and hasn't given you the new/correct one.
The admin changed speed settings to something your devices don't support. (Like 802.11g when your stuff only goes to 802.11c. No idea what your gear does support, it's just an example. And there are new double letter versions out there to cause even more confusion, like 802.11ac)
The admin has blocked your devices, or has set it to only allow specified devices, of which yours haven't been specified. (Usually done using MACs.)

In short, with the info you've given us, your phone is probably fine, your home admin is probably unthinking, stupid, or a dick. Try to find out which first before throwing accusations, you still have to live with them.

Re:Good fix by Lucky75 · 2012-10-22 04:59 · Score: 1

Don't you remember the viruses that affected iOS? http://www.tomshardware.com/news/iphone-virus-botnet-bank-details,9136.html

--
DNA -- National Dyslexic Association

Murdering the evil hacking room mates by nedlohs · 2012-10-22 04:59 · Score: 1

is clearly the only option.

Sadly that will prbbaly seem reasonable considering your display of logic and reason so far.

Re:Submitter here... by assantisz · 2012-10-22 05:08 · Score: 4, Insightful

I've had enough of a crash course in android this year to know it's real, especially when I have family members who are in law enforcement and gov't jobs that they can't/won't talk about. Those people do have access to the 'interesting' toys...

I don't know, dude. The most logical answer anybody here can give you: your wifi access at home is crap because a) both of your devices work fine using other hotspots and b) both of your devices don't work at home. Btw, Android 2.2.x (aka Froyo) is known to have wifi problems in enterprise settings. Google fixed that in 2.3. Just another example how other explanations make a lot more sense than "I am being hacked." And the quote above makes you sound a bit of a looney.

Re:Good fix by Bill_the_Engineer · 2012-10-22 05:12 · Score: 4, Funny

Everyone knows it was the Atari 800 versus the Commodore 64 that was the holy war of the 80s!

Or was it Amiga versus the Atari ST?

Coke versus Pepsi.

--
These comments are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of my employer or colleagues...

A perfunctory glance at this post tells me by blind+biker · 2012-10-22 05:12 · Score: 3, Insightful

...that SternisheFan is not being "hacked". I do get the impression that he's somewhat clueless, though, and could benefit from the wisdom of the /. community.

For one thing: do not keep BT on all the time - that's going to sap a bit of energy from your battery. Not terribly much, but since it's also a potential safety risk, there is absolutely no need to have Bluetooth on unless you need it.

It's when the wi-fi situation was mentioned, that I realized the poster is clueless.

--
"The agriculture ministry is not in charge of Gundam" - Japanese ministry official.

Re:A perfunctory glance at this post tells me by admdrew · 2012-10-22 10:19 · Score: 1

This. His rebuttals are frustrating as well, like claiming other explanations are impossible. His difficulties with rooting the device also show he's just capable enough with Android to be dangerous, and not a modicum more.

--
LegendMUD

Re:Good fix by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-22 05:13 · Score: 1

Then why does he have a lamer phone running 2.2.2? Your android phone is crap if it's not running Jelly Bean.

Re:Get a Mac by Goody · 2012-10-22 05:15 · Score: 1

Yea, because anyone who can't identify security attack vectors, recompile kernels, or rewrite their phone's OS source code shouldn't be operating an Android phone.

--
Tired of being "punished" by the Slashdot $rtbl since 2002. I'm now over at http://soylentnews.org/ .

Dos and don'ts by tero · 2012-10-22 05:15 · Score: 3, Informative

Doesn't sound like you're hacked really.
But generally:

don't: ..run old versions of android (upgrade your devices - upgrade hardware if you can't run latest software) ..install apps from non-appstore sources, be vary of malicious appstore apps as well (read reviews, do research before install, generally avoid "freebie" versions of paid software). ..surf on strange pages, click strange links or scan QR-codes ..have bluetooth/wifi/nfc on when not needed ..connect to unsecure free wi-fi, ever. ..don't use public USB loading stations (airports, malls etc). ..have sensible information on your phone/tablet.

do ..use encrypted device / sd-card ..use passphrase to lock the device screen ..use remote wipe/anti-theft service (most AV-vendors offer this) ..keep backups ..consider using a VPN service for those moments you can't avoid connecting to unsecure wi-fi.

