Google’s new bouncer-service that was announced last week is supposed to have dropped the number of malware apps in the Android Market by about 40% already. While that is a great number the Bouncer service isn’t perfect and it probably is the beginning to one of many back and forth battles between the Search Giant and malicious hackers in the making.

However, it appears that hackers may have already found a work around to this service. According to North Carolina State University professor Xuxian Jiang, he and his team have discovered a new malware variant that pulls off a pretty sneaky maneuver. The malware contains no malicious code when it’s first installed on a device. By doing this it evades scans or permission requests that could pick up on its intentions in the first place. Here’s the trick. After it’s downloaded the app is then able to download new code from a remote server and it can hide this in the data transfer from the phone’s communications.  

Part of the code downloaded in the exploit is known as “Gingerbreak.” Yes this is the same Gingerbreak that is used to gain root access on some Android 2.3 devices. This is used to gain full access to the device as root access does, allowing hackers, criminals and whoever else use of any of the phone’s functions whenever. This includes calling paid numbers, reading data, listening through the microphone or installing other malicious apps. Jiang’s team was able to find DroidLive secretly installed. This exploit profits by sending text messages to paid phone numbers.

Known as “privilege escalation” this exploit is quite difficult to achieve on Apple’s more restrictive OS as they only allow approved code to run on their devices. Android devices however have already seen these exploits demonstrated in a research atmosphere by security researcher Jon Oberheide, who was able to previously hide the ability to download this malicious code in two proof-of-concept Android applications. One impersonated a Twilight movie photo app and another was disguised as an Angry Birds “sequel.”

Thanks to this research, Android privilege-escalation has been proven to be more than theoretical. According to Jiang, “Jon had just showed this was possible.” He continued by saying ” This is the first actual malware that we found in the wild that uses this technique.” Jiang calls the new exploit “Rootsmart,” based on the prototype “Rootstrap” made by Oberheide combined with “com.google.android.smart” used by malware authors.

Rootsmart itself isn’t much of a threat to American Android users. In its current form, it doesn’t package itself as anything a user might be tempted to download, and it wasn’t found in the official Android Market, only on a Chinese app download site. However these apps could potentially evade the bouncer service. Given that the program scans all apps uploaded to the market for known malware that’s then simulated as running, it may get a free pass as Rootsmart doesn’t initially contain malware. This means the app could then wait out the Bouncer wait period before malicious code is downloaded. Whether or not the Android Market scans would catch this is untested.

When Forbes contacted Google for comment, a spokesperson pointed out that Rootsmart hasn’t been found in the official Market and right now falls outside of the bouncer’s zone of protection. But Jiang believes that a version could be uploaded to the Android Market that could evade the malware filter. He said: “At the very least, this would cause some challenges for a Bouncer-like system. I expect we’ll see more of this in the future.”

source: NCSU
via: Forbes

For those of you who don’t know Google dropped official “developer device” support for the CDMA (Verizon) version of the Galaxy Nexus last week. While a statement was released explaining why, it apparently required further explanation as it wasn’t officially explained in full as to what this drop actually meant. So without futher hesitation here is what the official Google Group’s post has to say:

“Hi, all! Thanks for all the questions. Here’s a quick omnibus to answer the questions folks have asked…

First, just to be clear this change is only related to AOSP support for these devices — that is, personal custom builds. These are obviously still officially-supported Nexus devices for everyday use, they will receive official software updates, and so on. Similarly, these are still fully-supported development devices for app developers.

Second, as I noted at the top of the thread, Nexus devices will still have unlocked bootloaders, and we’ll continue to make available as many of the closed-source binaries as we can. CDMA support in AOSP has always been more challenging than GSM, and this change is a reflection of that reality.

On that topic, here’s a quick clarification on the core issue. Every device has a number of closed-source software packages included on it. Though Google distributes some of these binaries for Nexus devices for use with AOSP, Google does not own the software. Rather, this software is variously owned by the device manufacturer, the carrier, and their suppliers. We try to get distribution rights for as many of these binaries as possible, but in some cases it is difficult or impossible to obtain these rights. (CDMA specifically has a tricky history of intellectual property.) Combined with the technical issues of needing to sign the apks correctly, this has prevented us from obtaining the distribution rights we need to support these devices in AOSP.

Finally, we will of course continue to work on improving support. If we can resolve these issues, we’ll certainly restore CDMA support to AOSP. In the meantime, we’ve updated our docs to be more accurate about the degree of support.”

For those of you worried that custom ROMs won’t work or that development has been halted this is simply not true. Usually developers take the time to pull the CDMA binaries straight from the device at hand. Even with Google not distributing them this should not be an issue. Given that Google doesn’t have license to use the binaries they can’t fully come out and say that the device is supported. The device will still get timely updates and is officially supported for every day use. Also it will come with an unlockable bootloader so it is still very much a Nexus device. If you want the technical break down you can also check out the link below. While some may still cry foul I feel that this can help the rest us breathe a sigh of relief. What do you think?

