Security on the move. Is there any?

[Guest ippoP]

As the number of ROM (re)packagers and kernel (re)compilers starts growing my main attention goes to the security.

First of all, an Android phone is (or can be) no less than a Linux server capable of running all sorts of server software, from SSH to HTTP.

Second, a rooted Android is no less than a full blown Linux server (as far as capabilities, not computing power).

So, my questions to you (re)packagers and (re)compilers.

How deep are your security checks against the product of your hard work?

Have you thought about running tools like Nessus towards a (un)modded device?

Mine is not meant to be just a challenge.

It'd rather be seen as a warning: we are all walking with a Linux server in our pockets.

(And in the end I thank the Almighty that I don't have a Windows Mobile device.)

[Guest kwiksand]

I guess there's a possible security concern, but you probably have to take a few considerations first:

- How often is the phone actually exposed? You're pretty much invisible to intruders when on mobile network, Dynamically changing local IPs behind several levels of NAT gateways to the outside world. And its only very rarely that I use my phone on a rogue wireless network, its usually at office or at home. Couple that with the likely hood of someone actually scouring for vulnerable machines (almost zero, Id say) and it seems very, very unlikely. I've had unprotected totally exposed machines on the net for years and have never had a problem.

- The devices, even with the updates run very few services with open ports, apart from maybe a webserver and SSHD, and in the case of people actually using these services you'd hope they're clue-y enough to understand at least some level of best practice

- Lastly (and this follows on from the previous point), the kind of people who actually wipe their devices for custom firmware are probably the kinds of people who have a bit of knowledge about how the OS works and security concerns (we'd hope anyway, but i'm probably giving users way too much credit).

And dont most of the ROM's include that Droidwall package anyway?

[Guest Bart79]

- How often is the phone actually exposed? You're pretty much invisible to intruders when on mobile network, Dynamically changing local IPs behind several levels of NAT gateways to the outside world. And its only very rarely that I use my phone on a rogue wireless network, its usually at office or at home. Couple that with the likely hood of someone actually scouring for vulnerable machines (almost zero, Id say) and it seems very, very unlikely.

Hi, I'm not much of an expert on this (not an expert at all to be precise :D) but isn't that exactly what's happening with jailbroken iPhones right now? Same thing happened in Australia as well only way more benign.

[Guest spence91]

Hi, I'm not much of an expert on this (not an expert at all to be precise :D ) but isn't that exactly what's happening with jailbroken iPhones right now? Same thing happened in Australia as well only way more benign.

Luckily i think we're one step more secure than the Iphone mob. The jailbroken phones had a default password to a constantly running SSH server on their phone. This made hacking it fairly trivial.

The custom ROM on our heros has a randomly generated default password and can optionally be turned off quite easily.

[Guest ippoP]

My points:

1. Forget (but just for a while) people hammering the Android from the 3G network. You also have bluetooth and WiFi.

2. The problems can come from software running into a rooted phone: bugs can be maliciously exploited.

3. Your phone allows root escalation 100% of the time, while you actually need root in a few occasions (this is why we think sudo is better than su).

4. The Microsoft history teaches that an online machine with the right backdoors and bugs can be used for a number of nice^H^H^H^Hnasty things.

5. What if your phone gets compromised and you use it to access, say, your home banking or to connect to an SSH server?

To cut the story short, a compromised Android can have the same problems than a quad-core PC on a gigabit link. A rooted one double so.

This is, of course, just my humble opinion.

[Guest ippoP]

The custom ROM on our heros has a randomly generated default password and can optionally be turned off quite easily.

I would prefer it was off by default. I get scared by default password, even the (pseudo)random ones.