That's it for starters.

Re:Dos and don'ts by tero · 2012-10-22 05:17 · Score: 1

fantastic.. my nice formatting went to hell.

Re:Submitter here... by Quarters · 2012-10-22 05:16 · Score: 1

Seriously, paranoid much? A quick search on Google Play shows that Android Assistant is an app that helps you manage your device (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.advancedprocessmanager). Have you tried uninstalling it from the Apps setting screen. Wiping your phone by battery removal is all good and such, but it solves a symptom, not the underlying problem. In this case the underlying problem could be that you didn't uninstall the app or it could be that you're convinced someone is constantly injecting that app onto your phone...over a wifi connection you say you can't even access. I'll let the court of public opinion determine which is the more reasonable option. So you've got a wifi AP that doesn't like you and a widely available system management app. I don't care how much you insinuate about relatives in secretive government jobs, you're not convincing me that you are the target of some directed and repetitive hacking attempt.

The issue may be just RF not hacking. by Bill_the_Engineer · 2012-10-22 05:18 · Score: 1

Sounds like you have an issue with your WiFi. Try using a different channel and if that doesn't work a new WiFi router. There is a nice WiFi analyzer program that you can get free from Google play. Use it to find a free channel. The clue that I'm looking at is the "Bluetooth is being hacked" and "WiFi doesn't work in my apartment". Both of these use the 2.4 GHz band and you could simply be a victim of too many RF devices in a small area raising the noise floor to a level too high for your phone to work.

--
These comments are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of my employer or colleagues...

Re:Submitter here... by Quarters · 2012-10-22 05:19 · Score: 1

What's your argument for there needing to be some sort of correlation between disabling WIFI and that forcing an application to close? That doesn't happen. I can have Navigation open on my Android phone and turn off the GPS receiver. Navigation continues to run, alerting me to the fact that it is no longer talking to GPS satellites.

Obvious answer by daq+man · 2012-10-22 05:19 · Score: 2

" How Can I Protect My Android Devices From Hackers?"

Simple, don't turn them on.

Create an air gap by jader3rd · 2012-10-22 05:20 · Score: 1

Turn off cellular data and turn off Wifi. Also, don't install any apps. Those steps will prevent hackers from getting control of an Android.

Re:Good fix by Mister+Transistor · 2012-10-22 05:22 · Score: 2

Let us not forget emacs vs. vi!

Of course, everyone knows emacs is better! ;)

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-- You are in a maze of little, twisty passages, all different... --

Re:Good fix by cusco · 2012-10-22 05:40 · Score: 2

Coke vs. New Coke!

--
"Think about how stupid the average person is. Now, realise that half of them are dumber than that." - George Carlin

Basics of Droid Security by NinjaTekNeeks · 2012-10-22 05:41 · Score: 1

1). Turn off things you do not use, NFC, Bluetooth and wifi
2). Take caution when jailbreaking your phone, this exposes additional security vectors which require additional lock down steps.
3). Install applications only from the Play Store and read reviews before installing.
4). If your provider does not update your phone's software, you should do this manually via releases provided by manufacturers websites.

AFAIK that's pretty much it.

Re:Submitter here... by Bill,+Shooter+of+Bul · 2012-10-22 05:54 · Score: 1

If you have friends with specialized tools to detect this kind of thing... did you consider asking one of them to take a look at your device and/or recommend a security app?

I'm one of the doubters. I don't think you were hacked. But check out the major Anti virus companies products, I'm sure they would love to take your money and give you the peace of mind you've been lacking.

http://www.f-secure.com/en/web/home_global/mobile-security
http://us.norton.com/norton-mobile-security/
https://www.mcafeemobilesecurity.com/products/android.aspx

--
Well.. maybe. Or Maybe not. But Definitely not sort of.

two step security by stevejf · 2012-10-22 05:59 · Score: 1

1. Take out battery 2. Throw phone into body of water.

Re:Good fix by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-22 06:02 · Score: 1

Nope it was Commodore 64 vs Sinclaire ZX Spectrum followed by Atari ST vs Amiga

I don't see how this should be happening by 93+Escort+Wagon · 2012-10-22 06:06 · Score: 1

I had an old Froyo phone for a while. Even on that old OS, you could only set Bluetooth to "discoverable" mode for 120 seconds, after which it would turn off automatically. Setting TV show exploits aside... don't the BT attacks (bluesnarfing, bluejacking) require your phone to be in discoverable mode?

