Develop Bugs

Researching the Kindle Fire's 'no Amazon Video with root' lock

So it's a bit rubbish that you can't use Amazon Video on your Kindle Fire if it's rooted. I don't want to steal movies, crack DRM or anything else, I just want to have a rooted device to use with my Amazon Prime VOD feature. Bit harsh imho. Sooooo.... I thought i'd have a poke around and see what I could find out.
What I found was a very complex web of protection on a scale above anything i've seen an Android app before. Not only does the application check for root in more that one location (in the application itself and in the native library), it also performs tamper detection on the APK. Not only that but it also checks that the signature on the APK to check that no code has changed (if you change the code in classes.dex and drop it in, this is usually OK on a /system/app file, but not in this case). The code itself doesn't have a single, uniform tamper / root check function, it does it all over the place. Finally, just to make things even more difficult, key parts of the code are pretty heavily obfuscated to make the code hard to analyse / modify.
Despite this, I thought i'd see what I could achieve by patching it piece by piece with the goal of allowing video with root.
The first step was to work out how to get around the signature check. Without sorting this out, the app would immediately flag up as being tampered if I made ANY change to the code. The answer to this was to re-sign the Amazon Video APK, ATVAndroidClient.apk. Of course we don't have the Amazon certificates, so we can sign them with our own, or with SDK certificates. Since Amazon Video uses a shared user id, other APKs need to be signed too. The full list is ATVAndroidClient.apk, KindleForOtter.apk, OtterTutorial.apk, AmazonVenezia.apk, Launcher.apk, Windowshop.apk, CSApp-unsigned.apk, MyAccount-unsigned.apk, amazonmp3-unsigned.apk, Cloud9-unsigned.apk, OOBE-unsigned.apk, com.amazon.dcp.apk, Cloud9SystemBrowserProvider-unsigned.apk, OTASilentInstall.apk, Facebook.apk and OtterAppManager.apk.
After doing this, the next step is to patch out the tamper checks. This can really only be achieved by tracing where the app goes and how it works and by carefully analysing logcat to get clues as to where the errors are happening. Since i'm in the UK I also had to use a DNS proxy with a static IP... I used unblock-us which works a treat. Eventually I got to a stage where I got the application to ignore any tamper detections, thereby enabling the various 'Watch' buttons.
In the next step I could see what something was triggering another problem, and it turned out to be detection of root. This was happening in one of the more obfuscated bits of code, but again with careful tracing I managed to find this and patch it out.
At this point the application was loading, passing tamper checks, giving me the watch buttons, requesting the stream from Amazon and giving me the loading progress bar etc... BUT... the licence request to Amazon continually failed. This is the point where I came to something of a brick wall. It appears that there is some additional root checking going on in the native library, and unfortunately, reverse engineering this is beyond both my abilities and more important the time I have available, so we don't have a fully working solution.
The positive things though are that we now have a patchable Amazon Video APK, which means we can implement the functionality of the 'root keepers' within the app itself. We can effectively make the Amazon Video APK hide the su binary from itself on launch and put it back after it's run it's checks. Not ideal, but might be the best way to go. Note that the root check doesn't care about the Superuser APK, it only checks for 'su'. It checks in all the locations in the PATH variable, so moving it to, say. /system/root and adding that to the path won't help. Unfortunately.
For now, I have to put this on the back burner, but i'm posting my patched APK below so that if anyone wants to pick up the work of reversing the native binary they can do so, simply by using this APK and re-signing it and the other APKs mentioned above.
Any questions, feel free to ask them here. Obviously I have no interest in saving streams, downloading movies or any stupid stuff like that, so don't even ask.
P
DOWNLOAD - MD5: f6044dbeffa4eb3f8361c71a96683150

send to kindle - passage through amazon servers
Apologies if this seems off off topic but I believe it may tied to your explanation of the security at Amazon --
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=21366426#post21366426
As proof of concept Ive been messing around with the SendtoKindle.exe from the desktop explorer -- and have failed to get anything worthwhile past the amazon servers.... to see if I can use the Send to Kindle to get say, a rom file or binary kernel or apk or something of that sort -- and have not been able to get anything past.
The fact that everything is failing is only making me want to keep trying different things -- which Ill just keep on trying.. so i will try different things -
Ive sent 40 different documents of all kinds to see what goes through and what doesnt... and the only things that are going through are basically legitimate items.
If this is entirely irrelevant to your quest, then my apologies -- but regardless I shall enjoy observing how you shall achieve your success Paul!

