 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Hacking of consumer electronics" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(March 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Thehacking of consumer electronics is a common practice that users perform to customize and modify their devices beyond what is typically possible. This activity has a long history, dating from the days of early computer, programming, and electronics hobbyists.
The process of consumer electronics hacking is usually accomplished through modification of the system software, either anoperating system orfirmware, buthardware modifications are not uncommon.
The legality of hacking consumer electronics has been challenged over the years, with an example of this being the cracking ofencryption keys used inHigh-bandwidth Digital Content Protection, where detractors have been threatened under the basis of legal action. However, some companies have encouraged hardware hacking, such as Google'sNexus andPixel series of smartphones.
Many modern consumer electronics run either anoperating system orfirmware. When this is stored in a mutable storage device, these files can be modified to add functionality to the operating system, or to replace it entirely.
Multiple methods are used in order to successfully hack the target device, such as gainingshell access, gathering information about the device hardware and software, before using the obtained information to manipulate the operating system.[1]
Getting access to a shell allows the user to runcommands to interact with the operating system. Typically, a root shell is aimed for, which grantsadministrative privileges, to let the user modify operating system files.
Root access can be obtained through the use ofsoftware exploits (i.e. bugs), through thebootloader console, or over aserial port embedded in the device, such as aJTAG orUART interface.[1]
In the case of gaining root privileges on an Android device, the process is known asrooting.
On some Android devices, the bootloader is locked for security to prevent installation of other operating systems.[2] Unlocking it is required before another OS can be installed.
On Android devices,Fastboot (Odin mode on Samsung devices) allowsflashing of operating systems onto storage.[3]
Das U-Boot is a bootloader commonly used in embedded devices such as routers and Chromebooks.
Getting information on the device's hardware and software is vital because exploits can be identified, which is subsequently used to either gain shell access, port an operating system to the device, etc.
A lot of device manufacturers include open source software in their products.[4] When the software used is licensed under a copyleft license, a manufacturer is obliged to provide the source code of the open source components. An instance of this was whenNaomi Wu requested theGPLv2 licensed source code of the Linux Kernel branch of a smartphone vendor.[5]
A good share of consumer devices run on a modifiedLinux kernel,[4] which isforked before applying device-specific changes.[6] Android is an example of OS which makes use of the Linux kernel.
Device manufacturers often include countermeasures to hinder hardware hacking, one of which is the use ofcryptography to prevent unauthorized code from being executed. For example,Nvidia graphics cards havesigned firmware to prevent tampering or hacking.
WhistleblowerEdward Snowden showedWired correspondentShane Smith how to remove thecameras and microphones from a smartphone.[7]
One of the reasons hacking is done is to add or unlock features in an operating system.
Examples include:
Another reason hacking is done is to allow unsupported operating systems to be installed.
Ageneral purpose computer has historically been open by design.
However,Apple'sApple silicon basedMac hardware is based on theARM architecture family, making it difficult to install a third-party operating system.
There are many reasonsvideo game consoles may be hacked.
Game consoles are often restricted in a way that may disallow unofficial games to be run on it (seeVideo game console § Licensing), and hacking is undertaken to allow unlicensed games to run on it, includingpirated games.
Another reason is to allow features to be added, such as using the console as a multimedia player. An example of this isXbox Media Player, which was made to allow pictures and movies to be shown on anXbox.
Some devices—most commonly open source—are built forhomebrew purposes, and encourage hacking as an integral part of their existence.
iOS jailbreaking was often considered illegal in the United States until a 2010 ruling by theU.S. Copyright Office declaring that jailbreaking an iPhone or other mobile device would no longer violate copyright law.[17] However, simultaneously, there is ongoing prosecution against hackers of videogame consoles underanti-circumvention violations of theDMCA. A main complication, in many cases, is the profiting from selling jailbroken or rooted equipment as a value-added service. At least some accused deny these charges and claim only to be making back-ups of legally purchased games.[18][19]
In around 2010, theHigh-bandwidth Digital Content Protection encryption system, which encrypts data running between cable boxes,Blu-ray players, and other similar devices and displays was cracked, and a copy of the master key needed to decrypt HDCP protected streams was posted on the internet.Intel, which created and now licenses HDCP technology, has stated that HDCP is sufficient to keep most users from circumventing it, but indicated that it may threaten legal action against more determined users under theDMCA.[20]
Also in around 2010, on the issue of the hacking of its then new interactive game controller theKinect, Microsoft initially condemned and threatened legal action against those who hacked it, but soon after, it reversed this position and instead stated that it had intentionally left the device open, and would in fact not prosecute those who modified it.[21]
[…] I own a modifiedCasio fx-180P withhyperbolic functions retrofitted. […] Comparing the functions of my fx-180P calculator with a friend's [fx-3500P or fx-3600P], I realized that although both calculators looked completely different and had a rather different keyboard arrangement, the functional assignments for each of the keys were the same. My fx-180P lacked a "hyp" key and the corresponding six functions […] This observation made me open the cases and […]reverse-engineer thePCB traces between thecontroller and thekeyboard matrix, and add two wires to emulate the "missing" key […] I retrofitted a push button in a corner […] at the top of the case […]
Yes