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#DeleteChrome

Needs more info by Synerg1y · 2012-10-22 06:12 · Score: 1

OP mentions "hacking" a lot, but doesn't provide any concrete examples of it besides suspicion. It's ok to not be very computer literate (I care less), but to think everytime there's an error = hacker is kinda dumb. You're probably getting an error on your wi-fi network (is it yours? public? neighbors?) due to misconfigured settings, those tend to throw errors. How do you know your bluetooth is being brute forced? Are there changes on your device you haven't made? Anyways I feel I'm throwing words to the wind here so...

I recommend: An anti-virus such as... Antivirus, or Mcafee, or Symantec (if they have one), a backup solution: Titanium backup is the one you want (requires root). Something like Advanced task killer is good, and last but not least, firefox & it's many security based plugins. Having those 4 puts you in pretty good shape, however... bluetooth hacking can only be done within range of the bluetooth device, if I saw logs on my computer stating an attacker is attempting to brute force my bluetooth key at my home no less, I'd either f' w them, or call the cops.

Re:Good fix by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-22 06:18 · Score: 1

A working full exploit involves getting root access, which is practically the definition of jailbreaking. Your request doesn't makes sense whatsoever.

Re:OP is retarded.... by Synerg1y · 2012-10-22 06:24 · Score: 1

2nded.

Re:Good fix by mr1911 · 2012-10-22 06:24 · Score: 1

Whoosh!

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This post comes with a double-your-money-back guarantee!
Any offense taken to this post is at your sole discretion.

Re:Good fix by EGSonikku · 2012-10-22 06:36 · Score: 1

Except jailbreaks require local, physical access to the device in question. Nothing remote.

--
- "Scientia non habet inimicum nisp ignorantem"

Re:Good fix by ReverendLoki · 2012-10-22 06:48 · Score: 1

Roth vs Hagar

Look, talking operating systems is one thing; you're threatening to start a war over something people really care about.

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09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0

Sniff for suspicious traffic on a regular basis by snookiex · 2012-10-22 06:57 · Score: 1

Critics about why this got posted aside, I use NetworkLog (formerly IPTablesLog) to check what's the traffic generated by my installed applications from time to time (and send the one I don't trust to 127.0.0.1 in the /etc/hosts or block it via a firewall). There's also another application for network troubleshooting on SourceForge, but I haven't tested it.

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Open Source Network Inventory for the masses! Kuwaiba

Re:Good fix by spazdor · 2012-10-22 07:10 · Score: 4, Funny

Wait, no you guys.... Emacs vs. Windows XP!

Which is the more bloated operating system?

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DRM: Terminator crops for your mind!

Re:Good fix by SternisheFan · 2012-10-22 07:14 · Score: 2

I have a 'lamer' phone because it's my first smartphone, the reviews I read before I bought it all said it was a very good for the money ($100) starter smartphone. And for the most part, I've been very impressed with it, takes great pictures, call quality is there, and I have a 600mhz, internet capable pocket computer, that also plays my 7500+ Mp3's, and I get all the old video game systems back. Seems like any one of these reasons would be worth $100.

Re:Good fix by slashdyke · 2012-10-22 07:19 · Score: 1

I thought it was IBM PC-AT vs Apple Mac vs Atari, and the Amiga was what they all tried to do, but could not, since it was 4096 colours when Macs were B/W, PCs were 16 colour CGA with a sprinkling of EGA, they beeped when the Amiga could produce robotic sounding speach synthesis, and the Amiga could even do basic 3d rendering with shadows, while formatting a floppy, and synthesizing speech, with a spreadsheet in the foreground calculating your invoices, and a video program editing your movies. The thing Amiga lacked was a great marketing department. They made a great product, but could not sell it.

Re:Good fix by blind+biker · 2012-10-22 07:22 · Score: 1

Everyone knows it was the Atari 800 versus the Commodore 64 that was the holy war of the 80s!

It was the C-64 vs Speccy. Oh, how I miss the succulent, heated, at times intelligent but always funny flamewars on Usenet. I think at least 30% of the participants were in on the joke, and weren't actually serious in their flaming the opposite computer.

