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Brazil seizing Flipper Zero shipments to prevent use in crime
- LinuxBender 4y agoCurious why they are focusing on this gadget when every hacking function in it has a related item for sale. Are they also blocking Hak5 Wifi Pineapples, or the micro voice activated recorders, or the key-chain sized security card cloning devices, or the myriad of gps tracking gadgets? Do they block downloads of Kali Linux?
- toomuchtodo 4y agoWeak RFID infrastructure. Better to attempt to ban the tool than fix the root cause. Usual optics around “we’re solving the problem!”
- LinuxBender 4y agoYou are probably right. It's funny though as there are literally hundreds of these RFID cloning devices [1] on Amazon, Ali, ebay and other places. I think trying to block the sale of them would be an endless game of whack-a-mole. I am just linking the first one I found. There are more advanced and expensive cloning devices [2] that can clone anything. [1] - https://www.amazon.com/Keysy-RFID-Duplicator-keycards-keyfobs/dp/B07D7K2LCB https://www.amazon.com/Keysy-RFID-Duplicator-keycards-keyfob... [2] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkHArCMPDCk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkHArCMPDCk
- pixl97 4y agoInfrastructure problems are never easily and cheaply solved. For example when the Meltdown exploit was discovered it was internally embargoed to distribute knowledge of it for some time as how to fix the problem was discovered and the multitude of vendors that needed to issue firmware fixes and kernel fixes were brought up to speed. In theory the best course of actions is to issue mandates that infrastructure gets fixed while the stem of tools to hack said infrastructure is reduced for some time.
- capableweb 4y agoProbably because those devices are certified with the appropriate agency, while this one is not. At least according to the article. > Multiple people in Brazil who purchased the Flipper Zero hacking tool have reported that their shipments are being redirected to Brazil's telecommunications agency, Anatel, due to a lack of certification with the country's Radio Frequencies department. > Because Flipper Devices INC is not certified in Brazil according to this standard, it's not allowed to circulate freely in the Brazilian market. Makes sense, devices have to be properly certified, if they are not, they're illegal. Seems like it has nothing to do with the "hacking" abilities of the device.
- doodlesdev 4y agoThe thing is that it's not certified because they don't want to certify it. That's really unusual. I'm pretty sure the reason for ANATEL to not certify the device is because they believe it has no legitimate use.
- monocasa 4y agoIt's probably the 433mhz (and other sub-Ghz) functions connected to easy to use UX that really scare them. Brazil's aristocracy live and work in little walled compounds and 433mhz can open pretty much any of their gates or jam it so the owners can't open their gate and they get boxed in by a couple cars.
- capableweb 4y agoModern remotes/receivers have encryption, via rolling keys or other ways. It's not super easy to unlock those. Easy to upgrade as well, if you want to. Truth is, the device is not certified so the authorities are confiscating them. Makes more sense than some "aristocracy" conspiracy.
- monocasa 4y agoI mean, the authorities specifically called out it's potential use by criminals to deny the normal one off certification process for test equipment. > Anatel's certification area informs that the equipment called FLIPPER ZERO has been used in the country by malicious users in facilitating a crime or criminal misdemeanor and, as provided for in item II of Art. 60 of the Regulation for Conformity Assessment and Homologation of Telecommunications Products (annex to Resolution No. 715, of October 23, 2019), Anatel has rejected all homologation requests for the product in question, in order to collaborate in the protection of Brazilian citizens against criminal actions. Those 433mhz gate remotes/receivers tend to have very little in the way real security. Not even rolling codes but just transmitting the same code every time is still very common. And in an extremely socially striated country like Brazil, the ruling class using bureaucracy against their common fears isn't a 'conspiracy' any more than, like, the whole of society is.
- guilhas 4y agoDon't disagree, but to clone 433mhz you can buy a 10$ device, on eBay or Amazon
- DarthNebo 4y agoThe issue they have is primarily due to SDR functionality similar to HackRF, oppressive governments do not want their citizens to have unfettered internet access using satellite internet or be able to exploit weakly secured or conversely use highly secure communications
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- colesantiago 4y agoWhy not seize all incoming computers while you're at it since they can be used for crime?
- dylan604 4y agodon't be silly, how else would they be able to watch pr0n? why not? for one, is there any single purpose other than "evilz" for the Flipper? is there anyone other than "haxorz" that will be interested in using the Flipper? it doesn't really take much stretching of the ol' imagination muscles to understand why some moronic government official with pretty close to zero understanding of electronics, computers, programming, hacking, or anything cool and/or fun really, that would be easily convinced that computers are good with occasional bad actors vs tool meant specifically for "getting around things" with the occasional harmless inquisitive person using it.
