Remotely Self Destruct

[AbsensMentis]

Hello all, I am interested in creating some type of remote self destruct method. I'm wondering if the infamous rm -rf command works as well on android as it does on the *nix platforms, but have not tried it myself for obvious reasons. Is a script triggered by sms my best bet? Or will I need to gain remote access to the device with a VNC-like client? I figure, if someone is going to steal my android, I'll be damned if I'll let them use it for anything but a paperweight.
Thanks!

Edit: Is anyone willing to try rm -rf in terminal to see if it bricks? Maybe on a virtual machine on their PC?

 

[watskyhotsky]

thats a great idea.

there are apps to wipe the phone with remote commands. but your trying to brick it.

I think you could make some kind of script triggered by an outside event that activates the factory reset option in your rom that would nuke the phone and brick it. thatd be cool.

first option would be a location tracking app so you can at least attempt to find it before you decide to nuke it. maybe good idea to have both installed

 

[AbsensMentis]

thats a great idea.

there are apps to wipe the phone with remote commands. but your trying to brick it.

I think you could make some kind of script triggered by an outside event that activates the factory reset option in your rom that would nuke the phone and brick it. thatd be cool.

first option would be a location tracking app so you can at least attempt to find it before you decide to nuke it. maybe good idea to have both installed

Yeah, I already have the FindR in AVG set up, and its useful for locating it, but if the thief somehow evades me long enough I'd LOVE to bomb the phone. I'm using aosp's latest release, and noticed the factory reset option is not in the settings anymore. If its not in the list, is it still possible to utilize it? I'd much rather do an rm -RF bomb, but that would require me knowing the current IP of the phone (which is dynamic I believe). Perhaps an SMS triggered script is the key.

Edit: tried making a "warning shot" SMS triggered reboot. Bad bad bad idea...

 

[Retorrent]

Yeah, I already have the FindR in AVG set up, and its useful for locating it, but if the thief somehow evades me long enough I'd LOVE to bomb the phone. I'm using aosp's latest release, and noticed the factory reset option is not in the settings anymore. If its not in the list, is it still possible to utilize it? I'd much rather do an rm -RF bomb, but that would require me knowing the current IP of the phone (which is dynamic I believe). Perhaps an SMS triggered script is the key.

Edit: tried making a "warning shot" SMS triggered reboot. Bad bad bad idea...

Like undid your work bad? Or would give the thief free run of the phone?

 

[AbsensMentis]

Like undid your work bad? Or would give the thief free run of the phone?

I set it up to reboot when a trigger word is sent via SMS. I sent the trigger word, and it rebooted, and upon starting up it retrieved the message again, making it reboot again and again... Thank God for nand backups is all I have to say. Ill have to devise something else, or just use that as the bricker

 

[takehull]

I set it up to reboot when a trigger word is sent via SMS. I sent the trigger word, and it rebooted, and upon starting up it retrieved the message again, making it reboot again and again... Thank God for nand backups is all I have to say. Ill have to devise something else, or just use that as the bricker

That sounds like a viable brick method to me.

Tapatalk

 

[nin]

I agree with the idea for someone with a custom rom to be able to trigger the Privacy>Factory Wipe option, since that has been the cause of 99% of all the "bricked my phone" threads.

 

[AbsensMentis]

I agree with the idea for someone with a custom rom to be able to trigger the Privacy>Factory Wipe option, since that has been the cause of 99% of all the "bricked my phone" threads.

True, I noticed some Rome like reborn have it in their lists, that in itself could be a good brick method. I mean, if I were an unaware thief trying to make the phone look "clean" I'd totally be going for a factory reset... bricked by stupidity lol.