Fix for Security Hole in Android G1
In one fell swoop and with an automatically distributed patch, Google and T-Mobile fixed a problem with the G1 mobile phone whereby users could access root privileges and possibly raise all kinds of havoc.
In its originally delivered state, the G1 interpreted keyboard input as a remote shell request. This could be pretty annoying if you happen to type in "reboot" with applications running.
T-Mobile has since plugged the security hole with firmware update RC30, hoping thereby to raise the bar for any future hacks. The problem was discovered in early November, but got special notice after an experience by user jdhorvat. While talking on the G1 with his girlfriend, he restarted it.
When she asked why he wasn't responding, he IM'd her with the natural response "Reboot." He was surprised to see the device do just that.
Source of the security hole was boiled down to two lines of code in the init.rc file, according to the bug report. The file is a script that drives the boot process. A number of websites declared the problem one of the most embarrassing in recent history.
The G1 is manufactured by HTC and based on Google's Android platform, which is itself a knockoff of Linux and other Open Source components. Since its introduction, the G1 proved to be a favorite sport for hackers, who even managed to install and start Debian Lenny on it. The device is available in the U.S., but when other parts of the world start seeing it early 2009, all security holes will likely be plugged.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
CachyOS Now Lets Users Choose Their Shell
Imagine getting the opportunity to select which shell you want during the installation of your favorite Linux distribution. That's now a thing.
-
Wayland 1.24 Released with Fixes and New Features
Wayland continues to move forward, while X11 slowly vanishes into the shadows, and the latest release includes plenty of improvements.
-
Bugs Found in sudo
Two critical flaws allow users to gain access to root privileges.
-
Fedora Continues 32-Bit Support
In a move that should come as a relief to some portions of the Linux community, Fedora will continue supporting 32-bit architecture.
-
Linux Kernel 6.17 Drops bcachefs
After a clash over some late fixes and disagreements between bcachefs's lead developer and Linus Torvalds, bachefs is out.
-
ONLYOFFICE v9 Embraces AI
Like nearly all office suites on the market (except LibreOffice), ONLYOFFICE has decided to go the AI route.
-
Two Local Privilege Escalation Flaws Discovered in Linux
Qualys researchers have discovered two local privilege escalation vulnerabilities that allow hackers to gain root privileges on major Linux distributions.
-
New TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro Powered by AMD Ryzen AI 300
The TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro 14 Gen10 offers serious power that is ready for your business, development, or entertainment needs.
-
LibreOffice Tested as Possible Office 365 Alternative
Another major organization has decided to test the possibility of migrating from Microsoft's Office 365 to LibreOffice.
-
Linux Mint 20 Reaches EOL
With Linux Mint 20 at its end of life, the time has arrived to upgrade to Linux Mint 22.