Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Researcher Unlocks Galaxy S4 Bootloader For AT&T, Verizon Phones

Posted by Soulskill on from the achievement-unlocked dept.

Trailrunner7 writes "Those of you who like to tinker and jailbreak Android phones should take notice of some new research conducted on Samsung Galaxy S4 Android devices shipped by AT&T and Verizon. Both devicemakers ship the Galaxy S4 smartphones with a locked-down bootloader that prevents users from uploading custom kernels or from making modifications to software on the phone. Azimuth Security researcher Dan Rosenberg has found a vulnerability in the manner in which the devices do cryptographic checks of boot image signatures and was able to exploit the flaw and upload his own unsigned kernel to the device."

7 of 75 comments (clear)

  1. Re:not a true unlock by DemonicMember · · Score: 3, Insightful

    A smart person who wants to "modify" their phone, turns off OTA updates.

  2. Real News: Galaxy S4 not easily unlocked yet! by crow · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The real news to me is that the Galaxy S4 is not already easily unlocked. I would have assumed that with the S3 being easily unlocked that the S4 would be similar.

    I would think the best strategy for the phone companies and the handset makers would be to make it just difficult enough that most people wouldn't bother, but easy enough that people who really care wouldn't avoid the phones.

    1. Re:Real News: Galaxy S4 not easily unlocked yet! by PopeRatzo · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The real news to me is that the Galaxy S4 is not already easily unlocked. I would have assumed that with the S3 being easily unlocked that the S4 would be similar.

      It will be.

      But jailbreaking isn't the answer. The answer is breaking AT&T into little bitty pieces and making contracts like the one between AT&T and Samsung illegal.

      If the anti-trust laws were enforced, S4's would cost about $150 and there would be no such thing as 2 year contracts for service. And there definitely wouldn't be the kind of collusion between hardware manufacturers, service providers and content providers that is destroying competition and making customers miserable and overcharged.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    2. Re:Real News: Galaxy S4 not easily unlocked yet! by crow · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Actually, it costs $237 to make one, so the price to consumers in a competitive market would probably be about $400 now while it's the latest and greatest thing, or $300 in six to twelve months. And of course, there should be a competitive market for financing for those who want to pay for it in installments.

    3. Re:Real News: Galaxy S4 not easily unlocked yet! by the_B0fh · · Score: 5, Insightful

      You are shitting me right? Talk about self indulgent pricks. If you want an unlocked S4, go buy it from Google's Play Store. Only $650 or so.

      The reason cell companies have $200 S4 is because they're fronting the money for it, and they want to make it back up (plus a nice multiplier, obviously) over the next 2 years. That is why your data plans are also so expensive, because they know once they've locked you in, you can't move for 2 years.

      And in 2 years, they front another $400 for you, so that you can get the S6 for $200. And they continue to milk you.

      But make no mistake about it - the S4 does *NOT* cost $150, and only a fucking moron thinks it does.

  3. I'm not paying $1000 for a damaged phone by mrmeval · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Why would I buy a brain damaged piece of crap? Also I'm not likely to buy Samsung again due to their abandoning the Galaxy S which I'm still using.

    --
    I'd go on a Vegan diet but the delivery time from Vega is too long. --brownkitty
  4. Re:not a true unlock by AmiMoJo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    A smart person doesn't buy a carrier locked phone in the first place.

    --
    const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
    SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC