Airplane Mode And Recovery mode Access from Lockscreen without authentication. (Its not even allowed for widgets..then why "any" user?)

Airplane Mode.

Useful when you dont want to be tracked/bugged/approached.

But can this feature help the person who has your device to use it for a wrong reason?

Definitely.

If he has your device its obvious he doesnt want to be traced in any manner.
And here Airplane mode access in lockscreen without authentication comes into play.

Its so simple.

Steal the device> Switch on the screen> Activate Airplane mode and thats it! You are untraceable> Get away with the device, perform all sorts of unlock attempts...

Having airplane mode, you remove the sim,dont remove it hardly matters.

All security apps (such as location based ones which are most important in tracking ur device gets useless).

Nor can any authority do anything until the device has been taken to whichever corner of the planet, being experimented with, sold or god knows what and a new sim is inserted by a new owner.

Only then it can be traced by an IMEI number.

But could all this be stopped?

Yes! Definitely!
To keep the device connected if the user is not the Authentic one.

Its a nice option that user gets an access to Airplane mode right from the lock screen. But atleast some verification?

Say just a 2 digit password?? (with limited trying attempts off course)
or pattern?

just any kind?

If a device is being lost/stolen/fallen into the wrong hands... the device will be traceable till the battery is inside, and till the phone is switched on.

What if the user removes sim? or no wifi network?
Still! The GPS can work even thats enough.

And if if the battery is removed, the time its switched on, the network will work (mobile data, SMS), the gps will work, security apps can do something.

I understand that there are huge varities of hardware to run android. Even some with have external SD, removable battery.

But that's hardware's limitation.

This should not put Android Platform as a whole under the issue.

Android should do whatever it can to protect the users, Hardware is a different issue alltogether.

The permission for Airplane mode access and Recovery mode access is totally Android's issue.

I own 3 Nexus devices too (All have Android 4.2.2)

All have non removable battery...And no SD card slot too...Also the sim cannot be removed on the spot as it'll require the ejection tool (nexus 4)

But still I'm worried for my devices because of the Airplane Mode access.

Even if the device is powered off...the moment it'll be switched on, the user can disable all network communications.

Using the airplane mode, he might not power off the device at all. that too straight from the lockscreen.

That ways my security apps are a failure.
They cant trace anything , receive codes by SMS, or anything to trace the lost device.

until he cant access airplane mode, he cant really do anything with the device..even if he sells it, removes the sim, he still cant fiddle with it.

Issue 36972911

Mentioned issues (1)

Links (8)

Issue metadata