Solved. Its hacky, but I've confirmed it working. http://rootzwiki.com/topic/15134-how-to-get-amazon-prime-video-working-with-rooted-stock/

infinitybiff said:
Solved. Its hacky, but I've confirmed it working. http://rootzwiki.com/topic/15134-how-to-get-amazon-prime-video-working-with-rooted-stock/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No offense but this has been around for awhile and is known as a workaround. This thread is about finding a solution instead of having to use a workaround I suppose.
Here is an example of a thread posted in November with this information.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=19718688&postcount=6
And another thread in December.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1414235

G1ForFun said:
No offense but this has been around for awhile and is known as a workaround. This thread is about finding a solution instead of having to use a workaround I suppose.
Here is an example of a thread posted in November with this information.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=19718688&postcount=6
And another thread in December.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1414235
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Late to the party i suppose
Sent from my SGH-I897 using XDA App

What ROM were you testing on? Even if you temp unroot with RootKeeper on CM7, Amazon Video will not work (in my experience). The Watch button is always greyed out.

Takenover83 said:
What ROM were you testing on? Even if you temp unroot with RootKeeper on CM7, Amazon Video will not work (in my experience). The Watch button is always greyed out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried force closing the video app and restarting it while unrooted?
Also does video work on CM7? I have not installed it to try.
Sent from my E4GT using xda premium

mkuehn10 said:
Have you tried force closing the video app and restarting it while unrooted?
Also does video work on CM7? I have not installed it to try.
Sent from my E4GT using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, sure did. Something about CM7 that amazon does not like

Takenover83 said:
Yep, sure did. Something about CM7 that amazon does not like
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sure it's more than just the Amazon video app you will need to get this working...what apps are installed and are they on the system partition. Can you keep us posted on your progress?

B3L13V3 said:
I'm sure it's more than just the Amazon video app you will need to get this working...what apps are installed and are they on the system partition. Can you keep us posted on your progress?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There was 3 or 4 apks I had to install. Cant remember all the names off the top of my head. I know some account apk just to sign into amazon, video. I wish I could be more helpful but do not have my Pc in front of me right now (out and about). But the app its self was runing just fine. I Just was being blocked (even though I unrooted.)

[Q] Emulated game rom catalogue UI - does one exist?

Hi all,
I was wondering if any android app existed that aggregated information on game roms.
I had in mind something like the XBMC library experience whereby you can scroll through a catalogue of films which each have their poster/dvd cover, a snippet of information and their IMDB ratings (etc). There is even a plugin for XBMC that does this for games.
The reason I am interested is because I find the current method through snesoid/n64oid disappointing. My current workaround has been to use the shortcut functionality of the aforementioned and link directly to a ROM and replace its icon with that of the game box art.
On a related note - is there any way to manually add shortcuts to games into the Xperia Play app? This would go quite far to providing what I was after.
Many thanks in advance for any information.
EDIT: I should say for clarity that I am looking for something that will then launch the applications, not just list them.

Jonnyapps said:
Hi all,
I was wondering if any android app existed that aggregated information on game roms.
I had in mind something like the XBMC library experience whereby you can scroll through a catalogue of films which each have their poster/dvd cover, a snippet of information and their IMDB ratings (etc). There is even a plugin for XBMC that does this for games.
The reason I am interested is because I find the current method through snesoid/n64oid disappointing. My current workaround has been to use the shortcut functionality of the aforementioned and link directly to a ROM and replace its icon with that of the game box art.
On a related note - is there any way to manually add shortcuts to games into the Xperia Play app? This would go quite far to providing what I was after.
Many thanks in advance for any information.
EDIT: I should say for clarity that I am looking for something that will then launch the applications, not just list them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you are looking for something that doeasn't exist. It would need advance development. From my understanding you want to implement a feature into the PS stock app that loads games to load games that are meant to load via emulators. Wouldn't that mean the Playstation app would ahve to be an emulator? lol Try describing what you really mean maybe some dev can do something for you
Hope this helps

arian009 said:
I think you are looking for something that doeasn't exist. It would need advance development. From my understanding you want to implement a feature into the PS stock app that loads games to load games that are meant to load via emulators. Wouldn't that mean the Playstation app would ahve to be an emulator? lol Try describing what you really mean maybe some dev can do something for you
Hope this helps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that's not what he is saying. he wants a app which can list the roms he has and then get data for them from various online databases and scrapers and then launch it with the installed emulator
so his emulator roms and possibly games are in a sort of catalogue.
atleast that's what I think he meant.
Sent from my R800i using Tapatalk 2

fma965 said:
that's not what he is saying. he wants a app which can list the roms he has and then get data for them from various online databases and scrapers and then launch it with the installed emulator
so his emulator roms and possibly games are in a sort of catalogue.
atleast that's what I think he meant.
Sent from my R800i using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. This is what I am after. I have just found something called 'Launch Me' on the Play Store which, whilst having terrible reviews, says it does at least some of what I am after.
The problem I've had in hunting these things out is that 'Android ROM launcher' tends to turn up google results for Android roms and launchers
I shall cough up the £2 and try this app.

Managing collections with the Nexus 7

Hi,
Does anyone know of an app (or apps) that allow me to use the Nexus 7 to manage my ever growing CD/DVD/Comics collection? I know there are a few apps out there but I'd need to be able to sync the data between my Nexus and my phone (for portability).
Also, do barcode scanners work on the Nexus?

Try XBMC. It does everything you need, movies, tv shows, pictures, comics and more. Its currently in beta so there is no official build for Android but if you do a quick google search you will see that there are unofficial .apk's to try. Check out forum.xbmc.org to find all of the info you will ever need to know. Its a very friendly community.

SoldierOfCatan said:
Try XBMC. It does everything you need, movies, tv shows, pictures, comics and more. Its currently in beta so there is no official build for Android but if you do a quick google search you will see that there are unofficial .apk's to try. Check out forum.xbmc.org to find all of the info you will ever need to know. Its a very friendly community.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, when I said collection I meant physical items, I want to inventory them (and keep that inventory in sync on multiple devices) so that I quit buying duplicates

Something like Evernote? You can take pictures of your collection, label the items, and sync across all your devices/PC.
At least I think you can do that.....

The Collectorz apps are excellent, but also kind of pricy. I use the gaming app and it works great.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app

stompysan said:
The Collectorz apps are excellent, but also kind of pricy. I use the gaming app and it works great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Something like that yes, but one that doesn't need me to install anything on Windows or Mac (linux user). I'm trying out 'My Media Catalog' atm, it looks like it comes the closest to my goals of all apps I've found so far, but it still leaves a lot to be desired...
Next app to check will be Shelves...

Is it safe to Spoof Device Type for certain Play Store Apps?

Code:
[STRIKE]I just XBMC'd and rooted my Fire TV recently and sideloaded the play store successfully on my Fire TV.
However Google looks at the fire TV as TV device and thus does not show all apps or make them accessible (hulu android version (free content viewing))
I used this method but it looks like that Market Helper is crashing after step 1.
[url]http://www.aftvnews.com/how-to-trick-google-play-store-into-allowing-all-apps/[/url]
Went to the dashboard and the new device is not showing up....any ideas? :(
[/STRIKE]
I'm thinking about editing the Build.prop but I dont know what to put to mimic a AT&T Nexus 7 in the USA
I want to fake my entire device so I can use hulu for android on it. As android you can view free content on a mobile device without a plus account. I'm thinking about editing the Build.prop but I dont know what to put to mimic a AT&T Nexus 7 in the USA. I have a non-carrier Nexus 7 2012 and I can get the information from that but I'm slightly cautious...I've seen HDX threads how this is safe but what about on the Fire TV? I don't want a brick ;__:
lol looking at the build.prop the code name for the Fire TV was...Bueller..Like Ferris Bueller

Thread Topic Changed

seriously? no one has tried this yet??

stanleyopar2000 said:
seriously? no one has tried this yet??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Probably because your OP is confusing.
Okay, you want to spoof Hulu, that is what I am gathering from your post. I mean, who doesn't want to spoof Hulu so we can get some free entertainment?
Okay, the Hulu app, even though people seem to claim you can get free stuff on it, doesn't allow free stuff on it. So that leaves web browsers.
So far, my best luck has been Dolphin since you can change it to tell websites you are on a Desktop. Which is basically loads up, but I haven't been able to get it beyond that.
What we need is a custom browser for the AFTV that spoofs being a desktop (don't need to spoof the phone/tablet ****), that then layouts the page so it's useful for AFTV users. And that can, of course, actually play the shows, which I assume are flash crap, but I could be wrong.

nyder said:
Probably because your OP is confusing.
Okay, you want to spoof Hulu, that is what I am gathering from your post. I mean, who doesn't want to spoof Hulu so we can get some free entertainment?
Okay, the Hulu app, even though people seem to claim you can get free stuff on it, doesn't allow free stuff on it. So that leaves web browsers.
So far, my best luck has been Dolphin since you can change it to tell websites you are on a Desktop. Which is basically loads up, but I haven't been able to get it beyond that.
What we need is a custom browser for the AFTV that spoofs being a desktop (don't need to spoof the phone/tablet ****), that then layouts the page so it's useful for AFTV users. And that can, of course, actually play the shows, which I assume are flash crap, but I could be wrong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hulu allowed android users to stream free content that they can get on desktop free on mobile. It's only android. Not iPhone Every other platform (even the Desktop WIndows 8.1 app) requires a paid plus account. I was watching a full anime series (BECK) on the official hulu app on my Note 3 with a free account via chromecast screen mirroring. Using the Hulu Plus app on my smartphone. FREE. It's possible. I can jump on my Nexus 7 and go to the hulu app with a free account and pop on attack on titan without any issues (well with ads of course)
http://blog.hulu.com/2014/07/30/sample-free-content-on-hulu-for-android-2/
It says so here.
My problem is...is that when android hulu app starts up. It looks at the build.prop to see what device and model it is...and if it doesn't match the criteria of an android smartphone or tablet, it will be denied the free login.
currently my XBMC'd Fire TV has a "bueller" code name and a AFTV in the model area. Which is telling Hulu it's not an official android phone or tablet. I already used market helper to get full range of play store apps but that's just for the play store. My theory is that, if I change the build prop model and build names to my nexus 7 (2012) would it trick hulu into thinking the AFTV was a Nexus 7? thus allowing free content "sampling?"
I've changed the build.prop on my other devices for various things and reasons in the past and I can do it now. But is it safe to do on a AFTV??

stanleyopar2000 said:
Hulu allowed android users to stream free content that they can get on desktop free on mobile. It's only android. Not iPhone Every other platform (even the Desktop WIndows 8.1 app) requires a paid plus account. I was watching a full anime series (BECK) on the official hulu app on my Note 3 with a free account via chromecast screen mirroring. Using the Hulu Plus app on my smartphone. FREE. It's possible. I can jump on my Nexus 7 and go to the hulu app with a free account and pop on attack on titan without any issues (well with ads of course)
http://blog.hulu.com/2014/07/30/sample-free-content-on-hulu-for-android-2/
It says so here.
My problem is...is that when android hulu app starts up. It looks at the build.prop to see what device and model it is...and if it doesn't match the criteria of an android smartphone or tablet, it will be denied the free login.
currently my XBMC'd Fire TV has a "bueller" code name and a AFTV in the model area. Which is telling Hulu it's not an official android phone or tablet. I already used market helper to get full range of play store apps but that's just for the play store. My theory is that, if I change the build prop model and build names to my nexus 7 (2012) would it trick hulu into thinking the AFTV was a Nexus 7? thus allowing free content "sampling?"
I've changed the build.prop on my other devices for various things and reasons in the past and I can do it now. But is it safe to do on a AFTV??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay, with the recovery installed, I don't see why it's not safe to change the build.prop. Not the expert on it though.

nyder said:
Okay, with the recovery installed, I don't see why it's not safe to change the build.prop. Not the expert on it though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for helping me so far! so install a custom recovery and backup and then change the build.prop and watch what happens?...I wish more people would weigh in on this.............

