Hacker Android phone by putting in the freezer
 |
| android |
RAM loses its data cooled slower when it is disconnected.
This property is used by two researchers to break the encryption of an Android phone.
Since 2011, we can encrypt personal data on an Android phone.
But it is possible now to access anyway, at least in part.
To do this, just put it in a freezer and download the software kit of two researchers from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (Germany).
In fact, the cold creates a ghosting at the RAM which means that, even if a power failure, the data is retained for several seconds.
Once the phone has reached a temperature below 10 ° C, disconnect the battery for a short time (half a second), which will cause the reboot of the phone.
By pressing simultaneously on the volume keys, it is possible to go in "fastboot" which will install a special image-system developed by the two researchers.
Called FROST (Forensic Recovery Of Scrambled Telephones), the software can then retrieve the data remained in memory and, among others, the key to decrypt the personal data.
This method only works if the boot loader (bootloader) is unlocked, which is generally not the case with the recent Android phones.
However, if the bootloader is locked, the attack can, however, retrieve all the data in RAM.
The test performed by researchers with a Galaxy Nexus has thus to hand over lists of contacts, pictures, wifi passwords, appointments diary, email, etc..
TXWRW6XJRNTA
