ronald a. richardson » hack

Cell Phone Modding, Tips and Hacks

Ronald — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 02:12:03 +0000

MrMoto asked:

So, you own a Motorola V3 Razor. If you are doing what I did you are searching various websites to find how how to change it to be what YOU want. You are reading things like “seems”, “flashing”, “flexing”. What the heck?

You’re confused, lost, and ready to pay somebody to do this, or give up. But don’t. I am by no means a computer expert or a modding guru but I have figured it out so that means you can to!

Lets talk about modding and or hacking (changing anything from how it came from the manufacturer) Hack? No Im not taking about anything illegal, but the term is used to express the idea. You “hack” into an area of the phone or Ipod the manufacturer didn’t want you to access

Why mod it at all? Well simple. I paid good money for this and if I want my kids picture as my outer LCD picture then by golly I shall have it! lol..Also there are several menu items locked out by certain carriers which I think is bunk anyway but I digress.. The biggest and most common reason for modding is to unlock the phone.

What is unlocking? Simple. Unlocking allows you to take the AT&T sim card out and put in a T mobile Sim card and use the phone. Sim card? you ask..

If you don’t know what a sim card is you should stop now and go bake cookies…lmao..not really, It is the card under the battery usually that only allows you to use the phone on that cards carrier. CDMA phones do not have these. Like Sprint, Verizon. Yes you can still mod but unlocking isnt possible. You can just reactivate with whatever CDMA carrier you want

Back to modding..

You can personalize your phone (change the outer picture, make it louder, use different fonts, change the look of it all, etc). Also, changing the software on the phone can increase your reception, your volume, the menu speed, and much more.

Ok now your hooked. How do I do it you scream!

Slow down Tonto..This is complicated stuff so read read read….I got my 500 dollar V9 and it took me 4 days to change the outer LCD because I do NOT want a 500 dollar paperweight..Do you?

Other basic terms you should know are..

The Flex:

The flex is the files and branding of the phone. It contains all the carrier specific menus and images, like T-Zones for T-Mobile, or whichever graphic branding and text links your carrier puts in the phone.

The Flash:

The flash is the part we change most often. By now we have several types, but basically, the flash is the software of the phone. When you change the flash, it adjusts features, menus, and more. Also, things like the way your phone handles reception or menu speed are handled by flashes. Flashing your phone will not erase any of your media or settings. Then there’s the seem.

The Seem:

The seem is the individual pieces that make up the operating system on the phone. Every individual feature on your phone (SMS on/off, will the call end when you close the flip, can you access the web from your phone, etc) is all editable by changing a seem. More on that in the seem editing section, but basically seems are what you will change when you want to change one feature at a time.

So what should you do?

Go to the downloads page and get all the required files and softwares. Backup. then get connected. For some reason this is the single most pain in the ass thing to do for some reason. It should be easy but it isn’t. I will do my best to get everything you need in this one place to get you going but feel free to post any questions you have in the forums. Go to www.hackitz.com for more info.

Caffeinated Content for WordPress

VoIP Hacking Pitfalls And Prevention

Ronald — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 19:06:37 +0000

Christopher Buckley asked:

VoIP hacking is a new term that strikes fear into the hearts of many residential and corporate users thinking about upgrading from their existing traditional phone network and in some cases even dissuades them from doing so.

Thankfully, although talk of VoIP hacking goes back to 2004 and earlier, there are relatively few reports of it and it certainly does not compare to the levels of malicious use seen in the days of “blue boxing” and company PBX misuse.

In essence, VoIP becomes susceptible to hacking because in transferring analogue voice data into a digital form that is carried over the internet, some security firms say this is tantamount to gaining all the risks of computer data systems such as bugs, but also worms and viruses. Hackers already have their existing tools of the trade that they have owned for years, and can simply transfer these to the world of VoIP.

Types of VoIP Hacking

There are a number of types of such malicious use, all of which can be potentially very damaging:

Audio spam is a recently increasing form of abuse – we have all become accustomed to email spam and the same mechanisms that allow for distribution of spam to millions at a minimal cost also apply to the convergence of voice and data. Companies will have to get smart and combat such spam using complex filters.

Voice phishing is likely to increase. This is a form of social engineering where the person being called is convinced to hand over sensitive and confidential information. The ability to send out mass recordings over the internet via VoIP is likely to increase this type of malicious practice.