CDMA devices in AOSP: technical details – link

source: Google Groups

This is a big day for ROM developers everywhere as Xiaomi, a Chinese technology company, has open sourced its MIUI ROM for Android. For those that live under a rock, MIUI gives Android an iOS flair in both look and feel and is based on both Android 2.3.7 and CyanogenMod 7 sources. MIUI 4 (based on Ice Cream Sandwich) is even being toted as extremely stable on the Galaxy S II. You can check out our review on an earlier version here. It’s even safe to say that it’s one of the more popular ROMs out there.

If you are wanting to take a stab at the code you can swing on over to the Github where you will find several application and ROM source codes uploaded. While it may not be all of them you can certainly bet we’ll see more source codes pop up in the near future. Enjoy!

- Compass
- File Explorer
- Notes
- Sound Recorder

source: MIUIAndroid 

While most of us aren’t surprised by this move, I’m certainly not, Google has dropped official support for the CDMA (Verizon) Galaxy Nexus as a developer device. They did the same for the LTE Xoom and Nexus S 4G as well. At first folks thought was in regards to Google Wallet not being officially supported by Verizon however it was for a more in depth reason. It was first discovered by Droid-Life earlier this afternoon and while everyone was in a buzz and crying foul about the change,  what we needed to do was wait.  After many tech blogs reached out for comment, Dan Morril, an Android engineer had this to say:

Hello! This is a quick clarification about support for CDMA devices.

For various technical reasons, recent CDMA Android devices implement core telephony functionality in .apk files provided in binary form by the carriers. To function correctly, these .apk files must be signed by the so-called “platform” key. However, when an individual creates a custom build from the AOSP source code, they don’t use the same signing key as these CDMA flies were signed with.

The result is that these files don’t work properly, and pure AOSP builds running on these devices can’t place calls, access mobile data, and so on. Because we aim to make sure that we are as clear as possible about the degree of support that devices have, we updated the docs over at source.android.com to reflect this reality.

We will still make available as many as possible of the closed-source binaries for these devices, and Nexus devices will continue to have unlockable bootloaders. And, of course, GSM/HSPA+ devices are still supported, as are any other devices we’re able to support. We’ve simply updated the documentation to be clearer about the current extent of CDMA support.

We are of course always working to improve support, and we’ll keep everyone updated as we make improvements. Thanks as always for your interest in AOSP!

- Dan

Samsung just pushed out the kernel source code for AT&T’s version of the Samsung Galaxy Note. There are three different versions listed for download at Samsung’s Open Source Release Center. Why three, you ask? Your guess is as good as mine at this point, but according to one developer, they are almost all identical save for one line of code. Any guesses?  Now, lets see what the talented dev community brings to the table once the device is actually released.

source: Android Police
via: Samsung Open Source Release Center

So if you haven’t realized from my posts by now, I like to experiment with Android from time to time and today was one of those more special days. While poking around FaceLock.apk, which I decompiled with apktool, I opened this. The screenshot above portrays a file “arrays.xml,” which contains what looks like phrases to be presented on the lock screen when a user’s face is not recognized. As those of you fortunate enough to run ICS know, currently an unrecognized face only returns “Sorry, don’t recognize you” or in some cases “Couldn’t find a face.”  Aside from a different spelling of “recognize,” the list above also offers a substantially more varied output. So what is the meaning of this? I supposed it could be simply leftovers, never scrapped before release, or, letting my optimistic imagination run just a little bit, perhaps this is some preliminary work towards a future update; Majel maybe? It’s a stretch, but the varied and pretty casual responses seem more AI like to me. In any case, an interesting little something indeed.

Update: For some unknown reason, the dev has been asked to pull this down from the site.

IMM26 Production Firmware
Checksum: 8a38fb5163a4be316ae48fab74eccc3e
http://nexus-s-4g-cdma-firmware-imm2…iles/IMM26.zipContains Kernel For ICS Wimax IDK Stuff

Checksum: a8bbc6794a2042eb10db820aa28dc728
http://nexus-s-4g-cdma-firmware-imm2…files/IMM26.7zOdin

Checksum: 8597bf7205b395a2e16807fdb3ca6b79
http://nexus-s-4g-cdma-firmware-imm2…n3%2Bv1.81.exeMIRROR for the Fileshttp://code.google.com/p/nexus-s-4g-…ndwich-mirror/

Thanks To Bexton

How to flash:Download Odin 1.81 and run .exe file
Download and unzip software
Open Odin and keep all checkbox defaults
(DO NOT select EFS clear or you will wipe PRL)

Select the software files as follows:
Bootloader: SPH-D720-IMM26-BootLoader-signed.tar
PDA: SPH-D720LE-IMM26-PDA Signed.tar
Phone: SPH-D720LE-IMM26-Modem-Signed.tar”Checksum for files:
SPH-D720_IMM26_KE1_BOOTLOAD_signed.tar
7d8b0ad9617b832eeac8786dac2305a9SPH-D720_IMM26_KL2_Modem_signed.tar
e3c8e116fbb8668bf3ad0d0cd8b16ed6SPH-D720_IMM26_PDA_signed.tar
c346cc28067305bec764f061d9a57098

Download In Emergency Mode:

HOW???

