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When a phone is “locked”, what does that entail? Is there a list of IMEIs somewhere that carriers check against when phones connect to their network, or is it s
by noodlesUK 7y ago
When a phone is “locked”, what does that entail? Is there a list of IMEIs somewhere that carriers check against when phones connect to their network, or is it something on the handset itself? If it’s software on the phone, surely it’s possible to hack it on the phone itself?
- Scoundreller 7y agoHandset itself. Though blacklists can exist too (depends on country and product). For some older phones, you could download a keygen because the algo has been cracked. But, for Apple, I understand all unlocks go through Apple HQ via the provider. Hence the need to malware the provider. My guess is that the tech for locking is pretty good. It’s probably a prerequisite for these providers to sell your device. Possibly with some penalty if the manufacturer can’t keep its lock robust.
- noodlesUK 7y agoWouldn’t it be a nice value-add if manufacturers provided an unlock after say a year or two after initial purchase? My experience with carriers is that even if you’re eligible for an unlock they’re a nightmare to get.
- rasz 7y agosimlock. War between hackers and carriers/handset manufacturers has been raging since before the Mitnick days (Motorola firmware hack). For example mikeselectricstuff (hackaday readers will immediately recognize the name https://www.youtube.com/user/mikeselectricstuff/videos https://www.youtube.com/user/mikeselectricstuff/videos , he is known among other things for Reverse Engineering the iPod Nano 6 screen and hacking FLIR E4 Thermal Imaging Camera to full resolution) has been making a living cracking GSM handset firmware in the nineties.