S85x0 Phone locked / phone freeze issue guideline - Bada Software and Hacking General

As some of you might have experienced, there are situations when the phone gets into the "locked" state on power up. By "locked" I mean that it request some password you have probably never established by yourself.
I've already seen some posts on several sites from people asking about that password and personally called Samsung support to ask about it.
It seems that happens in several situations. One of tjen is a phone with a SIM lock enabled, but I've also noticed that it generally is a problem on phones that have Exchange synchronization enabled and are using phone password. You might have entered the password or SIM unlock code incorrectly several times, but it seems that might not necessarily be required. It JUST happens.
The password prompt is pretty brief and does not constitute for anything you might have entered by yourself. Samsung support says the default password is 00000000. Well, if your phone ends up in the locked state. It is probably not the password you will be looking for.
The solution is flashing your phone, but it results in data loss.
The other way is entering the password (called Freeze Password) generated by the tool in this thred. The password is unique to your particular phone and consists of 8 digits.
After entering them you may be asked for your current Phone Password. Although you might have established that while using your phone, you need to enter 00000000 then. That being done, you can choose new Phone Password that has to be different from previous one. Your data should stay intact.
It happened to me twice already while using Wave and I managed to address the problem having the FLOCK installed. You may try it for yourself.

Related

Secured with password but only does swipe

My son has a Note 4 from Sprint on FreedomPop. (Only the best for my boy!)
A few days ago he enabled "Secured with Password" for the Screen Lock. He typed twice a well known password for us. But now the phone unlocks with a swipe and it won't accept his password for the screen lock.
I rebooted, wiped the cache, etc. No matter what we type (even his last few passwords) it won't accept and let us in to modify the Screen Lock. So now he can get in but it is less secure than before. Rooting probably won't help unless maybe I figure out what file or command might take care of this.
Any ideas?

Bypass FRP Samsung Galaxy and HTC

It could sounds rare but Android phone blocking it really happened! How can someone possibly setup a new password (PIN) and forget about it in a matter of several hours? Well, it turns out that all she wanted was to set something both easy to remember and hard to crack. So, she picked up a 6-digit PIN screen lock sequence, but obviously didn’t memorize it well enough later to confidently access her phone. Another thing is, averybody has several accounts that need password and sometimes is difficult to remember each. Internet show you alot of methods to unlock your device, but this could be the best, if you have some issue about it try this trick, I'll gave you the way to unlock samsung galaxy and HTC:
www(dot)techeligible(dot)com/2018/04/21/bypass-frp-samsung-galaxy
www(dot)techeligible(dot)com/2018/05/18/bypass-frp-protection-htc

Cant access my old HTC, but I need to

Dear XDA community,
I have an HTC Desire HD with, I guess, Android 2.X. I need to access crucial information on the device, but since I have forgotten my pattern from back in the days, I need to find another entry. Here is what I tried:
I put in the SIM card to have internet connection.
Having a phone call works well.
I tried to guess the pattern, but this was not working, and now it asks me to input my google account I registered this phone with.
Tried to type every google account I had in the last years, but none worked. I am pretty sure that I have the right one and typed it many times.
There is strange behavior when checking for the credentials. Sometimes it refuses the input in no time, it's like it is not even trying. Other times it takes like 1min, and it shows a loading sign.
It does the same no matter if I have a SIM card inside or not, which makes me mistrusting this option.
I tried to type "null" as the password since this should work for some android versions, but it did not for mine.
I tried to force a stack overflow by inserting many characters into the emergency phone --> did not work
There is a bug where you can put any characters into the emergency input by holding the menu key > klick on the right arrow > you can input any char
didn't help tho
Tested if ADB is active, but it seems to be not to. The micro USB port is a bit used, so the cable is not holding too good, but I think I tested it intensive enough.
I have a backup from the HTC and try to extract more information with BulkExtractor and can maybe give you more information.
I think about flashing a twrp through the fastboot recovery mode, but I am unsure if I can do it without wiping the data.
I am pretty certain that there is an exploit for such an old Android, but couldn't find it yet.
I would be super happy if someone here has some tips or hints.
Thank you <3