- ok_dad 4y agoJeez, I have a flipper zero and it’s amazingly boring. I use it as a sensor for WiFi to determine strength and other metrics to improve my home WiFi. I used it once to fix a tire sensor, or rather to determine which one was bad. It’s not some hacker tool, it has a bright white case with a fluorescent orange wrap and only useful for debugging and testing things. It’s great, but not dangerous.
- estevaoam 4y agohttps://github.com/DarkFlippers/unleashed-firmware https://github.com/DarkFlippers/unleashed-firmware
- klyrs 4y ago> It’s not some hacker tool, it has a bright white case with a fluorescent orange wrap... Sorry, but how do these aesthetics prevent it from being a hacking tool? Some cool history rebuts the notion: https://telephone-museum.org/telephone-collections/capn-crunch-bosun-whistle/ https://telephone-museum.org/telephone-collections/capn-crun...
- cmdialog 4y agoJust because you aren't clever enough to use it as a hacking tool doesn't also mean that others aren't. You can easily do basic things like snatch NFC data. Or duplicate the RF transmit signal for someone else's garage doors. I think if you exercise a little imagination you can see how it could be used nefariously. And even still I would never support banning the device.
- happytoexplain 4y agoDon't garage doors use rotating keys, like car fobs?
- cmdialog 4y agoModern ones do, old ones do not
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- epups 4y agoI'm going to disagree with current comments here, I think the rationale for banning here is not far-fetched. It is analog to the guns vs knives argument in my opinion: of course you can kill people with any tool, but guns just make it too easy, and thus should be more tightly controlled. Before Brazil figures out how to contain the damage from such tools that ultimately facilitate crime, their sales can wait.
- kfkfodl 4y agoFigures that someone who is against the personal right of self defense would also be against citizens having access to basic tech that may be used in a nefarious way The comparison between knives and guns is especially funny, darkly though, in light of the "knife crime" narrative in the UK where the subjects of the crown have already been completely disarmed of guns, so now the state has moved on to taking away knives as much as possible I bet you're against encryption, too. That can facilitate crime, you know.
- BiteCode_dev 4y agoGuns have only one purpose: physical combat. Either commit it, or, hopefully, prevent it. Blades and encryption main purposes are not physical combat. Blades are mostly use for cutting material we use in our daily life, encryption is mainly use to hide communications. I don't agree with Brazil move, mind you. Flippers are not dangerous to the point I would consider seizing them a priority.
- criddell 4y ago> Guns have only one purpose Not a fan of biathlon? Although I guess competitive shooting could be seen as a form of combat the same way competitive chess could be.
- BiteCode_dev 4y agoI use my keys to open my amazon packages. But keys are still made to open doors.
- forinti 4y agoThey are already being sold for at least US$600 online and I've seen it offered at more than US$1000. It's going to make it worthwhile to build them here.
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- DarthNebo 4y agoThe audacity of such governments to stifle research & innovation is just atrocious, can you imagine how censored & sterile the global communication networks would have been if it were up to the governments in the 90s to decide what can & cannot be used.....
- kevin_thibedeau 4y agoIt's an unlicensed transmitter. This has been government regulated for over 100 years.
- nine_k 4y agoIts range is pretty short; traditionally such transmitters are nearly unregulated, especially in the ranges where they already massively exist, such as smart card readers. I suppose it's the firmware that makes this device stand out, not the hardware. The hardware is very standard, unregulated, and inexpensive, AFAICT. (This of course means that whoever needs a Flipper Zero-like device, can just build one cheaply, and flash the firmware from Github. It's the amateurs who wanted a cool-looking device who are burned.)
- cloud_eight 4y agoDevices that transmit on RF have been regulated since the early 20th century. Including early radio-based communications networks. This is nothing new.
- endigma 4y agoI love how these people think banning a hobbyist redteam tool will prevent real RF related crime. Silly criminals thwarted again by not having access to legally purchased hobbyist tools! Owners of Tesla charging port covers and garage door openers rejoice as their harassment is finally ended.
- m463 4y agoInteresting - I searched to see about flipper zero, and this was one of the results: https://www.cyber.nj.gov/alerts-advisories/flipper-zero/ https://www.cyber.nj.gov/alerts-advisories/flipper-zero/
- trololo01001 4y agoFYI, core team of the company developing Flipper Zero is located in Moscow, Russia. I wouldn't trust russian company with making my devices.