Caller ID spoofing is where the caller is able to pretend to be someone else, probably to obtain sensitive information from the person at the end of the line. Unless VoIP systems are made secure, this will otherwise likely be an easy to perform “hack”.

Call hijacking is the interception of a call intended for a particular party and relaying it to someone else. Again, this is likely to be used in conjunction with some form of social engineering.

Sometimes a hacker may simply wish to shut down a telephone network through brute force or denial of service attacks. For some companies, such disruption of business can cost millions of dollars. A disgruntled employee, for example, may try such an attack.

Wiretapping or phone tapping can be considered to be more simple to perform on a VoIP network. Because a hacker can access the system from afar via the internet, he need not jack directly in to the local phone network. Such compromising or sensitive information can be sold on by the criminal fraternity or even espionage carried out.

Worms and trojan horses can also use spoofing to disguise themselves within a voice packet. Once behind the corporate firewalls, they can wreak havoc on a company’s business critical systems.

How To Protect Yourself From VoIP Hacking

Whilst there are a number of risks from such practises above, minimizing the risk can enable you to obtain all the advantages of lower costs and valuable services. Most large companies are now considering migration to VoIP and have mitigated the risks by using advanced encryption and placing control of such systems to only a critical few persons.

Such measures can allow you to enjoy the benefits of VoIP in a secure operating environment with business risk being minimal and insignificant.

Create a video blog

HACK The Android RC30 t-mobile G1, get root access, and unlock!

Ronald — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 16:19:25 +0000

So my brother bought a gPhone along with many other things with the money he made from selling some of his shoes. A PS3, a few games, 2 very nice cameras, and other things. I guess he wasn’t thinking when he bought the gPhone, he could probably only think about, “I NEED THIS!” Like me, my little brother has obsession with technology, and electronics. We are both crazy about electronics, we have to mess around, hack them, mod them, but first of all HAVE them. So anyways, he doesn’t have any phone service, and the phone is locked. So I set forth a bit of time to research and figure out how to hack the gPhone, and I figured it out. So here’s a tutorial on doing so. Later I will put together a graphic or video tutorial on “file” when I have some time. Until then, enjoy this hacking tutorial. The tutorial includes timeliness of facts as well.

First we have to force the Android into root access…
–Recently since the release, hackers around the world have been doing their duty to unlock and modify Android as they like. Although it’s open source Google has tricks up it sleeves, well for the T-Mobile phones.

This is starting to turn into a cat-and-mouse game akin to the the back-and-forths we’ve seen between Apple and the iPhone jailbreak underground community. This war has the underground scene always looking for new security exploits that will allow them to gain root access to their handset’s file-system. On the other side, the powers that be are always working to seal whatever security holes were used by the “jailbreak” community.

Google’s most recent move to thwart a nascent Android OS jailbreak uprising by rolling out a new Android OS update (RC30) that aimed to patch the security hole exploited by Android developers. The automatic, over-the-air (OTA) update was expected to essentially kill the Android OS jailbreak movement throughout the T-Mobile G1 fleet.

Today we’re seeing the jailbreak community’s counter-punch to Google’s left-hook. The ever driven developers over at XDA Developers have devised a method that allows G1 users to update their T-Mobile G1 to the latest Android OS RC30 build while still retaining access to the file-system root.

jailbreak the android

The updated Android jailbreak method mirrors the jailbreak solution currently available for the iPhone OS. By modifying the security checks that the handset performs during a firmware restore, jailbreak developers are able to load modified firmware update files. These modified update files udpate the handset’s firmware to the latest version while retaining particular desired functionality.

In this case, the Android development community has come up with a method that allows them to modify the Android OS’s recovery.img file, which in turn allows them to flash a modified version of Android OS build RC30 to a T-Mobile G1. The modified Android RC30 firmware brings with it all the benefits of the new firmware version while still allowing users to gain root access to the file-system.

If you haven’t yet updated your T-Mobile G1 to the new RC30 update, and you want to preserve root access, you’ll want to follow this G1 jailbreak tutorial.

After the break, that is…

This guide has been made to reflect the latest modified RC30 file – RC30 v1.2.

Please note that this forced update method is to be used only by those that want to preserve the root access exploit. Applying the modified Android OS update file takes time and familiarity with command line. Once applied, you will have to manually update to any future Android OS updates – because of this, it’s not recommended that casual users with no need for root access jailbreak their G1’s.

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* First off, you’ll need to download two files to your desktop:
o Modified recovery image (which will become your recovery.img file)
http://fscked.net/%7Ejesusfreke/AndroidMod.zip
o Modified Android OS RC30 update file with root access preserved
http://rapidshare.com/files/165227766/update_TC4-RC30_full_xda-dev_v1.2.zip
* Download and install the Android Telnet Client from the Android Market
* Download and install the Terminal Emulator app from the Android Market
* Turn on WiFi and connect to your WiFi network
* Now, go back to your downloaded files on your desktop
o Decompress the AndroidMod.zip file
o Extract “recovery_testkeys.img” to your desktop
o Rename “recovery_testkeys.img” to “recovery.img”
o Rename the modified Android OS RC30 update file from “update-RC30-fullupdate-modified-testkeys-v1.1.zip” to “update.zip”
* Transfer the newly named “recovery.img” file and the newly named “update.zip” to your microSD card (you can use the microSD card that came with your G1)
o Put microSD card in your G1 (if it’s not already in there)
* Fire up “Terminal Emulator”
o Type “cd system” and hit Enter
o Type “cd bin” and hit Enter
o Type “telnetd” and hit Enter
o Type “netstat” and hit Enter
o The IP address you want is listed on the same line as the word “Established”
o Write down this IP address
o Close Terminal Emulator (hit the “Home” button)
* Fire up “Telnet”
* In the IP address field (it should show “localhost”) enter the IP address you wrote down
o Hit “Connect”
* Now that you have root access, you’ll want to type in the following (hitting “Enter” at the end of each line):
o mount -o rw,remount -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock2 /system
o cat /sdcard/recovery.img > /data/local/recovery.img
o cd /system
o cat /sdcard/recovery.img > recovery.img
o flash_image recovery recovery.img
* Now turn off your phone
* Restart the handset by holding down the “Power” and “Home” buttons simultaneously
* When you see the triangle logo (you’ll know it when you see it), hold press “Alt” and “L” simultaneously
* Ensure that you see “using test keys” along the top
* Press “Alt” and “S” simultaneously
* Follow the on-screen instructions
* Press “Home” and “Back” buttons simultaneously when you’re done and ready to reboot
* The G1 will reboot as it does its thing - let it do so.
* You have now fully updated your T-Mobile G1 to Android OS RC30 with the root access exploit preserved - get at the root with the Terminal app.

Again, you run a very real possibility of bricking your T-Mobile G1 by updating it yourself. Making sure your battery is fully charged and that you disconnect the G1 from your computer before updating will help ensure a smooth update. Should things go awry, however, you’re on your own. (T-Mobile will likely help you out, but it’s not going to be a fun or speedy process)

Sourcex: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=443041

Now to hack and unlock the gPhone…

Just the other day, Google announced that it will be offering its Android developers a special variant of the T-Mobile G1 (the first ever Android-powered smartphone to hit market) – the Android Dev Phone

1. Today, we’ve stumbled across a new hack that allows T-Mobile G1 owners with a bit of gumption and a dash of courage to turn their T-Mobile G1 into an unlocked Android Dev Phone 1.

The Android Dev Phone 1 is intended for Android developers with a need to load up custom firmware builds and test out unsigned software. Moreover, the Android Dev Phone 1 is unlocked to work on any GSM network in the world – a significant difference when compared to the T-Mobile G1, which is locked to T-Mobile’s network.

Fortunately for G1 owners, Google mistakenly shipped an Android Dev Phone 1 as a warranty replacement to an intrepid Android hacker. With a little help from those in the know, dream_kill managed to extract the Android Dev Phone 1’s unlocked bootloader and has posted the file online for all. Now, anyone can unlock their T-Mobile G1 to work just like an Android Dev Phone 1.

The G1-to-DevPhone1 conversion is easier than you think. The conversion requires little more than applying the update.zip file and rebooting the G1. In the end, you’ll have an unlocked G1 capable of running unsigned code. Unfortunately, this hack doesn’t endow your G1 with the Android Dev Phone 1’s cool battery-cover graphics.