Question Hacked pixel 6

Can anyone help me carrier unlock my Verizon phone? My phone has been hacked and I hope being able to flash it will help me to get rid of whatever they have done to it. Can anyone tell me why I get this message when I reset my phone? Any help would be greatly appreciated
there is no carrier unlock for VZW models. if you can boot into recovery, sideload the OTA version that was last on your device.
What did you do that resulted in the phone being hacked? With the sectors being wiped that are shown in the images, it looks like you have provided total device access to something whilst having an unlocked bootloader or something similar. If you let us know what happened, it might help us to figure out what options you may still have.
But definitely see if you can do what @uicnren mentioned first.
Im not sure who or how they wiped anything. It happened one day after connecting to my girlfriends wifi. I got ahold of Verizon and they sent me a new phone and as soon as I started it the same thing happened to it also
How do I find what OTA version was used on my phone?
Nothing hacked here... this is an error when wiping the Secure Element (the trusted secure module).
(https://android-review.linaro.org/p...cure_element/1.0/SecureElementHalCallback.cpp line #66)
Are you initiating the wipe from the recovery? If so, that's likely the reason. If there is an account attached to the device, a wipe must first be initiated from within Android (Settings)
Woodruff87 said:
Im not sure who or how they wiped anything. It happened one day after connecting to my girlfriends wifi. I got ahold of Verizon and they sent me a new phone and as soon as I started it the same thing happened to it also
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what symptoms were you seeing that made you think you were hacked?
Those errors are normal in Recovery Mode. I see them all the time, sometimes they don't appear, usually they do.
Did you remove your google accounts from settings, do a factory reset from the reset menu and lastly in recovery mode where you posted the screenshots from.
Your Account might be hacked but the phone is unlikely hacked. You would get a message at boot telling you that the device has been modified. With a locked bootloader its extremely unlikely (unless NSO Group is targeting you).
Woodruff87 said:
Can anyone help me carrier unlock my Verizon phone? My phone has been hacked and I hope being able to flash it will help me to get rid of whatever they have done to it. Can anyone tell me why I get this message when I reset my phone? Any help would be greatly appreciated
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you unlock the bootloader? Have custom firmware/kernel installed?
A "hacker" wins nothing by resetting/wiping your phone. They want data, and that only works if the phone can turn on and works. This looks like a wipe/factory reset gone wrong, which spells user error or software error and less likely a "hacker" attack. Most hacks you will never notice. A hacker that makes you notice that something went wrong, is either an amateur or did it on purpose. Ergo, he wants you to know that something went wrong, which usually only happens in order to extort you. If there is no extortion, then an obvious act by a hacker is highly unlikely.
We need some more information. What firmware had you installed? What happened exactly when. Did you install any new apps recently? What did you do prior to something going wrong? All the information that could help us troubleshoot your issue.
You said your phone wiped itself a day after connecting to your girlfriends wifi, and that a replacement device that you got sent by your carrier, did the same. Did you check your Google account? Do you have two factor authentication activated? It sounds like your phone got wiped over wifi, which would require access to your Google account. It's just odd that you get errors, which normally shouldn't happen if someone would use the erase a lost Android device function.
It's also possible that your backup from your GAccount is simply corrupted (many people had issues with random reboots). You should try and set up your (replacement) phone anew without any backup, maybe that can fix your issue.
Beyond that Google account thing-y, anything else is highly unlikely. Even specialized companies have serious issues getting into a modern smartphone, lest alone an Android 12 phone with a Google Server grade Titan m2 chip. The newer the firmware, the less likely the chance that someone from the outside could get in, especially with a phone like a Pixel that isn't very common. Most security firms/govermental agencies can only abuse older, known security loopholes. It's more likely that very popular phones like a Samsung or IPhone are targets from "the bad guys", since there will be bigger payoff for breaking the security of those phones, since there is a greater pool of users to target. Most hacks I've witnessed weren't random, they were targeted. Ask yourself: Am I worth the trouble of getting hacked? Do you have anything of interest on your phone that would warrant an excessive use of resources? Managing to hack a Pixel is not only unlikely in terms of the security you need to breach, but also in terms of the potential payoff in relation to the necessary knowhow and resources. It's just "not worth it".
What you should do immediately, just in case, is secure your Google account. Change your password. Maybe even change your two-factor authentication, if you have one (sms is not secure, use a token generating software/device). Change the wifi password from your girlfriend and check the list of connected devices. make a list of these connected devices + history (find that in the rooter software) and check them against the devices you know of. Also check the list of connected devices to your GAccount. Use the option to log out ALL devices from your Google account, so only your device is connected.
Do any other people have access to your phone? Do any other people know your passwords? Does your girlfriend has access? Do any other people have biometric security saved on your phone? Do you trust your girlfriend completely?
Make sure you use a special, new password for your GAccount, never reuse old ones that you have used somewhere else. Also check your emails on https://haveibeenpwned.com/
Beyond that, if you are not doing already, use a password manager.
Woodruff87 said:
Im not sure who or how they wiped anything. It happened one day after connecting to my girlfriends wifi. I got ahold of Verizon and they sent me a new phone and as soon as I started it the same thing happened to it also
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wait a sec. Verizon sent you a new (refurbished probably but new nonetheless) phone and when you turned it on weren't you greeted with the startup menu? Am I missing something?
Morgrain said:
Did you unlock the bootloader? Have custom firmware/kernel installed?
