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Re: [LUG] OT: Accessing files on an android phone with broken screen

 

On Thu, Sep 30, 2021, at 9:49 PM, comrade meowski wrote:
> On 30/09/2021 20:36, Dom Rodriguez/shymega wrote:
>> Unlikely. You would need adb to access the phone, and if it's not enabled, and 
>> trusts the computer accessing the phone, there's no way you can get in.
>
> In the same vein if the phone's bootloader has been previously unlocked 
> - which it should have been on day one - you can use the hardware reset 
> keys to access download and recovery modes, remotely unlock the 
> encrypted /data partition and retrieve your data via root access adb 
> (this trumps adb access to a running phone as a user). You can perform 
> this operation "blind" on a phone with a non-responsive screen as well.
>
> You can even boot a custom TWRP recovery image via fastboot - much like 
> booting a live CD on a PC - to aid the process but the whole chain 
> depends on having unlocked the bootloader first. The catch 22 is if you 
> haven't then unlocking the bootloader now (which once again can be done 
> blind) triggers a complete wipe ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
>
> I recover a lot of phones professionally so run into this a lot. The 
> first thing I do with all phones I build for clients is unlock the 
> bootloader, enable adb and enroll my main PC's adb keys on it. Of course 
> this can't help you now, you either did it or you didn't.
>
> You're still not screwed though - the final option is the most fun 
> anyway. That device is way past EOL and hasn't had security fixes in 
> forever. The phone is on your network so you know it's IP address: 
> Metasploit time.

imo, phones bootloaders shouldn't be unlocked on day one ;) i wouldn't be able to 
access my Starling account or GPay. Other apps too. Although if you use Magisk, I 
suppose it wouldnt matter. Having said that, if bootloaders were unlockable w/o 
needing to get authorisation or fight for access to unlock (my keyone for example 
doesn't allow me to flash any ROM, ugh) - that'd be a great milestone.

although i agree, i think the final option really is Metasploit, if Tom hasn't 
enrolled his keys with adb.

-- 
Kind regards,
--
Dom Rodriguez (also known as shymega)

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