When I read those threads, I thought humanity was good.

--
"The agriculture ministry is not in charge of Gundam" - Japanese ministry official.

Re:Good fix by Bill_the_Engineer · 2012-10-22 08:03 · Score: 1

PCs were 16 colour CGA with a sprinkling of EGA, they beeped when the Amiga could produce robotic sounding speach synthesis...

Actually when I was in college in the 80s, the physics department had a Truevision graphics card installed in a IBM AT. It had 24 bit color graphics. The card itself was more expensive than the Amiga computer system.

--
These comments are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of my employer or colleagues...

Re:Good fix by SuperMooCow · 2012-10-22 08:36 · Score: 1

CGA was only 4 colors (two ugly and fixed palettes) and EGA was 16 colors (out of a palette of 64 in later cards).

The thing Amiga lacked was a great marketing department. They made a great product, but could not sell it.

So, the complete opposite of Microsoft?

Easy. by nurb432 · 2012-10-22 08:40 · Score: 1

Turn off all your radios, dont install anything.

Other than that, you are vunerable to a degree no matter what you do.

--
---- Booth was a patriot ----

Re:Tried and True by SternisheFan · 2012-10-22 09:13 · Score: 1

Try downgrading to another phone (for example, the Nokia 3390B). It texts and calls like you would expect, and I've never had an issue with hackers.

Thanks. Sometimes I've wished for a 'dumbphone' again...

Re:Get a Mac by ugen · 2012-10-22 09:15 · Score: 1

Anyone who thinks that his phone is "hacked" because he can't connect to wifi ap - definitely.

how did this dumbass get this posted on /. by LodCrappo · 2012-10-22 09:16 · Score: 4, Informative

WTF.

The OP obviously is not "hacked". That doesn't make the first bit of sense. Even if the problem wasn't presenting on *two different devices*, why in god's name would any 'hacker' disable your WIFI (and only at your own home). What is the possible motivation for this imaginary criminal mastermind who has invested their time in ruining your WIFI when you are at home? Is he perhaps funded by The Others in a plot to steal your mind waves???

Or maybe... just maybe... (and I know, I'm reaching here)... YOUR ACCESS POINT IS BROKEN, OR HAS BEEN CONFIGURED TO BLOCK THESE DEVICES??? It's just a theory based on the fact that two different devices work fine with every other access point, but not this one. Wild, I know.

How did the editors not notice that this is complete ignorant crap?

PS
the entire question is retarded.

thank you

--
-Lod

Re:Submitter here... by SternisheFan · 2012-10-22 09:19 · Score: 1

Hi Submitter,

Posting anon since I'm at the office.

What if you take your phone in for a warranty exchange and get a different one of the same model at the dealer?

Also, I recall that a number of phones have cooked in cruft which turns on wifi, etc. to phone home and download more ads and other product placements. Is the OptimusV one of these? I haven't yet moved to an Android phone myself, but I have an Amazon Kindle Fire which periodically signs onto wifi to check for music and book purchases for me. Perhaps there's an application in your phone which is doing something similar.

Thanks for your post. Once you turn off/on these antenna based things (WI-FI, Bluetooth, 3G) programs from settings, nothing 'should' turn them on or off. I'm pretty careful about battery usage, and don't like advertisements popping up when playing games on it. The kindle fire I think (don't have one) is different, it's probably supposed to do that in it OS. It is primarily made to be a 'media consumption device'. While there are programs which will start others up, they wouldn't normally be able to turn on these 3 things when all else is turned off. Probably the Kindle will have settings to turn them off if you want to, but it's supposed to be hassle free. I'd learn more about it if I were a kindle owner. Sealed battery, location services probably...

Re:Submitter here... by SternisheFan · 2012-10-22 09:23 · Score: 1

If not for Android Assistant, I wouldn't have been clued into the fact that it shows the WIFI is active, even though the phone OS itself says it's not active. No, I think it's a decent little app to have on android, gives lots of info to the device. If it's some kind of back door, than over a million people have it. Would've heard something about that by now. Thank you, all this info helps...

