Hello all
I've been reading this forum for some months now and i like the windows'es and informations i've found here on my Hermes device
But now i have some questions on using the often integrated tool field test.
I've found out that with the IMSI-catcher (german wikipedia as one of the sources), that are more and more often used semi-legal by the police(here in europe there are a lot of 'GA-90' devices sold to the police and other institutions), it is possible to listen to phone calls(man in the middle attack), by just 'emulating' the strongest phone-cell in the area, to which the device connects instead of connecting to the provider's cell.
I also read that it would be possible to find out if there was an imsi-catcher device active in the area near you or not. The only thing needed is a special monitor software (field test?) that observes the MNC(Mobile Network Codes) behavior(appearently you need 2 handy's from the same provider with the monitoring software running).
But they didn't explain exactly on which behavior you should pay attention.
Since I could use 2 windows mobile devices to test this out, I am searching for more detailled information on this subject, and the first place that came in my mind was xda-developers
I allready did search this forum for the subject imsi catcher, and the only thing I've found is this.
google result
so one person who tries to change hies imei number, and another one who doesn't seem to know exactly what an imsi catcher can do.
Is here anyone who knows more?
I know that where I live, there are pple who make abuse with IMSI-catchers(catching calls without the permission from a judge or similar, or even one time someone listening to his girlfriends phone calls to see if she's cheating(and she did and that was the reason he left her))And yes this one was a young policeman who told that to his friends and even was proud of it.
I also dislike the fact that the handy, instead of the encrypted one with the provider's cell, has an non encrypted connection to the imsi catcher(if not there would be no possibility for a listening man in the middle attack).
I also read about the cellphones from http://www.cryptophone.de/
Appearently they do allways have encrypted conversations even through an Imsi-catcher. But if that would be true, the other side will need the same handy to decrypt it again. Because it has to encrypt, the allready encrypted data traffic with the provider's cell, if not it can't allow any protection against IMSI -Catcher devices. I also ask myself if, depending on where u want to use it, the 2nd encryption could produce a to huge phone traffic that could result p.ex. in a robot voice...
Anyone who could light me up?
Or is there any software able of reencrypting the encrypted transfer on windows mobile devices?technically it should be possible(2nd phone dialer installed so you choose the normal one for normal calls and 2nd one for calls with pple who also have this software installed on their phones)perhaps not with an 256 bit encryption but perhaps with a 128 or 64 bit encryption...
BTW, if there would be anyone able to programm such a hot piece of software for windows mobile devices I wouldn't have any problem to donate him with paypal, and i suppose other pple would do the sameAnd no I don't wanna replace that by Voip or skype via HTC...
Thanks in advance
Patrick
So no one who knows more about this?
I would be very happy if i could at least test if they're really used that often as they say they are(where i live).
And since i could try it in different major 'cities' over here, i suppose catching a imsi catcher soon or later
I'm quite curios if all the pple, telling that there is a lot of abuse with these machines, are right, or if that's all nonsens...
It would be nice if a warning icon could be integrated into Windows Mobile or the dialer to indicate that a call is not being encrypted. Read the Wikipedia entry for IMSI-catcher for more info. I'm guessing CDMA is largely unaffected since the hole seems to rely on the UMTS spec's backward-compatibility with GSM.
I'd also like to note that Skype is the way to go for true endpoint to endpoint call encryption. You know, if you're a gangster or something and need to brush off the popos. It would be interesting to investigate whether the WM6 integrated VOIP stack requires authentication/encryption.
First post although I've been lurking for a while trying to decide what I'm going to do. I'm currently with AT&T off contract so I'm free to move. I've looked at the Fuze in several AT&T stores and the overall impression is that it's very sluggish. I know that loading one of the cooked roms helps by removing the useless stuff they add but when I went to a Sprint store this morning, my impression was very good. The Sprint version was very snappy and quick to the point where I could launch a you tube video in a couple of minutes where at the AT&T store, I wasn't able to do it even after an hour. I learned last night I have to find the youtube viewer for the Fuze to work.
Here are my questions:
1. How big of an impact is the network speed for this perceived difference in speed? I live in SF Bay area which AT&T says is 3G enabled.
2. Would loading a trimmed down rom resolve these issues?
3. Does the cooked roms allow me to view flash video and youtube videos with reasonable speed and ease of use?
Please advise.. I'm trying to make a decision today.
Now, I've read a bit about tethering and people's concerns about the provider detecting it. I work in network security field and can say for a certainty that they can detect it. Whether they act on it or not is another matter. Google "OS fingerprinting" or "TCP fingerprinting". The short description of the technique is to look at the TCP handshake packets (mainly the SYN and SYN-ACK) to look for certain default values and features. Every OS has a slightly different set of default values when a new TCP connection is step up. This can be used to detect what os is doing the connection setup. A common tool that does this is nmap. There are ways to make your OS undetectable or harder to detect but what we need for the tethering case is for the tethered OS to look like WM6.1 stack. That can be much harder to do than simply hiding. I'll try to figure out what a WM6.1 stack looks like compared to vista or linux for instance.
I'm getting my Fuze Monday and have 2 days to prep it before leaving for a trip. I want to see what my best options are to get the following functions working while I'm away:
1. tether for my notebook
2. web browser
3. email access
4. maybe some chat/IM
I don't have much use for text messaging or GPS navigation. My primary concern is usability and speed along with the ability to use it as a modem for my notebook since there's no broadband access while I'm away. Since I've only got two days or so to get it ready, that may factor in to how much I can do. I'm pretty comfortable hacking things but don't want to brick the thing before a long trip. It seems to me that I've got two options. First option is to leave the existing ROM and apply some of the "speed up" mods in the registry and such. Second, load one of the cooked ROMs. If I go with loading a ROM, what would be my best choice given my requirements above? I played with several and various AT&T stores and the interface was just too sluggish so I'll need to do something to make it usable.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Right before a trip with only 2 days to prep I would just hard reset and bypass the bloatware (there are instrucitons in the forum) and do the speed up tweaks and hsdpa/hsupa tweaks. This is what I did and the performance is light years beyond what it was out out of the box and I am getting donload speeds of 2200 kb and upload speeds of 1400 kb in Long island and Queens in NY
Please read the threads regarding the different Roms, they all list features & goals of the Chef within the first few posts.
Asking strangers to recommend a Rom is like asking them to recommend underwear. Your personal preferences and reactions to anything will vary from mine.
(long post warning...I'm placing the summary first for those who don't care to read the whole thing)
***
In summary, I want a mobile platform that I can tweak until I get it exactly as I like it; that will sync with Windows desktop and server platforms (this is a strong preference, not a "must"; upon which I own things and don't have to worry about them being stolen or broken; that doesn't tell everyone and their mother where I go and what I'm doing; and on which I can listen to Sirius radio; and to which I can transfer data back and forth via USB without any permission based cloud interface. It must also be compatible with Slingplayer software and I have a strong, strong, preference for a slideout QWERTY keyboard, but I'd sacrifice that if I have to for the above functionalities. I'm currently on ATT, but it doesn't have to be that way
***
I am thinking about purchasing a new phone. But the market is a bit more complicated than when I purchased my current phone (HTC Diamond), so I hope that you guys can give me some advice.
I have been a Windows Mobile user since 5.0. What I loved about WM is that I could come here and read about the various hacks, mods, and custom roms and generally find something to address any problems I had, or find a way to modify the phone to meet my preferences.
I love the mobile version of Office and I use it constantly for work purposes. I especially like being able to sync outlook contacts on both phone and device, and that I can make presentations from the phone, and can open and manipulate Word and Excel.
I was also using SiriusXM 6 by tcbush over on Geekstoolbox to listen to satellite radio. Unfortunately, Sirius has taken down their legacy servers that streamed content to third party providers. So it does not appear that I can listen to satellite radio any longer via my mobile device.
It is this turn of events (Sirius radio) that is my main motivator for seeking a new phone. I could listen to Sirius via the web, but that requires a Flash player and I can't find a version of flash for WM 6.1. I have both Opera Mini and IE. So, if any of you know a way for a WM 6.1 device to listen to Sirius, you will have solved my immediate problem and saved me some money. I would really appreciate that.
