11 replies to this topic

[dm666]

Did anybody enable Privacy Extensions in the FROYO Kernel yet?

The kernel does not use Privacy Extensions by default, so every mobile can be identified uniquely in the net.

http://www.heise.de/...s/rfc4941.shtml

https://www.codeauro...et/ipv6/Kconfig


can anyone provide the kernel source for the kernel that is used in e.g. Jellyfish and a link to a howto for compiling?

cheers
DM

[zurpher]

dm666, on Jan 14 2011, 12:18, said:

Did anybody enable Privacy Extensions in the FROYO Kernel yet?

https://www.codeauro...et/ipv6/Kconfig

Android devices tend to be identified by their unique IMEI number which is often sent behind the back of users to advertising and data mining companies to provide "better" service. How would a kernel with "IPv6: Privacy Extensions" contribute to privacy?

Afaik none of the ZTE Blade custom ROM developers have integrated privacy-enhancing features yet. My impression is that only a minority of users currently have privacy concerns. As a result, this seems not have a high priority for developers unfortunately.

Here are some links to other privacy related threads:

Privacy-enhancing Android apps

TaintDroid

Btw, it seems if your second link doesn't work. The first one was a bit over my head.

[dm666]

When the privacy extension flag in the kernel is not set, then the hardware MAC address of the mobile is used to form a part of the internet ipv6 address. so this enables identifying the mobile through EVERY internet packet it sends.

Enabling the flag would be so easy.
It is very sad that hardly anybode cares about privacy when using mobiles!!!

Yes, the second link does not work anymore, I'll look for a replacement.

Thanky for your pprivacy links, will chekc them out.

cheers
DM

zurpher, on Jan 15 2011, 22:38, said:

Android devices tend to be identified by their unique IMEI number which is often sent behind the back of users to advertising and data mining companies to provide "better" service. How would a kernel with "IPv6: Privacy Extensions" contribute to privacy?

Afaik none of the ZTE Blade custom ROM developers have integrated privacy-enhancing features yet. My impression is that only a minority of users currently have privacy concerns. As a result, this seems not have a high priority for developers unfortunately.

Here are some links to other privacy related threads:

Privacy-enhancing Android apps

TaintDroid

Btw, it seems if your second link doesn't work. The first one was a bit over my head.

[Autarch]

dm666, on Jan 14 2011, 11:18, said:

Did anybody enable Privacy Extensions in the FROYO Kernel yet?

The kernel does not use Privacy Extensions by default, so every mobile can be identified uniquely in the net.

I replied to your post in Kallt's Froyo ROM. The extensions are already compiled into the kernel but you need to do some sysctl commands to turn them on.

Edited by Autarch, 17 January 2011 - 10:59 AM.

[dm666]

Thanks Autarch,
I'll try it with sysctl. Never heard of this app before...

http://code.google.c...detail?id=14013

cheers
DM

Autarch, on Jan 17 2011, 11:59, said:

I replied to your post in Kallt's Froyo ROM. The extensions are already compiled into the kernel but you need to do some sysctl commands to turn them on.

[chall32]

I'm running JJ-RLS7 without any of the above modifications.  I'm on O2 UK.  Just trying to see if my phone gives away it's mac address as part of it's IPv6 IP.  I'm using http://whatismyv6.com/ via HSDPA (NOT via wireless)

Here are the results:

 ip6device.png   55.65K   31 downloads

As you can see, a IPv4 address is returned.  From the text in the  screenshot:

Quote

If the IPv6 only test shows "The page cannot be displayed" (Internet Explorer), "Server not found" (Firefox), any error or search page then you do not have working IPv6 connectivity. "Normal Test" shows which protocol your browser preferrs when you have both IPv4 and IPv6 connectivity. This page should work even on computers with IPv6 only connectivity.

Clicking "IPv6 only Test" (which in turn links to http://ipv6.whatismyv6.com/ ) The following is returned:

 ip6device2.png   43.87K   7 downloads

From this I guess I'm at least not broadcasting my mac address out onto the web (that is beyond the O2 network).  Am I lucky that it looks like O2 doesn't support IPv6 yet? or is it a fluke?

Wonder how big problem this is... Would be interested to see if anyone visiting http://ipv6.whatismyv6.com/ gets an IPv6 returned, and which mobile phone carrier you are on.

For those not familiar with the differences between IPv4 and IPv6:

• A typical IPv4 IP address looks something like 192.168.0.1
  
• A typical IPv6 IP address looks something like 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334

Feel free to post your carrier and IPv4 or IPv6.

- Chris

[Autarch]

chall32, on Jan 17 2011, 21:05, said:

From this I guess I'm at least not broadcasting my mac address out onto the web (that is beyond the O2 network).  Am I lucky that it looks like O2 doesn't support IPv6 yet? or is it a fluke?

Very few ISPs or carriers support IPv6 yet. I happen to work for a University, which does! Generally we find that OSes support it and have it turned on, whilst Network infrastructure tends to support it and have it turned off  

Mind you it's showing signs of wider adoption this year (particularly with the supposed running out of IPv4 address space any time now).

[Autarch]

dm666, on Jan 17 2011, 19:24, said:

Thanks Autarch,
I'll try it with sysctl. Never heard of this app before...

It's not an app; it's part of the operating system  

You need to be root to run "sysctl -w" (do "su" first on a rooted ROM) but any user can run "sysctl -a" to display all the settings or "sysctl -r" to read a particular one.  I managed it typing straight into a terminal window, but it would be easier using adb. I guess someone could write an app to tweak common settings with it (but would need a rooted phone).

If you add the sysctl commands to /system/bin/userinit.sh, that should run them as root. I guess I ought to try it ...

I should also add I was testing over WiFi. I'm not sure whether Android supports IPv6 over 3G yet (Google search suggests it didn't at least at one point) in the unlikely event the Telcos support it.

[cartierv]

zurpher, on Jan 15 2011, 21:38, said:

Android devices tend to be identified by their unique IMEI number which is often sent behind the back of users to advertising and data mining companies to provide "better" service. How would a kernel with "IPv6: Privacy Extensions" contribute to privacy?

Afaik none of the ZTE Blade custom ROM developers have integrated privacy-enhancing features yet. My impression is that only a minority of users currently have privacy concerns. As a result, this seems not have a high priority for developers unfortunately.

Here are some links to other privacy related threads:

Privacy-enhancing Android apps

TaintDroid

Btw, it seems if your second link doesn't work. The first one was a bit over my head.

and that attitude is appalling. Again, if it were just morons buying mobiles from some box-shifting company well ok. But for a hacker community that cares more about wall paper, tacky widgets and pathetic ugly '3d transitions' than it does about issues like privacy. It is pathetic. There is no other word for it. Pathetic.

[Autarch]

Autarch, on Jan 17 2011, 22:30, said:

If you add the sysctl commands to /system/bin/userinit.sh, that should run them as root. I guess I ought to try it ...

OK, I tried using /etc/sysctl.conf, which doesn't seem to work. Adding two lines to /system/bin/userinit.sh in Kallt's Froyo ROM does:

#!/system/bin/sh
#
#

# Run a2sd
/system/bin/a2sd

# Autarch - Enable IPv6 Privacy options
/system/xbin/sysctl -w net.ipv6.conf.all.use_tempaddr=2
/system/xbin/sysctl -w net.ipv6.conf.default.use_tempaddr=2

# Done here
/system/bin/setprop userinit.filesystem.ready 1

You can put it in place with adb

• adb pull /system/bin/userinit.sh userinit.sh
  
• adb remount
  
• edit userinit.sh as above
  
• adb push userinit.sh /system/bin/userinit.sh
  
• adb reboot

[ex-efixxer]

Autarch, on Jan 18 2011, 00:11, said:

OK, I tried using /etc/sysctl.conf, which doesn't seem to work. Adding two lines to /system/bin/userinit.sh in Kallt's Froyo ROM does:

#!/system/bin/sh
#
#

# Run a2sd
/system/bin/a2sd

# Autarch - Enable IPv6 Privacy options
/system/xbin/sysctl -w net.ipv6.conf.all.use_tempaddr=2
/system/xbin/sysctl -w net.ipv6.conf.default.use_tempaddr=2

# Done here
/system/bin/setprop userinit.filesystem.ready 1

You can put it in place with adb

• adb pull /system/bin/userinit.sh userinit.sh
  
• adb remount
  
• edit userinit.sh as above
  
• adb push userinit.sh /system/bin/userinit.sh
  
• adb reboot

seems like kallt is making an addon for enabling this soon..
http://android.modac...tft/page/2520/#

looking forward to that!!

any privacy enhancing apps, anybody??

my dream is a "firefox mini" with all addons available like noscript, abp or customizegoogle ... ) lol

[jzaw]

out of curiosity .... why are some people bothered that their MAC or rather a modified form of it is out there due to the NORMAL workings of stateless auto configuration RADVD OR RTADVD?

are you also going to be manually setting the ipv6 ip of your tv, sat tuner, o!play, fridge, 2 laptops, ps3, nas box, xbox, network radio, toaster, oven, electric and gas meters, switchable bedside lamps etc etc and the 100 other network items youre going to have at home in 10 years time never mind already!

this is how ipv6 and router announcement works

there is of course no reason why you cant manually set the ipv6 ip of your devices  or phone (and I do for servers so they have very very identifiable easy to remember IPs) but back to the orig question ... why would you, other than pure paranoia?

I would be more worried about not having an ipv6 firewall
iptables is there in 2.1 but I've not seen ip6tables yet
you really dont know what some of these apps are doing _phoning_ home eh?

something like LittleSnitch on the Mac (OS X) would be nice