GSM security question, mic directly connected to the GSM chip? Re: GPLv3 and Mobile Phones

[Atlasz]

Dear Robert,

if you take apart a phone (any phone), you can always work-around thi
problem by making a short electrical de-tour between a mic and the board
-> a little switch between mic and board will do it fine and you need
only some nice small switch what you can hide somewhere on the side of
the phone from inside with easy access. (like original side-buttons on
some phones) You only need some experience e.g. in building little
plastic models:-) If you are really paranoic, dont't forget to do the
same with the speaker also!
Than it doesn't matter it anyone "bugs" into your phone. They hear
nothing until you press the switch. They would hear everything anyway
when you make a call...
This phone will have a unique security options even without that small
switch. It appears to be the most expensive piece of HW on every phone.
(every company is removing the small switches from the side of their
phones:-( )

Attila


Sean Moss-Pultz wrote:
> On 12/12/06 1:15 AM, "Robert Michel" <openmoko at robertmichel.de> wrote:
>
>   
>> On Sun, 10 Dec 2006, Sean Moss-Pultz wrote:
>>     
>>> On 12/10/06 3:02 AM, "Stefan Schmidt" <stefan at datenfreihafen.org> wrote:
>>>       
>>>> Keep in mind that I'm not speaking for the FIC team here. The flash
>>>> chips containing the BP OS will be able get new firmware flashed. I'm
>>>> pretty sure that no GSM stack is bugfree.
>>>>         
>> "roving bug"?
>>     
>>> Stefan is totally correct here. The GSM subsystem is most certainly not ROM.
>>>       
>> So the firmware could be changed over the network without the chance to
>> recognince that, right?
>>     
>
> Firmware for the GSM system is actually updated from the ear jack port. It
> cannot be updated over the air.
>
> I _really_ wish we could give you all access to this but it requires a very
> special (read proprietary) toolkit provided by Ti and code is totally
> closed.  
>  
>   
>> I think it will not be possible to do something against "silent SMS"¹
>> but that the mic could be used remotly with the close source GSM chip,
>> is something that should be avoidable.
>> Will the Neo1973 have a protection that the mic could be disconected
>> form the GSM chip when not calling?
>>     
>
> You guys will have control over the mic. This stuff is all handled on the
> 2410 side. 
>
> -Sean
>
>
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>   

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