But on the larger scale, I know that one day I will have to replace my beloved Diamond. Her slideout QWERTY is starting to jiggle, there are a few scratches on her beautiful face even though she hasn't gone a moment without a case and screen protector. Every now and again her D-Pad loses its way, and I have to reboot. Alas, I fear the end is near. *sigh*
So, in looking over the current landscape, I see three options: iphone, Android, and WM7.
Apple products to me are out for personal preference reasons.
That leaves Android and WM7.
Problem 1:
I enjoyed my prior experience of owning a WM phone supported by a network of generous, friendly developers who found ways that we could modify our phones to our hearts' content. I also like the fact that I own my phone and all its content. Once I install or tweak something, then that's it unless I decide to change it.
But the current market seems to be based on a top-down control model. From what I've read, owning a phone with the current tech is like owning a home on leasehold property or in a HOA: You pay full price for ownership but you do not enjoy the rights of control normally associated with that ownership. It seems that the devices are locked, difficult to unlock, find ways to re-lock, and that a Nanny-server may at times uninstall or disable software that it doesn't like.
I just don't get it. Has the culture embraced a model where a user pays a provider only to be told by that provider what he can and cannot do with the property he has purchased?
Of course, my perception of these issues could be incorrect. I recently went back to school and have unplugged from most external things. I haven't been following the "insider info" on xda for nearly two years. If I'm wrong, please tell me.
Problem 2:
User tracking. Sounds Orwellian.
I get it that the cell provider can locate you. I understand the technology reasonably well for regular Joe, and I understand that the network needs to know where you are. But until recently, the cell provider could not release those records without a warrant or some emergency confirmed by law enforcement like a lost person, etc. I actually worked with Sprint in conjunction with the police to attempt to track a stolen phone. However, it now appears that the manufacturers themselves and many app developers are bypassing the law by tracking users without their consent. Am I right on this?
I've read a number of articles on the Apple and Android tracking problems - generic apps tracking you and reporting your movements to Apple, Google, etc. Apps turning on the mic or camera at intervals and tracking your surroundings or conversations. Route these concerns through the awfulness of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, the Patriot Act, and the fact that both the post-digital presidential administrations (Bush II and Obama) seem intent on eroding what remains of our privacy, and it makes me uncomfortable. To make it worse, Google and Zuckerburg are both in bed with the Obama administration, and stories of their privacy infractions are epidemic.
Yet none of the progs I use on my WM 6.1 device use tracking (that I know of). So, in a very short time, it appears that the culture of mobile communications has gone from an ownership model with Constitutional protections to a free-for-all where you essentially pay big brother to track you.
I have heard many of my younger friends who have grown up in the big-government era use the default: "If you have nothing to hide, then you have nothing to worry about." But that's exactly backward. The law presumes your privacy and allows infractions only after due process. The current culture seems to presume lack of privacy, and treat privacy-seekers as an anomaly. And the tech seems to reflect the culture rather than the law.
Am I crazy? Even if I am crazy, is there a way to block this tracking? And, if so, does Android or WM7 better lend itself to blocking this tracking?
Problem 3:
USB data transfer.
WM7 doesn't support smart cards. But, the devices seem to have adequate on-board storage for my needs. However, from what I've read, I'll need to use Zune (on WM7, don't know about Android) to move data back and forth. Is that correct?
I currently use Windows Mobile Device Center to transfer files back and forth via USB or Bluetooth, and I really want to keep that functionality.
Thank you if you have read this far. And, given those criteria, what are my best options?
Droid X2. Get it.
Droid X2
Droid X2. Get it.
+1
Thanks for the responses. I've done a bit of research on the phone you recommended, and some research in general. I really need to spool back up
It looks like there are apps out there like WhisperMonitor that will help with my privacy concerns. Actually, it looks like there are Android Apps to address most of my concerns.
I'll keep researching that to determine how much functionality I'll have to sacrifice. And I appreciate the responses. Love the dual core structure of this phone. From what I've read, the benchmarks don't differ too much from single core phones, but it looks like the dual core really helps with load distribution and multi-tasking.