Re:Submitter here... by SternisheFan · 2012-10-22 09:25 · Score: 1

What's your argument for there needing to be some sort of correlation between disabling WIFI and that forcing an application to close? That doesn't happen. I can have Navigation open on my Android phone and turn off the GPS receiver. Navigation continues to run, alerting me to the fact that it is no longer talking to GPS satellites.

I clear the Cache in settings/applications in all categories possible to be sure. This clears any permissions I may have given to Maps, etc...

Re:Good fix by Raumkraut · 2012-10-22 09:29 · Score: 2

Not true.
There is/was a website (jalbreakme.com, IIRC) which used a PDF vulnerability in iOS to jailbreak iPhones, just by clicking a button on their site using the iOS web browser.

Re:Get root by SternisheFan · 2012-10-22 09:29 · Score: 1

Get root because anything else is like trying to plug a leaky dam with a band-aid.

Oh sure, the astroturfers will now come out of the woodwork to claim "buy product u$ele$$, it'll make unicorn farts!"

But those are just bogus claims because you cannot defend a box properly if you are not its administrator.

Of course, it's not for the faint of heart (newb) though

I've tried to root as I've gotten more familiar, used Android Forums step by step for the model phone. Gets hung up at the very last step, though, as if it were already rooted by something else... Thanks for your help, I'll be trying root again soon....

Re:Good fix by Raumkraut · 2012-10-22 09:33 · Score: 1

the Amiga could produce robotic sounding speach synthesis

Heck, my BBC B could produce robotic sounding speech.

"Welcome to speeech. From Superioar Software"

Re:Good fix by brasscount · 2012-10-22 09:46 · Score: 1

The Atari 800 XL beat the C64 hands down, you insensitive clod.

--
Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability: without Availability the other two are assured, as is Bankruptcy.

Re:Good fix by sumdumass · 2012-10-22 09:46 · Score: 1

It seems to me that the phone you have might be more of the problem you describe though. Here is the problem, you are not going to get a decent firewall installed without root access and you will be limited to updates issues by the provider.

But don't let that dismay you. You can lock down your home network and pretty much get rid of what is worrying you. First, try simply replacing your wifi router as most of what you have described could actually be protocol crashes where the devices cannot deal with some sort of background noise or a flaky signal coming from the router. Linux based wifi access was this way for a while in my experience. It isn't as much a problem any more but a poorly written driver for the device could possibly cause the same issues you think it from being hacked. I had a situation once where when the police helicopters go close to my house, I would lose wifi access and after not being able to reconnect for several minutes, the devices stopped trying leading to a similar experience you are talking about. Changing the router to some brand the same as the neighbors who didn't have the problem- fixed it.

Next, look at your network and see if there are any computers connected that you didn't authorize, Most new routers can ban them from connecting.

Now, the problem that you will likely not be able to solve at all no matter what you do. There are ways to crack WPA2 and other security settings in a wifi connection that involve causing a device to dissociate with the network so it can capture log on information and use known elements of that to run attacks against the decryption. So someone might want on your network and are actively causing the devices to disconnect just to cause them to reconnect. About the only thing you can do to stop that is to get rid of the wireless (not practical in your situation). You could spend a bunch of money and get some monitoring equipment then track the errant signal down, but it would be generally expensive in both the equipment and the expertise to operate it competently.

Re:Good fix by narcc · 2012-10-22 10:14 · Score: 1

No, it does not. Just visiting a website was enough to jailbreak and install an app.

Once again, a walled-garden is no substitute for a proper security model.

--
Required reading for internet skeptics

Re:Submitter here... by admdrew · 2012-10-22 10:16 · Score: 1

While there are programs which will start others up, they wouldn't normally be able to turn on these 3 things when all else is turned off

Incorrect; it is very possible for apps to be given access to control those options (for examples, see every 'power widget' in Google Play). I have no idea what apps you may have that could do that, but again, this is very possible and not abnormal at all.

--
LegendMUD

Re:Good fix by AK+Marc · 2012-10-22 10:35 · Score: 1

jailbreaking assumes user involvement. You can root a phone without jailbreaking it.

--
Learn to love Alaska

Re:Good fix by technomom · 2012-10-22 10:39 · Score: 1

IBM mainframes vs. Amdahl. Yeah, I'm old.

