hack - Android Community

VillianROM 1.0 lands as Samsung Galaxy S II gets first ROM

By Shane McGlaun
on 16 May, 2011

If you are one of the folks that already has the Samsung Galaxy S II you may want some custom ROM love on the device. User pulser_g2 over on the XDA forums has offered up version 1.0 of the VillianROM custom ROM loader for the S II smartphone. The VillainROM 1.0 for the Galaxy S2 smartphone definitely use at your own risk. The author of the software notes that he lacks the smartphone to test his software on.

Galaxy S II gets root-friendly insecure boot ROM

By Chris Davies
on 4 May, 2011

The Samsung Galaxy S II has only been on the market for a short while - and units are still in high demand - but we've already seen one of the first hacks of the smartphone. MoDaCo's Paul O'Brien has come up with a custom GSII insecure boot image that allows for adb shell root and adb remount. The ROM itself doesn't actually root the Galaxy S II, but it will allow owners to push the su binary and Superuser APK required for root. It also disables the flash-recovery script, replacing it with a call to /data/local/custom-scripting.sh. It's not the first root - one method was released at the tail end of April - but we're definitely excited to see more modders turn their attention to the Galaxy S II. While the phone itself impressed us in our review, we also saw plenty of potential as a platform for custom ROMs.

Skype takes action, removes vulnerabilities

By James DeRuvo
on 24 Apr, 2011

If you're following the scoreboard, last week we reported that Skype for Android had a vulnerability which allowed a third party to harvest a user's data without their consent. Skype replied that they were taking action, but didn't tell us what it was. Now we know. Skype has solved the issue for now by removing the ability of a hacker to do so. And there's more ...

Skype Replies to Android Vulnerabilities

By James DeRuvo
on 16 Apr, 2011

Yesterday, we reported that bloggers had found a vulnerability in the Skype App which allows hackers to harvest data from a user's Android handset with no need to root a phone or gain special permission. The problem was discovered during the testing of a leaked version of Skype for Android's new Video App. But it didn't take long to notice that the flaw was carried over from the already released Skype for Android App that's currently in the Market. Skype has responded to the news in their security blog, admitting that the flaw exists and they're working hard to fix it. But what can a user do to protect themselves in the meantime?

Skype for Android has flaw that leaks personal data

By Shane McGlaun
on 15 Apr, 2011

If you are an Android smartphone user that has Skype installed a flaw in Skype that exposes your personal information has been found. The issue surfaced over at Androidpolice when they took the new Skype Video app apart to see how it worked and found the way it handles personal data leaves much to be desired.

Hacktivist app fakes out and then embarrasses pirates

By Shane McGlaun
on 31 Mar, 2011

Generally, I don’t think Trojans and other things that can compromise your phone are funny. This one however is amusing and it's called Android.walkinwat. The app is on file sharing sites where pirates frequently download apps without paying for them.

Android survives Pwn2Own hacking contest

By Shane McGlaun
on 11 Mar, 2011

Each year the Pwn2 Own hacking contest is held to see who can hack various browsers, software and OS' the fastest. There are money award to those that are able to hack the software in some instances. In the latest edition of the content Google put in its Chrome browser and the Android OS to see if anyone could do the deed.

Google fills Android Market XSS hole

By Shane McGlaun
on 8 Mar, 2011

Google has filled a security hole in the Android Market that would allow the installation of apps onto a user's device without the user's consent to the install. The hole even allowed the installation of an app on the user device without having physical access to the Android smartphone or tablet. The hole was in the cross-site scripting or XSS on the Android Market.

Skip the Activation Message on the Sprint Galaxy Tab with this Quick Hack

By Dylan Bailey
on 19 Jan, 2011

If you have a Sprint Galaxy Tab, then you know the activation message every boot up can be quite the annoyance. There are many ways to get rid of it on the other carrier's devices but, for some reason, these all do not work too well with the Sprint device. Well leave it to the smart developers at XDA to find a way past this message.

Hack Brings Bluetooth to NOOKcolor

By Dylan Bailey
on 3 Jan, 2011

The NOOKcolor is sure a focus of the hacking community, and the most recent hack is unlocking the eReader's Bluetooth capabilities. The NOOKcolor's Bluetooth chip is deactivated out of the box, but now thanks to XDA member Occip the chip can now be activated allowing the eReader to connect to other devices.