It will be hard to leave Windows...been with it since it was Pocket PC 2000. But atm, it appears that Android may work best for me.
I agree Droid X2, although VZW is expensive, its the best network
Off the basis of wanting a slide out QWERTY and Windows Phone 7, I would go with the HTC Arrive for Sprint. You still have Windows Phone, you can get Sling Player from the Marketplace, and it has a slide out QWERTY that when it slides out, angles the screen for better typing the way I look at it.
samsung galaxy s2
or atrix
If you QWERTY I'd wait till my4g slide if it launches with s-off. I don't imagine you'd be keeping the os in tact.
The g2 is also a beautiful phone. Amazing specs for the good hardware.
T-Mobile is also cheapest, I find, of the four carriers.
The epic 4g seemed nice. Hummingbird (Samsung 1ghz processor) is very nice and has a great gpu.
If you're looking to use google talk video chat, avoid nvidia tegra 2 chips.
Google's suite of software is pretty sweet. Google docs works nice, and there's an app for that.
As long as you download from android market you're good from malware. (If you do get it from market, google does pull the app from the store AND your phone, that's the only time I heard them doing this, and that was once instance.)
Besides... Supporting your developers is a great thing.
Did I miss anything?
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App
IMO almost any of the android phones would work for what you have in mind. As you pointed out in your follow up post there are apps out there for your privacy concerns. I've had a Moto Droid and now the HTC Thunderbolt. Both have been synced with my works exchange servers with no issues, google apps work great with Office docs, and the available roms and other customizations are almost endless.
Also, don't get hung up on a QWERTY keyboard. I swore I would never have a phone without one, but now that I do I actually don't really miss it.
Edit:
USB data transfer - very simple to do with android. Install a driver for the phone and then connect to your pc with a USB cable. Your pc will recognize the sdcard as removeable storage. Just select it in My Computer and drag and drop anything you want to move like you would for moving any file around in Windows.
Hi Folks, i read quite a bit in the XDA-dev forums in the last few years, but now it's time to change the status "from passive to active". :silly:
- I have a "ZTE MF90+" (a nifty little mobile 4G WiFi hotspot with battery). The Chipset should be based on a Qualcomm MDM9215.
- I bought it about 3 years ago and it is SIM-Locked (aka Provider-Locked iirc).
- I fiddled around a bit with it and am able to ADB into it (from my Ubuntu 18.04 machine and from my Raspberry Pi, too - e.g. to activate RNDIS/CDC mode for USB tethering)
- I have an unlock code, that should work "to tear down this SIM-Lock wall" without any hassle.
So far, so good ... but my interests are still not satisfied; i want to know what's up with the internals of this modem, when i enter the unlock code. I simply want to observe and understand what's going on under the hood.
To quote Ylvis from their song Stonehenge: "And i know i should be happy, but instead, there's question, i can't get out of my head!"
Maybe a year ago i did some internet research, where i found several clues that the "SIM-Lock" information might be stored inside some Section of a NV storage https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1954029.
On some other russian hacker forum (that i can't find right now, unfortunately) according to google translate one of them seemed to be able to change one NV entry there to get rid of the Sim-Lock. The tabs are still open on my other Ubuntu 14.04 Laptop 250km away from here, so it might take some time to provide the "russian hacker forum link" here for further reference. I haven't tried it out back then as i heavily relied on this mobile hotspot back then and could neither afford to brick it nor had the time to fiddle around further.
What i remember was also this thread: https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1804117, but this thread is from 2012 and e.g. the download link for the NV-items_reader_writer.rar don't work anymore, so i haven't tried it yet to get this program running.
So now i need your help:
-> What tools can i use (on my Ubuntu Linux machine, if necessary via WINE) to read out a "full image" of the (Android) system to flash back later (if necessary) and what tool can i use to read (and modify if necessary one day) the NV items to compare them "before and after" i unlocked it?
Any hints where to start and in which direction i could head from there? :cyclops:
Please help me to grow and rise :highfive: