Please help: Need to totally disable/shutdown Bluetooth radio!

[jfbstn]

I'm running CWM 10.2 and need to totally remove all bluetooth functionality from my device so that bluetooth (even the low-level states/channels accessable via AF commands) basically isn't supported by my device. i.e.
Short of the chip responsible for bluetooth being desoldered from the circuit board, I'd like it to be totally unusable.

Just turning bt off or using an app to block the higher-level connections isn't enough.

Would deleting the bt radio firmware code on my rooted device achieve this? And if so where is this code located exactly? If this wouldn't do it, what would?

 

[Jay Sacks]

The tin foil isn't working anymore?

Sent from my GT-P6210 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[DroidArmy]

I'm running CWM 10.2 and need to totally remove all bluetooth functionality from my device so that bluetooth (even the low-level states/channels accessable via AF commands) basically isn't supported by my device. i.e.
Short of the chip responsible for bluetooth being desoldered from the circuit board, I'd like it to be totally unusable.

Just turning bt off or using an app to block the higher-level connections isn't enough.

Would deleting the bt radio firmware code on my rooted device achieve this? And if so where is this code located exactly? If this wouldn't do it, what would?

This is completely insane. You shouldn't need to remove the firmware and doing so may actually bring out bugs in the phone. Shutting off the bluetooth radio should be all you need to do. The radio doesn't run when it's shut off

sent from my Galaxy S3 rocking Cyanogenmod

 

[Mooncatt]

The tin foil isn't working anymore?

This isn't a completely bogus request. There is a device that police can get that can allow them to hack into your phone via Bluetooth to read its entire contents. Contacts, texts, images, everything, and it can do so without your knowledge if used inappropriately. It's supposed to only be used for investigative purposes if you've been arrested and they have probable cause, but there have been reports of officers trying to use the device at routine traffic stops when they have no legal authority to do so. I know the ACLU has been going after Michigan specifically trying to investigate the reports on its use at roadside.

I would think simply turning the Bluetooth off would be enough, but I don't know if that means the radio is completely off or just a dormant and thus still allow a device like I mentioned above to hack in. I'm curious what others have to say about this.

 

[Golfdriver97]

This isn't a completely bogus request. There is a device that police can get that can allow them to hack into your phone via Bluetooth to read its entire contents. Contacts, texts, images, everything, and it can do so without your knowledge if used inappropriately. It's supposed to only be used for investigative purposes if you've been arrested and they have probable cause, but there have been reports of officers trying to use the device at routine traffic stops when they have no legal authority to do so. I know the ACLU has been going after Michigan specifically trying to investigate the reports on its use at roadside.

I would think simply turning the Bluetooth off would be enough, but I don't know if that means the radio is completely off or just a dormant and thus still allow a device like I mentioned above to hack in. I'm curious what others have to say about this.

Encrypting the device should work.

 

[Mooncatt]

It's been a while since I've heard the reports and I know the device has undergone some changes since, so I wouldn't count on it. From the sounds of it, it can rip everything from the phone and then the forensics team could work on de-encryption later. Granted, that wouldn't be something worth bothering with at roadside, but I still wouldn't want them having the data to play with later out they wanted. I'll try to dig up the info on it.

 

[jfbstn]

1st off, thanks to you Mooncatt for not making me feel like a complete lunatic for this request. ) I had never heard anything of this bluetooth police scanner that you mention however; even more reason to be worried about bluetooth I guess.

I'm surprised that more people don't know about this. Maybe its not relevant with the later smart phones, but my device is somewhat old (It's not even a smartphone, its a Galaxy Player 5.0 actually). You've probably heard about those old java-based apps which connect to another phone via bluetooth by accessing low-level bluetooth AT commands which can list your phone's contacts, calendars, messages, cause the phone to factory reset, etc. Well, a few weeks ago someone sat about 20 feet or so across from me with something that I'm guessing was a smartphone (Wasn't paying much attention really, I was reading) and after a bit, my device (which has no cellular radios btw and even so, was set to silent mode *and* airplane mode to boot which supposedly disables bluetooth) starts to ring just like an ordinary phone. You wouldn't have been more surprised than me. I had no idea what was going on at the time, but after narrowing down the possible culprit to my bluetooth (wifi was off) that started me thinking about all of the other small glitches I encountered when someone just happened to stop or sit nearby me.

And maybe I'm really paranoid now, but I notice it more, people who pause near me as they're looking down at their smartphone and loose interest in it the moment I turn my device off from nervousness. *shrug* I'm not saying anyone's out to get me but rather there's something wrong with my bluetooth and that its advertising its vulnerability. I've never paired anything with it so its probably still set at some easily found default manufacturer's pin as well.

All the same, I'd rather just kill bluetooth on my device. For someone who doesn't need or use bluetooth after reading some of the below reference links, surely you can understand. And those links are just the tip of it. I've seen some that had workable code and mentioned hacking bt devices that were not only non-discoverable but on and actively scanning for other bluetooth devices, but devices with bt turned all the way off and not actively scanning (Via those almost forgotten low-level AT commands and silent forced-pairing)..

So again, please, please, if anyone knows which of the files that relate to the bluetooth radio (not the bluedroid stack code) firmware in CWM 10.2 I'd like to take my chances with a randomly rebooting but refreshingly bluetooth-free device.

Just a few References:
Bluebugging - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
trifinite.org - the home of the trifinite.group
Bluetooth Security & Vulnerabilities | Remote Security
www.emsec.rub.de/media/crypto/attachments/files/2011/04/slides_bluetooth_security_and_hacks.pdf+&cd=10&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us]Bluetooth Security & Hacks[/url]

 

[DroidArmy]

1st off, thanks to you Mooncatt for not making me feel like a complete lunatic for this request. ) I had never heard anything of this bluetooth police scanner that you mention however; even more reason to be worried about bluetooth I guess.

I'm surprised that more people don't know about this. Maybe its not relevant with the later smart phones, but my device is somewhat old (It's not even a smartphone, its a Galaxy Player 5.0 actually). You've probably heard about those old java-based apps which connect to another phone via bluetooth by accessing low-level bluetooth AT commands which can list your phone's contacts, calendars, messages, cause the phone to factory reset, etc. Well, a few weeks ago someone sat about 20 feet or so across from me with something that I'm guessing was a smartphone (Wasn't paying much attention really, I was reading) and after a bit, my device (which has no cellular radios btw and even so, was set to silent mode *and* airplane mode to boot which supposedly disables bluetooth) starts to ring just like an ordinary phone. You wouldn't have been more surprised than me. I had no idea what was going on at the time, but after narrowing down the possible culprit to my bluetooth (wifi was off) that started me thinking about all of the other small glitches I encountered when someone just happened to stop or sit nearby me.

And maybe I'm really paranoid now, but I notice it more, people who pause near me as they're looking down at their smartphone and loose interest in it the moment I turn my device off from nervousness. *shrug* I'm not saying anyone's out to get me but rather there's something wrong with my bluetooth and that its advertising its vulnerability. I've never paired anything with it so its probably still set at some easily found default manufacturer's pin as well.

All the same, I'd rather just kill bluetooth on my device. For someone who doesn't need or use bluetooth after reading some of the below reference links, surely you can understand. And those links are just the tip of it. I've seen some that had workable code and mentioned hacking bt devices that were not only non-discoverable but on and actively scanning for other bluetooth devices, but devices with bt turned all the way off and not actively scanning (Via those almost forgotten low-level AT commands and silent forced-pairing)..

So again, please, please, if anyone knows which of the files that relate to the bluetooth radio (not the bluedroid stack code) firmware in CWM 10.2 I'd like to take my chances with a randomly rebooting but refreshingly bluetooth-free device.

Just a few References:
Bluebugging - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
trifinite.org - the home of the trifinite.group
Bluetooth Security & Vulnerabilities | Remote Security
www.emsec.rub.de/media/crypto/attachments/files/2011/04/slides_bluetooth_security_and_hacks.pdf+&cd=10&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us]Bluetooth Security & Hacks[/url]

Ah, this justifies why you would want to disable it. It all makes sense now. Not being an android developer, I have no clue exactly which files you should delete. I would send an email out to the cyanogenmod team, they should be able to point you in the right direction. They've helped me out before when I needed to inject faux sound into their stock kernel.

sent from my Galaxy S3 rocking Cyanogenmod

 

[jfbstn]

Ah, this justifies why you would want to disable it. It all makes sense now. Not being an android developer, I have no clue exactly which files you should delete. I would send an email out to the cyanogenmod team, they should be able to point you in the right direction. They've helped me out before when I needed to inject faux sound into their stock kernel.

sent from my Galaxy S3 rocking Cyanogenmod

It justifies it for me. Why leave something active and open that you never use that's *proven* itself to be a security risk? (Sorry if this sounds combatitive but I'm detecting more than a bit of sarcasm and derision in your opening remarks)

Most people are too banal and clueless regarding their personal privacy these days imo (Look at lukewarm reaction to the Snowden leaks). So so many people are deluded by their false sense of normality.

Thanks for responding I guess and making me realise that the greater onus to receive help lies with the person who needs it.

I'll have to find a way to take care of this myself.

 

[ljxdaly]

this should be stickied. funniest thread ever.

 

[STARGATE]

this should be stickied. funniest thread ever.

Funny? In what way?
A forum mate needs help, he's doing the right thing by asking.

There are people who don't have an idea or don't care, there are others who will try to help.

Unfortunately, I can't help on that. But thanks for helping me realize the treat with Bluetooth technology, I had read something about it a while ago but I guess I really didn't pay much attention so I wasn't aware of it.

Sent From a Galaxy S4 Away!

 

[ljxdaly]

he is not doing the right thing by asking, and his "forum mates" are not helping. they are feeding his ridiculous paranoia.

please. he has noticed that people lose interest as they walk by when he turns off his bluetooth. THAT is funny. brb, i think the KGB is after me, and i need to put on my fake beard to throw them off.

 

[DroidArmy]

he is not doing the right thing by asking, and his "forum mates" are not helping. they are feeding his ridiculous paranoia.

please. he has noticed that people lose interest as they walk by when he turns off his bluetooth. THAT is funny. brb, i think the KGB is after me, and i need to put on my fake beard to throw them off.

I'm hiding from the FBI in the international space station. They can't hack my Bluetooth here! LOL

sent from my Galaxy S3 rocking Cyanogenmod

 

[DroidArmy]

Funny? In what way?
A forum mate needs help, he's doing the right thing by asking.

There are people who don't have an idea or don't care, there are others who will try to help.

Unfortunately, I can't help on that. But thanks for helping me realize the treat with Bluetooth technology, I had read something about it a while ago but I guess I really didn't pay much attention so I wasn't aware of it.

Sent From a Galaxy S4 Away!

This whole thread is hilarious. Big deal, if they want to take the time to read through my stuff let them. It's not like I have anything to hide. It's just like the NSA monitoring thing, it shouldn't be done but it's not like it's affecting anything important. 2007 people, stuff has been going on like this since 2007 with no issues. Get over it

sent from my Galaxy S3 rocking Cyanogenmod