More on the T-Mobile G2 "rootkit" -- it's actually a "NAND Lock" (and it's still a ripoff)

Ars Technica's Ryan Paul has a write-up about the "rootkit" in the new T-Mobile HTC G2 phone. Background: New America Foundation recently sounded an alarm about a countermeasure built into the new G2 handsets that T-Mobile was selling. The countermeasure watches to see if you've changed your phone's OS, and if you have, it wipes out your changes and reinstalls T-Mobile's stock firmware. New America erroneously called this a rootkit; it's technically called a "NAND Lock," and other HTC handsets have come from carriers locked like this too.

However, fact remains that T-Mobile has chosen to lock its handsets to prevent their owners from rooting/jailbreaking them. As a 10-year T-Mobile US customer who bought two full-price HTC Android handsets from T-Mobile for the purpose of rooting them so that I could load my own software, I find this repellent. I'm not the only one -- this year, the US Copyright Office carved out a legal exemption in order to explicitly legalize opening up your mobile phone. A statement from T-Mobile calls this a "side-effect" of a corruption prevention method, but this is horsewash: if all T-Mobile cares about is stopping your phone from getting corrupted, they could give jailbreakers the keys necessary to open up their handsets.

The good news is that the phone jailbreaking community generally gets through this stuff with relative ease, and the G2 will fall sooner rather than later. But what a misery it is that the mobile phone companies continue to spend good money to frustrate the legitimate activities of their customers.

G2 doesn't have rootkit, it's just the same old NAND lock (Thanks, Bluerabbit, via Submitterator!)

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mdh

“But what a misery it is that the mobile phone companies continue to spend good money to frustrate the legitimate activities of their customers. ”

Complain, yes, but prepare to do it until you’re blue in the face, because the only capitalist solution to the problem is shopping elsewhere.
- Charlotte Corday
  
  It’s fascinating that so many here are ready to vote with their feet against the RIAA oligopoly, but won’t do the same with the wireless oligopoly.
  - cory
    
    Yes, all that remains for us to vote with our feet is to identify the plucky independent mobile phone makers distributing their products over the Internet independently, and we’ll be free of the oligopoly.
    
    I’ll gladly put money in some guy’s tipjar for his indy mobile phone.
    
    I just haven’t found anything like that yet.
    - mdh
      
      So do you blame the profit-driven manufacturers for doing what the shareholders demand (brand protection, lack of which would be terminable for all in that corporate decision chain), or do you blame the system that incentivises them?
      
      I just get bored reading people complain about what they’re smart enough to fix. Be that change cory. Be that change.
    - tweaked
      
      Hah. Isn’t that the truth. But I mean, all things considered, Android remains my favourite and the objectively best mobile OS by far, because xda-developers and the modding scene is the closest you can get to just that – choose your own flavour of the OS, do what you want with your phone, and put something in the coder’s tipjar when you’re especially pleased.
      
      Now, if only the manufacturers and carriers would understand that this scene is the principal strength of their product, not something to be feared, and just leave the devices open… that would be wonderful. But then we’re getting into a kind of utopian fantasy-land that nothing any of the north american wireless carriers has ever done would indicate they’re willing to join in on. And so the arms race will go on… since even the upstart mobile providers (to whom we might imagine switching and thus ‘voting with our wallets’) don’t seem to deviate from the party line on locked-down devices.
  - mdh
    
    Way to project your crap onto me.
jonathan_v

is this the same T-Mobile that was helping iPhone users root their phones to move to their network ?
Eric Ragle

Am I misunderstanding or is this a T-Mobile-only issue? Not that it would surprise me if Verizon and ATT had their own version.
Xenovic

This is where I become baffled about why the Palm WebOS hasn’t become more pervasive in this sort of community. Officially, the company (Palm and now HP) supports the home-brew community. I mean, all you have to do to root the phone is enter the Contra code… And if you “break it” there’s a very simple tool for restoring your phone available on Palm’s website.

I understand that everyone likes what they like, and that’s cool. But if AT&T, T-Mobile, Google, or Apple want to “lock-down” the phone or the OS, that’s there prerogative. If you don’t like that, go find another OS that isn’t as locked down.

That doesn’t seem to be nearly as much of a conceptual problem when we talk about our PCs. Using Linux so that you can get more control over your OS than Windows/Mac provides is a completely understood concept. So, use Palm(ok HP) if you don’t like Android or iOS. Speak with you wallet, its usually what works the best anyway…
Anonymous

Horsewash? I say whiteshit!
python_boot

I was excited about the G2 until I learned about the NAND lock, the unremovable bloatware, and the excision of the Froyo wifi hotspot feature. I am very interested to see if the HTC Desire Z (the carrier-unlocked, HTC-branded version of the T-Mobile G2 hardware) has the same NAND lock as the G2.
politeruin

“The only free choice is refusal to pay.”
tad604

I’ve got a g2 and I love it. There’s one slight irritation, the inability to remove certain apps (there’s nothing to egregious, just a few apps I would remove for the sake of space) and one major irritation, not being able to use it as a mobile hotspot.

I’ve had the g1 for a year and a half or more and never felt the need to root the phone or put a non stock os on it. I’ll be rooting the g2 as soon as it’s feasible though. Would prefer to leave the OS as stock, I just want to be able to remove some of the pre-installed apps and use the wifi-hotspot capability (with out an additional charge).
- ultranaut
  
  Same here, I had an a stock G1 for 1.5 years and now have a G2. I am rooting the G2 as soon as possible so I can remove the stupid pre-installed apps.
  I do love my G2 but I noticed recently that it seems to have a massive flaw:
  They for got the keys for < and > !!!
Anonymous

One other thing that hasn’t been discussed enough is that HTC has thus far refused to give the source to their kernel as required under the GPL, citing a wait of up to 120 days.
tweaked

Already we’re close to getting root on this phone.

But as the article you link to suggests, this is by no means as big a deal as it was first made out to be. Not a scary ‘rootkit,’ but the same tech that was on some other phones without a similar kerfuffle; and all rooting of carrier-purchased android devices involves working through security holes against measures put in place by the manufacturer (in association w/ the carrier). Annoying, yes, but fundamentally the same thing that’s been in place since their very first Android phone, the G1… which, incidentally, I’m still using, rooted and upgraded to Froyo.
- bluerabbit
  
  As cm said, he’s just rebooting the userland. This is still only the temp root that’s been hanging around for a couple of days. Still, it’s better than nothing!
  But, worse case scenario we just wait until htc releases the source, so we can fix the cache controller. Unfortunately (while not expressly forbidden in the GPL, if i remember) HTC says they won’t be releasing for 90 to 120 days. It will be interesting to see how (if) T-Mobile pushes an OTA update.
Anonymous

OK, can there not be a compromise. I love my rooted phone and I love to upload different ROMs and the ability to change what I want whether it be the OS or small things like colors but how about something to the effect of a “gadget hymen.” Instead software/hardware that blocks or reverts any changes to the gadget why not software/hardware that states the item has been “divirginized?” so companies would know that the warranty has been voided and such. Not perfect but more hospitable.
Xenu

You could always get an iPhone, it’s a lot easier to unlock.
Volker

> You could always get an iPhone, it’s a lot easier to unlock.

Except that you then still don’t have the source code to the OS, so essentially all that the jailbreak allows you to do is sideload apps. Which you can do with Android even without rooting it.
andersjm

if all T-Mobile cares about is stopping your phone from getting corrupted, they could give jailbreakers the keys necessary to open up their handsets.

The main form of corruption they care about is malware. Handing out keys to the general public defeats the purpose.

It’s not a ripoff. They simply cared more for those of their customers who value security higher than having a rooting option that they’re never going to use anyway. That is to say, the vast majority of their customers.
- Volker
  
  > The main form of corruption they care about is malware. Handing out keys to the general public defeats the purpose.
  
  You confuse root access with the cryptographic keys needed to flash a new OS image from the fastboot menu (reboot while holding volume down button, select recovery).
  
  It is a ripoff. They only care about their “customers” not being able to remove the carrier “customization” (=uglyfication and feature removal)
- axolotl
  
  I agree that having the system be able to wash away unsigned code is a feature that should be in all devices.
  
  But it would be a lot fairer if you could somehow securely get into the guts of the phone, and change the key, then lock it off from allowing software to be able to modify it.
  
  Then you could deploy your own code signed with your own key, or perhaps lock your phone to your favourite developer/jailbreaker who also keeps all their code signed.
  
  I’m unsure what the best way would be to reset the key is, without coming up with its own security problems though.
  - andersjm
    
    But it would be a lot fairer if you could somehow securely get into the guts of the phone, and change the key, then lock it off from allowing software to be able to modify it.
    
    Now imagine the Russian mafia changing the key, then locking it off from allowing software to be able to modify it – on your mom’s phone. OK, you did say ‘somehow securely’, but what does that mean? Anything you can do, your mom can be tricked into doing as well. It could be a dip switch perhaps, buried deep in the bowels of the device, but then, that’s extra hardware to add to the cost of the phone.
- agger
  
  Oh, but it is a ripoff. If you’re not the one who decides what your gadget can do within its technical capabilities, you don’t own it. You don’t even rent it – you’re pwned by it.
  
  That’s what makes it a ripoff. They could easily shield against corruption and other security issues without taking control from the users.
Anonymous

Enjoy your lack of warranty!

Also if you get a stock 2.2 phone without any crappy UI or crapware, there is very little advantage to rooting/romming anymore!
Anonymous

Cory, I’m surprised you haven’t built your own cell phone out of toothpicks and cornflakes boxes yet.
James

I’ve got this electronic device that often use to make calls — and so much more! I can send unlimited text messages, play games, browse the web, and so much more. They key to the thing is that I can load/remove anything and everything I want, whenever I want — even the operating system. It’s true that the phone makers would probably shrug this device off as something that will never be profitable, but I disagree.

Because it is called a computer.

Hey, phone people, go ask Bill Gates if computers are profitable!

And do you think that it is possible that someone will ever invent a handheld computer? That can make calls, send messages, change OS?

Duh. I mean, it sounds so incredibly non-revolutionary it’s hardly worth mentioning.

Stop looking for “phones,” and start looking for small computers.
Anonymous

Whether I get the phone subsidized or pay full price I should not have to deal with a locked phone. When I get a subsidized phone I am already penalized if I end my contract early to make up for the subsidized price I paid. That phone is mine and locking it to the original carrier all they are doing is ensuring the next person who has the phone is also stuck on the same carrier. Worse yet you pay full price and are under no obligation to have an account with the original carrier and you are stuck with something that only works on their service.
Anonymous

Btw, “jailbreak” is commonly used when talking about the iPhone, whereas “rooting” is used often when talking about Android.

Also, an OTA update will be released in a matter of days that will enable tethering as well as wifi calling.
Anonymous

Ultimately its all about staving off a software market collapse for which no one is really prepared. As linux acquires market share in a steady fashion, it gets closer and closer to the point of critical mass at which enough friends/relatives are using it that it feels safe for the average soccer mom to try. Once the average person understands the concept of an open-source repository, the software market will change very, very quickly.

If you have a business model based on the attractiveness/utility of your software, it’s absolutely terrifying that the teeming hordes can produce strongly competitive *free* software for recreational use than you can. Frankly, they should be terrified. However, we should all be a little terrified at the prospect of no one getting paid to make recreational software… How much of the success of the open-source community is based on the tens of thousands of listless CS majors that will get a different degree in a future where the bulk of the recreational software market is coded for free?

Add to the mess that we’re inching closer to viable DIY/indy device manufacturing, and the future looks downright apocalyptic for Phone Manufacturers/Industry OS developers.
ill lich

“horsewash”?
DrPretto

I Agree with Cory, I have a Nexus One (not rooted), but I can do it whenever I want it.
Cyanogen Mod for T-mobile G2 (without rooting and a little complicated) is one of the first steps to solve this:
http://www.androidcentral.com/cyanogen-teases-cyanogenmod-rom-g2
Anonymous

What is a “NAND lock”? I geuss it refers to a “Not AND” situation in electronics? And I read that it is used to define a type of flash memory, but can someone explain NAND in the context of a mobile phone?
Bloo

As someone who does tech support (not for phones) I do see the need to keep some of the software free of modification so there aren’t spurious calls about, for example, the phone unable to make calls, and then discovering that someone patched the phone function in a bad way. I think, however, that the basic phone functionality can be segregated in such a way that people hacking their phone wouldn’t mess with it, and yet still be able to customize other layers of the phone experience.

After all, not many people want to modify the phone/radio/cell function, they don’t have the chops. Mostly what they want is to modify the UI, or install application programs that they create or buy from other channels.
Blue

I thought Apple was the epitome of illiberality until the mobile operators shat all over Android’s promise of freedom and showed us how bad things really could be.

It looks like Steve knew what he was doing and that Apple’s lock-down policy was just as much to prevent the carriers from abusing any freedom they were given as us it was us using it!