stanleyopar2000 said:
thanks for helping me so far! so install a custom recovery and backup and then change the build.prop and watch what happens?...I wish more people would weigh in on this.............
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did some searching, found this article about it: http://apcmag.com/how-to-fake-an-android-device.htm
Found this also, different direction then spoofing build.prop http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/problems-with-hulu-on-android-fix-it-with-two-simple-and-easy-apps/

nyder said:
I did some searching, found this article about it: http://apcmag.com/how-to-fake-an-android-device.htm
Found this also, different direction then spoofing build.prop http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/problems-with-hulu-on-android-fix-it-with-two-simple-and-easy-apps/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks much! I will definitely look into this!

Backup YouTube NOW! Google pulling support for YouTube on FireTV!

https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/5/16738748/google-amazon-feud-youtube-pulled-off-fire-tv-echo-show-nest-devices
Back it up while you can!
Link to the current APK: https://1drv.ms/u/s!AjlFvM-kUCwh-j5XfAMn9ySTPBp3
I think they will shut it down from their end. Unless someone can hack the apk, it will cease to work on January 1st.

I read about this yesterday and saw a notification on my fire today. I'm sure a modded apk will resolve this. I also wonder if playing you tube from within kodi will work. Not as nice but it does the job. I went into youtube in kodi and it did not have that notification so that may be a work around. Not the bet but better than nothing. Really sucks that it doesn't show history and has no "home" per say.
Dave

I decompiled the YouTube app. I'm not convinced Google knows it's coming from a FireTV from the user agent string. Here's what the app uses:
Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/27.0.1453.93 Safari/537.36 Mozilla/5.0 (PLAYSTATION 3; 3.55)

So that begs the question, how can they block it? Is it just a scare tactic? If they don't know the source is an amazon fire they cannot possibly block it unless they put a youtube update to look for certain hardware criteria to ID it as a fire. If that's the case we just don't update the apk.
Dave

they seem to know how, since they are displaying the warning message on fire tvs only

What about alternative apps like Newpipe?

Im sure the hardware is identified by the build.prop...

The YouTube "app" is really just a webview to https://www.youtube.com/TV plus a shim to translate remote control commands. It seems very likely that any block should be trivially evadeable as long as that website remains available-- and since androidTV and smart TV UIs also use the HTML5 website, that isn't going to happen.
My guess is it is indeed something to do with the HTTP user-agent or some sort of other easily cloned fingerprint.

don_ernesto said:
they seem to know how, since they are displaying the warning message on fire tvs only
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well when I play youtube from kodi it does not display that message so..
Dave

TT_Vert said:
Well when I play youtube from kodi it does not display that message so..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right. So the question is how does Google know it's the app vs. Kodi? The user agent string seems pretty generic. Therefore, something else is going on that needs to be found.

The Kodi YouTube addon uses the API, which ultimately would be pretty easy to block. The FireTV literally connects to a public website, which is much more difficult. There are tons of ways to fingerprint a browser beyond the user agent.
https://amiunique.org/

This is exciting! It's a technology war. Doesn't effect me in any way. I rarely use YouTube on my fire tv and I'll just use chromecast if I need to watch it on my TV. Sure their will be an easy workaround. I'm team google. F amazon! Lol

look at this website.
https://smartyoutubetv.github.io/en/
there is a working apk to get YouTube back working on the stick. it is recognized as a lg tv

Yes, that app works perfectly. Good stuff.
I still think Amazon and Google will work it out, but if they don't, use that.

Is this better than the regular youtube app anyway?

That app is basically identical to the FireTV app, being a HTML5 webview of https://www.youtube.com/TV, but it supposedly also blocks their ads.

LOL NM I'm an idiot. I saw 1080 and instantly went for it without reading. FAIL.
Dave

mijorus said:
look at this website.
https://smartyoutubetv.github.io/en/
there is a working apk to get YouTube back working on the stick. it is recognized as a lg tv
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I sideloaded this today and also can confirm that it works.
Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

you tube is still working for me. i get the warning message but it load just fine.

tw39515 said:
you tube is still working for me. i get the warning message but it load just fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Eventually it'll quit. Mine was the same way for a little while.
Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk