5 ms·

No more updates for my Huawei phone then presumably. Really feeling more secure now!

by plantain 7y ago

yding 7y ago
Huawei really needs to give everyone bootloader unlocks so that people can move to LineageOS in the meantime.
- techntoke 7y ago
  They will probably lose support from mobile carriers at that point.
  - gruez 7y ago
    why would carriers care about bootloader unlocks? it's different from a carrier lock, which prevents a phone from being used on another carrier.
    - tgsovlerkhgsel 7y ago
      Doesn't an unlocked bootloader almost automatically allow bypassing of the carrier lock?
      - pas 7y ago
        if allows baseband chip firmware update, then yes
        gruez 7y ago
        aren't those signed anyways?
        pas 7y ago
        even if it is, you can probably do an update with an unlocked one. (so the update is not device specific, not tied to IMEI)
  - bpye 7y ago
    Why would they care now? Their devices are essentially dead in the water in western markets.
    - ovi256 7y ago
      Check out the double digit growth they have in the EU. Google is fighting hard to keep their app store on Huawei devices, because they don't want 10Ms of users to force-adopt alternative app stores.
philwelch 7y ago
Your phone was manufactured by a front for a foreign intelligence service. It was never secure.
- onei 7y ago
  Just to play devil's advocate, do you have any citations for that statement?
  - yding 7y ago
    No. Although Huawei did do some shady shit, like come up with a bonus scheme based on how much IP/market intelligence their employees could "acquire" from their competitors.
  - StudentStuff 7y ago
    I'd hardly presume Huawei is a front for a foreign intelligence service, but their software for cellular basestations is extremely vulnerable (hundreds of different vulnerable versions of OpenSSL sprinkled through) and they still can't be bothered to use version control, despite committing to address both issues back in 2012: https://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-huawei-british-security-chinese-telecom-20190328-story.html https://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-huawei-bri... Huawei's products are vulnerable by default, anyone can look up the applicable CVEs and run the proof of concept code for said CVE to pop a shell. China doesn't have exclusive access :)
    - RantyDave 7y ago
      No, I think it is, that would explain a lot of things - like how can they make/sell premium mobile phones for less? If the Chinese govt is paying you (say) $100/user to plant a back door, that would certainly help. Remember that Huawei settled out of court to the 'allegation' that they copied Cisco's source code. So, are Facebook a front for the CIA?
- goguy 7y ago
  Personally I would prefer it to be a foreign government rather than the one in charge of the country I reside in...
StringyBob 7y ago
Google have no choice but to comply with US law. This is now going to make a load of existing US owned (Huawei manufactured) devices less secure unless an exemption is agreed for things like software security updates. Not only that, the ban encourages a long term move away from US-based tech as alternatives are needed within China. This new tech will ultimately be available worldwide, but no longer owned or controlled by US companies. As someone from neither China or US, it seems crazy. It’s one thing to ban Huawei from your own markets for security concerns, but by making such a heavy handed ban on working with them, the US government seem to be making the US less secure short term, but also US companies will be less competitive and less influential in the world long term.
- mrep 7y ago
  > the ban encourages a long term move away from US-based tech as alternatives are needed within China. China blocked Google play years ago and repeatedly blocks every attempt Google tries to make to relaunch back into china [0] so they did that a long time ago. [0]: https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/17/google-misses-out-on-billions-in-china.html https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/17/google-misses-out-on-billion...
  - Gibbon1 7y ago
    It's bigger than China blocking Google's adware/spyware crap.
- usr1106 7y ago
  > Google have no choice but to comply with US law Like they have no choice with tax laws. Or no choice with cartel laws. Or no choice with data protection laws. They are agressively trying to circumvent many laws all the times to extend their monopoly and grow their profits. They have multi-billion fines from the EU and several member states pending and no somewhat critical thinking citizen would claim that EU has been particularly tough on their monopoly and tax evasions.
anarazel 7y ago
Well, OS updates weren't going through the play store anyway, no? And it appears you'll continue to be able to download app updates via the play store "But users of existing Huawei devices who have access to the Google Play Store will still be able to download app updates provided by Google.".
- arthurfm 7y ago
  Some security updates will be installed via the Play Store starting from Android Q. https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/7/18531350/google-android-q-project-mainline-security-updates-play-store-io-2019 https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/7/18531350/google-android-q-...

No more updates for my Huawei phone then presumably. Really feeling more secure now!

yding 7y ago

Huawei really needs to give everyone bootloader unlocks so that people can move to LineageOS in the meantime.

techntoke 7y ago
They will probably lose support from mobile carriers at that point.
- gruez 7y ago
  why would carriers care about bootloader unlocks? it's different from a carrier lock, which prevents a phone from being used on another carrier.
  - tgsovlerkhgsel 7y ago
    Doesn't an unlocked bootloader almost automatically allow bypassing of the carrier lock?
    - pas 7y ago
      if allows baseband chip firmware update, then yes
      - gruez 7y ago
        aren't those signed anyways?
        pas 7y ago
        even if it is, you can probably do an update with an unlocked one. (so the update is not device specific, not tied to IMEI)
- bpye 7y ago
  Why would they care now? Their devices are essentially dead in the water in western markets.
  - ovi256 7y ago
    Check out the double digit growth they have in the EU. Google is fighting hard to keep their app store on Huawei devices, because they don't want 10Ms of users to force-adopt alternative app stores.

philwelch 7y ago

Your phone was manufactured by a front for a foreign intelligence service. It was never secure.

onei 7y ago
Just to play devil's advocate, do you have any citations for that statement?
- yding 7y ago
  No. Although Huawei did do some shady shit, like come up with a bonus scheme based on how much IP/market intelligence their employees could "acquire" from their competitors.
- StudentStuff 7y ago
  I'd hardly presume Huawei is a front for a foreign intelligence service, but their software for cellular basestations is extremely vulnerable (hundreds of different vulnerable versions of OpenSSL sprinkled through) and they still can't be bothered to use version control, despite committing to address both issues back in 2012: https://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-huawei-british-security-chinese-telecom-20190328-story.html https://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-huawei-bri... Huawei's products are vulnerable by default, anyone can look up the applicable CVEs and run the proof of concept code for said CVE to pop a shell. China doesn't have exclusive access :)
  - RantyDave 7y ago
    No, I think it is, that would explain a lot of things - like how can they make/sell premium mobile phones for less? If the Chinese govt is paying you (say) $100/user to plant a back door, that would certainly help. Remember that Huawei settled out of court to the 'allegation' that they copied Cisco's source code. So, are Facebook a front for the CIA?
goguy 7y ago
Personally I would prefer it to be a foreign government rather than the one in charge of the country I reside in...

StringyBob 7y ago

Google have no choice but to comply with US law. This is now going to make a load of existing US owned (Huawei manufactured) devices less secure unless an exemption is agreed for things like software security updates. Not only that, the ban encourages a long term move away from US-based tech as alternatives are needed within China. This new tech will ultimately be available worldwide, but no longer owned or controlled by US companies. As someone from neither China or US, it seems crazy. It’s one thing to ban Huawei from your own markets for security concerns, but by making such a heavy handed ban on working with them, the US government seem to be making the US less secure short term, but also US companies will be less competitive and less influential in the world long term.

mrep 7y ago
> the ban encourages a long term move away from US-based tech as alternatives are needed within China. China blocked Google play years ago and repeatedly blocks every attempt Google tries to make to relaunch back into china [0] so they did that a long time ago. [0]: https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/17/google-misses-out-on-billions-in-china.html https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/17/google-misses-out-on-billion...
- Gibbon1 7y ago
  It's bigger than China blocking Google's adware/spyware crap.
usr1106 7y ago
> Google have no choice but to comply with US law Like they have no choice with tax laws. Or no choice with cartel laws. Or no choice with data protection laws. They are agressively trying to circumvent many laws all the times to extend their monopoly and grow their profits. They have multi-billion fines from the EU and several member states pending and no somewhat critical thinking citizen would claim that EU has been particularly tough on their monopoly and tax evasions.

anarazel 7y ago

Well, OS updates weren't going through the play store anyway, no? And it appears you'll continue to be able to download app updates via the play store "But users of existing Huawei devices who have access to the Google Play Store will still be able to download app updates provided by Google.".

arthurfm 7y ago
Some security updates will be installed via the Play Store starting from Android Q. https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/7/18531350/google-android-q-project-mainline-security-updates-play-store-io-2019 https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/7/18531350/google-android-q-...