More detailed T-Mobile G1 unlock instructions after the jump.

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* You’ll need an Android-powered T-Mobile G1 running RC30 with root access - that means you updated your G1 to RC30 using the above workaround method to preserve root access.
* You must have root access!
* Download the unlocked bootloader here.

1. Rename the unlocked bootloader file to “update.zip”
2. Move the newly renamed “update.zip” file to a microSD card.
3. Insert microSD card into G1.
4. Restart the handset by holding down the “Power” and “Home” buttons simultaneously
5. When you see the triangle logo (you’ll know it when you see it), hold press “Alt” and “L” simultaneously
6. Ensure that you see “using test keys” along the top
7. Press “Alt” and “S” simultaneously
8. Follow the on-screen instructions
9. Press “Home” and “Back” buttons simultaneously when you’re done and ready to reboot
10. The G1 will reboot as it does its thing - let it do so.
11. You have now hacked/unlocked your T-Mobile G1 to work just like an Android Dev Phone 1 - enjoy all those unsigned Android builds and the freedom to use whatever GSM network tickles your fancy!

Sourcex: http://www.modmygphone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8051

So that’s it, if you have successfully followed all these steps above, your gPhone should be unlocked, hacked, and ready to go!

Ronald A. Richardson
www.ronaldarichardson.com

QuickPwn 2.2 for Windows and Mac – iPhone 2.2 jailbreak/unlock, iPhone 3G jailbreak

Ronald — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 22:57:30 +0000

The iPhone Dev Team has released version 2.2 of the QuickPwn tool for Windows and Mac OS X, which adds support for the latest iPhone firmware (2.2).

1. GOLDEN RULE: If you have a 3G iPhone and want potential soft unlock in the near future do NOT use QuickPwn, and do not use the official ipsw or the iTunes update process without using PwnageTool.
2. Read item 1 again and again.
3. At the bottom of this post are the bittorrent files for the latest versions of PwnageTool and QuickPwn.
4. These are suitable for the recent 2.2 release.
5. Please read all parts of this post before downloading and using these tools.
6. The ‘late 2008’ MacBook/air/pro line of computers have an issue with DFU mode. While it’s possible to go from Pwned 2.1 -> Pwned 2.2 (using PwnageTool), you can’t yet go from stock to pwned. If in any doubt use a different machine.
7. Choosing the correct tool is crucial. Be warned!

NOTE: ‘Simple Mode’ in PwnageTool currently only works for the iPod Touch. To use PwnageTool for iPhones you will need to use ‘Expert mode’. This is a workaround while we make an update and fix this issue. In order to do this you will need to navigate to the ‘General’ window and change two things: Deselect ‘activate’ ONLY if you are normally able to activate through iTunes (but if you wish to ‘hacktivate’ the iPhone using PwnageTool then leave it selected). You will also need to change the partition size to about 1000MB (type in the value or use the slider).

‘Hactivate’ means to activate the iPhone yourself without Apple. This is used if you live outside an officially supported region and cannot activate the phone using iTunes.

UPDATE: PwnageTool 2.2.1 is released, this fixes the bug that is related to ‘Simple Mode’. The torrent is available here

Baseband 101

The ‘baseband’ is the generic name given to the internal components of the iPhone that handle the phone calls and Internet access. This ‘baseband’ is a tiny and unique independent computer system that runs inside your iPhone, it is separate to the main system that handles the applications (such as email and google maps) and it talks to the main part of the phone over an internal communications network. Think of it like a cable modem or other peripheral that is attached to your home PC that needs occasional updates. When a software update is released and presented to you within iTunes the baseband is sometimes updated (to fix bugs or add new features). The 2.2 update for the iPhone 3G contains such an update, so running the vanilla updater straight away with iTunes will reprogram and update the baseband. This could be bad for certain people, depending on your ultimate aim.

SIM Free/SP Unlocked/Factory Unlocked iPhone 3G

This applies if you bought your iPhone 3G for $$$$$$$. This model of iPhone 3G doesn’t have an Service Provider lock (aka factory unlocked) and you are able to put any SIM card into the phone and get service. Your phone is already unlocked so you do not need to worry about baseband updates, simply upgrade to 2.2 using iTunes and then use QuickPwn to Pwn and Jailbreak. This will add Cydia and Installer too.

Locked iPhone 3G – Preserve Baseband

This applies if you have a locked iPhone 3G and you wish to update to 2.2 but preserve the iPhone’s current baseband software. Preserving the baseband will give you the maximum chance for any upcoming software unlock. To upgrade your phone to 2.2 and preserve the state of the baseband you need to create a custom .ipsw with PwnageTool. This custom .ipsw will not contain the baseband update but of course will still allow all the cool new stuff from 2.2.

There are plenty of tutorials about this process on the web, but PwnageTool contains intuitive graphics and easy to follow prompts that should have you up and running in no time at all. Please note: PwnageTool is only available for Mac OS X.

Locked iPhone 3G

If you are using your iPhone with one carrier and have no interest in the possibility of an iPhone 3G unlock in the near future then just restore or upgrade to 2.2 using iTunes and use QuickPwn to Jailbreak and add Cydia and Installer.

iPhone 2G (1st Generation)

Update or Restore your iPhone 2G with iTunes then run QuickPwn to do the magic, ‘nuff said, you don’t need to worry about anything.

iPod Touch 1G (Original iPod Touch)

Update to 2.2 with iTunes and run QuickPwn.

iPod Touch 2G (New iPod Touch)

Sorry, no support at this time.

Bittorrent Releases

* PwnageTool 2.2.1 for Mac OSX is here SHA1 Sum – 3a91f2bf4f342baaa700ae7d35959d7ade186134
* QuickPwn 2.2 for Mac OSX is here SHA1 Sum – 254b8af0e19870a4660b7b11e3b6f6ae1d6bc66f
* QuickPwn 2.2 for Windows is here SHA1 Sum – ffdbc561224c61ffc2713cb6a6e696b6d429c4ca

Unofficial Mirrors

The following links are unofficial download mirrors, you download these at your own risk, we accept no responsibility if your computer explodes or if it becomes part of a NASA attacking botnet or even worse if your hands fall off mid-way during the use of these archives. We do not check these links or archives. Always check the published SHA1 sums. We would prefer that you downloaded the official bittorrent release that is linked above, but you are welcome to try these if you really must. Mirror owners should email direct links only to blog@iphone-dev.org , please don’t place mirrors in the comments as they will be deleted.

Mac PwnageTool

* http://iphone-dev.fgv6.net/PwnageTool_2.2.1.dmg
* http://jmcoon.net/PwnageTool_2.2.1.dmg
* http://www.stealthyhosting.com/download/PwnageTool_2.2.1.dmg
* http://crapget.com/PwnageTool_2.2.1.dmg

Mac QuickPwn

* http://jmcoon.net/QuickPwn_2.2.dmg
* ftp://dev-team.kicks-ass.org/Quickpwn/OSX/QuickPwn_2.2.dmg

Windows QuickPwn

* http://www.theiphoneguru.org/wp-content/uploads/QuickPwn22.zip
* http://imodzone.net/QuickPwn22.zip
* http://jmcoon.net/QuickPwn22.zip
* ftp://dev-team.kicks-ass.org/Quickpwn/WIN/QuickPwn22.zip

Unlock Jailbreak Activate iPhone 2.0! Or Restore 1.1.4

Ronald — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 22:30:23 +0000

This software Can Unlock, Activate and Jailbreak iPhone, AND iPod Jailbreak (Finally)

This is Version 2.0.1V This is the second release and there will be a new one in a week or so…
Simply Unzip the Folder then Click On the Apple Icon and it will guide you through the rest.
SORRY, THIS IS ONLY FOR WINDOWS USERS, SUPPORTS XP AND VISTA

There are also other benefits in this pack

This Doesn’t Work Will All people and all computers! So If it doesn’t work with you Please Just email me and I’m sure i can fix the Problem.

I modded this software so, Please send hate mail elsewhere! Very Happy
Since this is the second release, More Bugs Have been Fixed…

Download Here
-Mirrors welcome, I will upload the software to my server soon.

There Has been a few people saying this doesn’t work, It worked for me, and apparently other people too Very Happy (Which Im happy about). I did say above its not working for everyone right now, But i will be launching a new and improved one soon. If this doesnt work for you email me because I can guide you through the Process and Do it manually.

Screenshots:

This is not my iPhone, its someones who used the software, and it worked for them!