A "hacker" wins nothing by resetting/wiping your phone. They want data, and that only works if the phone can turn on and works. This looks like a wipe/factory reset gone wrong, which spells user error or software error and less likely a "hacker" attack. Most hacks you will never notice. A hacker that makes you notice that something went wrong, is either an amateur or did it on purpose. Ergo, he wants you to know that something went wrong, which usually only happens in order to extort you. If there is no extortion, then an obvious act by a hacker is highly unlikely.
We need some more information. What firmware had you installed? What happened exactly when. Did you install any new apps recently? What did you do prior to something going wrong? All the information that could help us troubleshoot your issue.
You said your phone wiped itself a day after connecting to your girlfriends wifi, and that a replacement device that you got sent by your carrier, did the same. Did you check your Google account? Do you have two factor authentication activated? It sounds like your phone got wiped over wifi, which would require access to your Google account. It's just odd that you get errors, which normally shouldn't happen if someone would use the erase a lost Android device function.
It's also possible that your backup from your GAccount is simply corrupted (many people had issues with random reboots). You should try and set up your (replacement) phone anew without any backup, maybe that can fix your issue.
Beyond that Google account thing-y, anything else is highly unlikely. Even specialized companies have serious issues getting into a modern smartphone, lest alone an Android 12 phone with a Google Server grade Titan m2 chip. The newer the firmware, the less likely the chance that someone from the outside could get in, especially with a phone like a Pixel that isn't very common. Most security firms/govermental agencies can only abuse older, known security loopholes. It's more likely that very popular phones like a Samsung or IPhone are targets from "the bad guys", since there will be bigger payoff for breaking the security of those phones, since there is a greater pool of users to target. Most hacks I've witnessed weren't random, they were targeted. Ask yourself: Am I worth the trouble of getting hacked? Do you have anything of interest on your phone that would warrant an excessive use of resources? Managing to hack a Pixel is not only unlikely in terms of the security you need to breach, but also in terms of the potential payoff in relation to the necessary knowhow and resources. It's just "not worth it".
What you should do immediately, just in case, is secure your Google account. Change your password. Maybe even change your two-factor authentication, if you have one (sms is not secure, use a token generating software/device). Change the wifi password from your girlfriend and check the list of connected devices. make a list of these connected devices + history (find that in the rooter software) and check them against the devices you know of. Also check the list of connected devices to your GAccount. Use the option to log out ALL devices from your Google account, so only your device is connected.
Do any other people have access to your phone? Do any other people know your passwords? Does your girlfriend has access? Do any other people have biometric security saved on your phone? Do you trust your girlfriend completely?
Make sure you use a special, new password for your GAccount, never reuse old ones that you have used somewhere else. Also check your emails on https://haveibeenpwned.com/
Beyond that, if you are not doing already, use a password manager.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks I really appreciate the help and all the advice. I checked https://haveibeenpwned.com/ and my account has been pawned in 1 data breach... I will deactivate the Google account and start over fresh. Thanks again for all the info
bencozzy said:
Two things are they refurbished? And do they work without signing into google?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The first one was new, but the one I got from Google as a replacement was refurbished. Ill try resetting through the settings and deactivating all my accounts.
Woodruff87 said:
Thanks I really appreciate the help and all the advice. I checked https://haveibeenpwned.com/ and my account has been pawned in 1 data breach... I will deactivate the Google account and start over fresh. Thanks again for all the info
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This, among many other things, is one of the reasons I use GrapheneOS and NO gooble services (despite all the attention they give to sandboxed gooble services).
Woodruff87 said:
Thanks I really appreciate the help and all the advice. I checked https://haveibeenpwned.com/ and my account has been pawned in 1 data breach... I will deactivate the Google account and start over fresh. Thanks again for all the info
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
your google address was found on that site for another service and you used the same password for both services, correct?
despite what some believe, your google account will not get hacked unless your password is insecure (ie. leaked or insufficient with 2FA). anything less and your asking for trouble (also using GrapheneOS).

Pattern lock becomes wrong without reason - Phone locked and encrypted

I have a problem. Someone in my family has a Note 8 Pro and I installed crdroid on it for them (cause I use it on my Willow and never had any problem). And the problem is so simple yet so tough and I can't see a way out : according to her, suddenly since a week, her phone says that her password is wrong. She tried every possible variant of her password (she's using a pattern) and everything is false. The only possible Reason I see is that she forgot her password. But she is so sure of her that I'm forced to Believe her. I would like to be able to save her files (the internal storage is encrypted) but I really don't see what I can do. I never had this type of problem myself and I absolutely don't see how this could happen. She tells me it happened suddenly and that she didn't do any update or modifications. I know for sure no one except her accessed her phone. She could have forgotten it, that's technically the only option. But she enters it dozens of time per day, it happened in the middle of nowhere (it's not like she didn't use it for days), and she is absolutely sure that it is the correct pattern. I am forced to Believe her. She tried lots of variations of it but none works (more than a hundred). I'm mostly searching for what could have been causing this because I have zero idea. I know this sound hopeless but if anyone can help me I'll find a way to send you a coffee or an ice cream from the other side of the globe.
It may have been a virus, if you want your data generally it's all backed up with google one, granted it you have Gapps flashed

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