Spotlight | Reviews | Current Issue | Academy | Newsletter | Subscribe | Shop |
Departments

Partner Links
Make your own website
WinWeb OnlineOffice
Comparing prices of hardware is worth it.
Price Comparison
UK Linux Jobs
What:
Where:
Country:
vacatures Netherlands njobs Linux vacatures
arbeit Deutschland njobs Linux arbeit
work United Kingdom njobs Linux jobs
Lavoro Italia njobs Linux lavoro
Emploi France njobs Linux emploi
trabajo Espana njobs Linux trabajo

user friendly

Admin Magazine

ADMIN Network & Security

Subscribe now and save!

ADMIN - Explore the new world of system administration! Special introductory offer! Order by September 30th to save 10% off the regular subscription price! Each issue delivers technical solutions to the real-world problems you face every day. Learn the latest techniques for better:

  • network security
  • system management
  • troubleshooting
  • performance tuning
  • virtualization
  • cloud computing

 

on Windows, Linux, Solaris, and popular varieties of Unix.

http://www.admin-magazine.com/

  linux-magazine.com » Online » News » Motorola's eFuse Security System Bricks Hacked Android Phones  

Print this page. Recommend
Share

Motorola's eFuse Security System Bricks Hacked Android Phones

If you rushed out to buy the Droid X today, you may want to hold off on trying to root it.

July 15 marks the release of Motorola's Droid X smartphone on Verizon, a device plenty of reviews have recommended for its large screen and impressive performance and decried for its battery life and lack of a front-facing camera. But for you fandroids out there itching to get your hands on the newest offering, buyer beware: it comes with anti-tampering security.

If you try to hack, root, jailbreak or modify any of the internal components, Motorla's eFuse security technology will corrupt the boot process, effectively bricking your phone. That's right, if you try to modify the Android operating system, you will be the owner of a fancy US$ 200 paperweight. According to a poster at mydroidworld.com, here's how:

"If the eFuse failes to verify this information then the eFuse receives a command to “blow the fuse” or “trip the fuse”. This results in the booting process becoming corrupted and resulting in a permanent bricking of the Phone. This FailSafe is activated anytime the bootloader is tampered with or any of the above three parts of the phone has been tampered with."

The security measure essentially flies in the face of the open platform the phone was built upon. It leaves the user at the mercy of the OEM, in terms of software updates and guts many of the customization options hardcore Android users have grown accustomed to.

For regular consumers, eFuse shouldn't be an issue, barring some catastrophic malfunction. But power users may want to look elsewhere.

(Trevan McGee)

Comments

sick of this assumptions

r3 Jul 16, 2010 1:55pm GMT

as far as I know.. the same chip has been on previous droid as well...
i found the story about the BRICK CHIP on some APPLE FANPAGE
first... now everyone goin nutz !.... lets have the facts please //

droid is dead.

me Jul 16, 2010 11:37am GMT

i was going to buy it. now i wont. and i think everyone should do the same. i like motorola but this is the end of it. no more motorola for me.

Print this page. Recommend
Share
Related Articles
Android 2.2 Officially Available Today
Android Becomes Number 2 Mobile OS on the Market
Google's Navi-Software for Mobiles with Android 2.0
Google Receives Last Shipment of Nexus One Smartphones
Review: Motorola Droid 2
IDC Forecasts Android As Leading Smartphone OS in 2011
No More Downloads!

Save the download and take Linux Magazine DVDs instead.

Each DVD contains a full distro like Ubuntu, SUSE, Mandriva, Fedora, or Debian and comes with the corresponding issue of Linux Magazine.

Don't waste time downloading Linux!

more...