Is this a test? by aybiss · 2012-10-22 10:40 · Score: 1

Anyone who fails to post on here saying how fucking stupid this question is loses their membership?

--
It's OK Bender, there's no such thing as 2.

Re:Good fix by Jozza+The+Wick · 2012-10-22 10:42 · Score: 1

"Welcome to Repton 3", as well.

Only Buy Rootable Devices by hackus · 2012-10-22 10:58 · Score: 1

Steps to defeat hacked Malware:

1) Only select a Android device which runs Cyanogenmod with the latest Android. That means the device has to be rootable. If the manufacturer will not allow that, do not buy it.
2) Root the device and install the latest version of android, right now at 4.1. Latest versions are available from Cyanogenmod website.
(Alternative you can build your own source tree for the Arm processor and do your own patches if you do not like what Cyanogenmod does.) If you do not know how to do this, or find the U-Tube Videos too complex, find a geek to help you and hold your hand while you do it so you do not brick the device.

First of all let me say that the first two points are critical because patches and security enhancements to Android are rapid. Change is your protection in a sense not just from patches, but from the installed dead end software the manufacturer shoves down your throat with the purchase of the phone hardware.

Secondly, most Android phones have Quad core processors in them now, or pretty good dual core processors and high performance discrete GPU's. Android manufacturers have a bad habit of thinking that their dead end provisioning of a phones operating system insures you will buy the next phone hardware out with the newest version of Android.

That is why most phone manufacturers are starting to join the LINUX Alliance, such as SAMSUNG and actually open their phones up or allow the purchase of such phones that are unlockable. Having a rootable device that has open drivers makes you the darling of the open source world, and that meens every geek out there insures everyone else buys what he has.

It also means you get a much more stable phone in the long run, as nightlies are constantly being worked on at the Cyanogenmod camp, and a fix is usually only a day or two away if something is wrong with your phones software.

Only complete idiots buy Apple iPhones. Take your slave labor (Child Labor?) iCrap back to the store and buying something like Samsung SIII which is a better phone anyway, both technically with Android 4.1 and better hardware, especially the camera which takes much better pictures than the iPhone 5.

Besides the fact you do not have a fascist control freak like Apple waiting in the wings to rob you of your revenues off their store if they like your idea, you can't get the source code for the iPhone 5. So you do not know who the hell is doing what on your phone when you download stuff, except for Tim Cook's nice smile telling you one lie after another "We don't bargain contracts based on protein consumption in labor contracts", "We would NEVER use child labor.", "Oh Apple's maps Application is much better than Google's, really its for your own good.", BLAH BLAH BLAH.

3) Make sure you read reviews of software before you buy it. Don't just go hitting the install button on any store you buy your phone software from either. Do some research first. Likewise as I stated before, any shannanigans that happens on a Android rooted device running malware is going to be _much_ easier to detect than a iPhone where you are not allowed to see what Apple, or who knows god what is running on the phone in the background.

But most of the time after your root your phone and you put the provisioning of updates on, you should be all set and prepared for a vast majority of the issues that are out there.

-Hack

--
Got Geometrodynamics? Awe, too hard to figure out? Too bad.

Re:Good fix by GigaBurglar · 2012-10-22 11:46 · Score: 1

4.1 has ASLR - although this isn't yet implemented on the linker - it should be at some point in the future. As for bluetooth - keep it switched off... WiFi hacks are only possible if you are using anything BUT a good cryptographic standard - WPA AES - keep the SSID non-standard - fairly random and a 10 character random alphanumeric key - preferably with one or two special characters and varying case. The only way to crack a secure WPA-AES WAP is through a channel DOS and phishing.. i.e. a fake access point.

Answer by Tablizer · 2012-10-22 12:00 · Score: 1

Q: How can I protect my Android from hackers?

A: Buy an Apple ;-)

--
Table-ized A.I.

that's an easy one by slick7 · 2012-10-22 12:02 · Score: 1

Don't buy smartphones smarter than yourself.

--
The mind conceives, the body achieves, the spirit manifests.

Move to a Windows Phone .. by dgharmon · 2012-10-22 12:33 · Score: 2

Stop using these defective and unlicensed products and immediatly move to a Windows Phone ...

Insert Innovation Here :o

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AccountKiller

My last post here (I Promise!) by SternisheFan · 2012-10-22 12:40 · Score: 1

Thank you so much, one and (mostly) all. I've just spent a couple of hours re-reading the 240+ posts, many sceptical, many others have been most helpful. And over time, after I've been able to absorb it all, I'll be better able to defend my devices due to these replies.

Since the 80's computers have been a hobby for me, I stopped after learning Win98, then got this smartphone last December. To any /. 's who have railed about this story not belonging here, I'll respond with, "It got voted in." I was suprised to see it posted, and I appreciate the learned responses, I laughed aloud reading some others, and for those who felt it a waste of time, well, not to be too snarky here but, "Send me a bill!" You cannot deny it generated some lively conversation, and isn't that what Slashdot is partly liked for?

If/when I ever do get to the root of my phone issues, I will submit an update to /. . And it'll be an, "AHA! I was right!" post, or a, "You guys were right, I don't deserve such hi-tech." type post. Either way, it's been a real intesting time. Thank you to Timothy, for posting my story, afaik, every word of it is true. I'm exhausted from all this, thinking about just getting a new Android phone now...

I'll be seeing you all in another storyline, that is if I'm not outright banned after this. Peace and long life to you all. S.F.

Re:Get root by jsh1972 · 2012-10-22 13:23 · Score: 1

Android forums isn't the only place to find info about rooting/romming, try xda forums, devices usually have more than one way to root.

Re:I have a related question by jsh1972 · 2012-10-22 13:28 · Score: 1

It's too late for that -your car has been hacked!

too late by jsh1972 · 2012-10-22 13:32 · Score: 1

It's way too late... should've used MyCleanPC! In all seriousness, go seek help, and I'm not talking about for your devices.

Re:Good fix by rwa2 · 2012-10-22 15:51 · Score: 1

Hmm, I had a similar problem with my android phone once... but I'm pretty sure it was solved simply by forgetting my home network and reconnecting to it again. Haven't had any encounters with malicious hacks that I'm aware of.

It helps to have a cheap tablet to experiment with android apps... that way I don't really have any temptation to run anything on my phone other than the bare minimum of stuff. I usually run custom ROMs on all my stuff, so I'm usually upgrading CyanogenMOD or something so I wipe the OS and start fresh a couple times a year.

Re:Good fix by rujholla · 2012-10-22 17:09 · Score: 1

I'm curious, does using a more difficult key protect against the WPA2 wifi issues that you are talking about? Or is it just a matter of more time to crack?

Re:Good fix by sumdumass · 2012-10-22 17:33 · Score: 1

As far as I know, it is a matter of time. I don't know if more difficult key might mean a longer time. Having more instances of the devices trying to connect increases it somehow which is why usually they do not knock them offline just once, but repeatedly.

I should note, I'm not an expert in this area by any means. I know I've tried it using rainbow tables and a brute force cracks and a couple of how to's written sometime about a year or so ago to prove a point. I was successful after about the 4 separate time trying. After the first time of succeeding, it seems to get easier to do. If I can do it, others can with a little looking too.

my best guess by CAIMLAS · 2012-10-22 17:33 · Score: 1

My best guess, based on years as a net/sys admin and your described systems, is that you've got an Apple branded access point.

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~/ssh slashdot.org ssh: connect to host slashdot.org port 22: too many beers

Re:Good fix by stephanruby · 2012-10-22 18:25 · Score: 1

Are there any good (free?) security apps out there that would actually prevent this from occurring?

iOS 6 comes free on the iPhone 5. Highly recommended!

That's kind of an expensive solution.

I can think of a few good quality dedicated wireless routers that I would use before trying to replace an open wifi hotspot with an iPhone 5.

Re:Good fix by slashdyke · 2012-10-22 20:26 · Score: 1

We used Amiga's to run a lottery game show in the Czech Republic. We purchased the 68040 accelerator cards and maxed out the RAM, and then added another RAM card - We bumped that little Amiga 4000 up to 182MBs or RAM, for only $30,000.

Re:Good fix by slashdyke · 2012-10-22 20:30 · Score: 1

Yeah, as I used to say, the Amiga could build great computers but their marketing department could not sell shit. PC/Microsoft could build shit, and they sure could sell it.

Re:Tried and True by Xest · 2012-10-22 21:51 · Score: 1

Then get one, trade your compromised device in and buy one with the cash you gain from doing so.

Re:This guy is crazy / a troll by Palmateer · 2012-10-23 05:14 · Score: 1

I got the impression that "Submitter posting as AC" was an imposter trying to stir the pot by making the actual AC sound way more Russell Crowe than he actually is. Heck, he posted other comments/replies using his login.

LG Optima V by stevenddeacon · 2012-10-23 16:37 · Score: 1

Seems like there are a lot of generation-y's out there that are really full of themselves. "There are no stupid questions only stupid (or self-important) people with really dumb answers". First of all LG has promised the Optima V will support Gingerbread - which is Android Release 2.3.6. Contact LG and find out if the update is available, is compatible, and get instructions on how to upgrade your Optima V. "DON'T DO THE UPGRADE YET! If the free version of "Lookout", (you don't need the premium version), is compatible with Android Release 2.2.2 install it on your Optima V. After a successful install it will do a virus scan of all your apps and files. Let it finish the virus scan. You might have some viruses which should be eradicated or quarantined. Next run the Lookout Backup facility to backup your apps, contacts, and files. Now upgrade your Optima V Android to Gingerbread Release 2.3.6. This release is far more stable and may fix most of your problems. Your not done yet! Check your home WiFi router. How old is it? If it is more than two years old you may be experiencing some signal degradation. If it is a lot older than two years old it could be experiencing serious signal degradation. Find out what security protocols your WiFi supports. WPA2-PSK would be the highly recommended but if your WiFi router is well more than two years old you may have to settle for WPA. You can find out what security protocol your WiFi is using by installing WiFi Manager on your Optima V which will scan for all WiFi device signals within range. Know your SSID for your WiFi so you know which one to connect to. Use the Android 2.3.6 Settings Widget (app) and select Wireless and network settings. Then select Wi-Fi settings to choose your access point (Wireless Router). Make sure you choose your home WiFi router SSID. Once your connected under WiFi settings select the SSID you are connected to. You will get a pop up window with Status, Security, Signal Strength, Link Speed, and IP address. Lookout security will always be running. It always starts up on a boot up and does a full virus scan of your cell phone's ROM and SD Card (if applicable) and before loading your resident apps. Lookout will actively scan any app you install or file you download on your Optima V for viruses. You can recover your contacts and files from the Lookout Backup if they get wiped clean during the upgrade. Happy hunting!

Re:Good fix by EGSonikku · 2012-10-24 14:51 · Score: 1

Emphasis on was, that was iOS 4.x like 2 years ago?

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- "Scientia non habet inimicum nisp ignorantem"

Re:Good fix by EGSonikku · 2012-10-24 14:52 · Score: 1

Emphasis on was, that was iOS 4.x like 2 years ago? No longer true.

--
- "Scientia non habet inimicum nisp ignorantem"

What? by kurkosdr · 2012-10-25 02:08 · Score: 1

So, you are concerned about security, and you bought a non-Nexus phone that you knew it was probably not going to receive updates (which include security fixes) fast enough or at all? And a phone from LG, which is THE worst company when it comes to upgrades? Please post your thought process, it should make an interesting read. Also, HOW did you got hacked? Bluetooth and WiFi (assuming you connect to WPA networks only) don't have any known security holes in the standard. Was it some bug in Android? How unlucky you need to be to be near a person that wants to hack in your phone and posses that kind of obscure knowledge?

Submitter end comment by SternisheFan · 2012-10-25 09:53 · Score: 1

It's been a few days since this story was posted. I'd spoken to my landlady about this issue, and hope to get her netgear router password protected soon. Today after resetting this OptimusV phone, wi-fi is working again, and the new wi-fi signal (that I suspect was blocking the phone and ICS tablet from receiving the wi-fi signal) is not active. This is a wi-fi hacking problem that would have happened no matter what device OS I use. Time will tell if this continues.

I lost my excellent /. karma since this story posted, I don't see why, but it's not the end of the world for me, I've survived worse tragedies in my life. Hey, it's Slashdot. :-)

Down the line, I'll be getting the needed detection programs available. I want to thank everyone on Slashdot who posted their helpful comments with this question, I've learned more than I knew before due to your help. I appreciate you good 'white hat' guys.

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