Pull battery on device Put t Back In!!!!!
Press and HOLD Volume Up AND Volume Down.

While doing this briefly press power and let it go.
device will show download mode, plug in USB cable.
press “start”

Alternative Flash Zip: Flash With CWM

ROM is Rooted,
Does Not Include Radios,ETC “SATETY REASONS”
You May Want To Flash Radio, Bootloader On Your Own 
ROM is Still Odexed;

Below is link;

Nexus S 4g Android 4.0.4 Zip

Finally Thanks To Swap Goblin

DID I MENTION IF YOUR PHONE GETS F****CKD UP LOL DONT SUE ME!!! lol OH YEAH

KERNEL Can Be Flashed Via CWM

Kernel

Credits to vhgomez36

Well it appears that Motorola has heard the development community’s cry for an unlocked bootloader as an article on the Motorola blog suggests that they will be releasing a “Developer Edition” of the powerhouse Droid RAZR sometime soon. The article was posted and quickly redacted suggesting that the news was released a little too soon. If you look at the image below, courtesy of Droid-Life, you can see that the article is dated for the 30th (tomorrow).

Right now the phone is only to be available in Europe but Motorola gives word that it will be seen in the United States. Even though Motorola said they were working on a bootloading solution over a year ago, and again in April of 2011, until now we had yet to see it happen. The only difference between this version of the RAZR and the one out for sale now, is the fact that it has an unlockable bootloader, as the original shipped with a locked bootloader. Otherwise it’s the same ridiculously thin, powerful device.

Right now the blog link in the source is down and you’ll get a “You 404′d it, Gnarly Dude” message. However the folks at Droid-life were able to snag a screenshot of the article before it went down. Hit the break below to check it out. I don’t know about you guys, but this is one heck of a win for the development community and who knows, this may be the start of a beautiful thing. Motorola hardware with unlockable bootloaders… You can’t beat that. Enjoy!

If you have been wanting to root your Lenovo ThinkPad and haven’t had time, knew where to go, or were a little bit apprehensive about doing such things then today is your lucky day as we have the process all lined up for you. Heck we’ll even give you instructions on pushing ClockWork Recovery to your device as a special bonus. We’ve compiled the process from Vulnfactory and XDA and have it broken down below.

As with all rooting, your device’s warranty will be void and all responsibility if you brick your device falls on you. However if you are more than ready to root this device hit the break below to get the files and instructions needed to root and get a custom recovery onto your ThinkPad. Just FYI this only works on Windows PCs. 

Root Instructions: 

1. Make sure you have the latest ADB drivers installed on your PC, and that your device is in USB Debugging mode. More detailed instructions for this are available here.
2. Download the root exploit here.
3. Make sure your Thinkpad is connected to your PC via USB, is turned on, and has the screen unlocked.
4. Extract the entire zipfile, and run “run.bat”. Follow any directions given in the command prompt closely, and ignore any activity on the Thinkpad itself.

Clockwork Recovery Mod Push:

ClockWork Ventana 2 Image – Download

Download the file and place it on your SD Card and then enter the following in an ADB command prompt:

adb push cwr_ventana_2.img /data/local/

adb shell

su

mount -o rw,remount /system

echo "#!/system/bin/sh" > /system/etc/install-recovery.sh

dd if=/data/local/cwr_recovery_2.img of=/dev/block/mmcblk0p1

You can hit the sources if you have questions or commented regarding this process. If you are at all uncomfortable with this I recommend reading the instructions and threads thoroughly before you attempt this. While the ClockWork Recovery is tentatively safe, it is relatively untested. Who knows though, maybe there’s an Ice Cream Sandwich ROM out there for your tablet. Enjoy!

We knew it would be only a short time before we saw ROMs popping up for the HTC Rezound after it was announced that the device’s bootloader was unlocked. While it may be some time before we see an official OTA build for Ice Cream Sandwich that hasn’t stopped developers from getting their hands on leaked images. We discussed an early build for the Sensation that was released back in December and it appears that developers are hopping all over the system.img released for the Rezound a few days ago as well. Both images show an ICS experience that is chalked full of Sense (obviously) but deep down it’s ICS.

So if you’ve unlocked your bootloader, rooted and installed a recovery hit the links below to check out ICS on the Rezound and if you’re in the market for a new Android phone, remember that the device is going for $199.99 which is a great price for a really great phone.  Hit us up in the comment section below to let us know how they run. Enjoy!

CleanROM    |    RezROM ICS