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Flipper Zero Gets Major Firmware Update, Can Eavesdrop on Walkie-Talkies

pcmag.com

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Re: Flipper Zero Gets Major Firmware Update, Can Eavesdrop on Walkie-Talkies

#21

Post by shadowpho »

washadjeffmad wrote: post #19
runjake wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was previously unaware of these particular radios. You just inadvertently sent me down one hell of a rabbit hole. It arrives Thursday.

And they keep improving - I think the latest revisions come with expanded flash for custom firmware. I've got a few UV-K5(99)s right now, and I end up giving them away to friends (even if I replace the duckies and keep the tri-bands) when new models release. With the custom bandpass and filter mods, they're reignited a very old interest of mine.

Very interesting! Where did you get them?

Re: Flipper Zero Gets Major Firmware Update, Can Eavesdrop on Walkie-Talkies

#22

Post by lxgr »

blackeyeblitzar wrote: post #20
vueko wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seriously. People really need to understand that CTCSS and DCS aren't actually privacy features, but convenience features for filtering out _other_ people's transmissions a user isn't interested in. It's the exact opposite of privacy. I guess the marketing as "privacy codes" worsens the situation.

What prevents people from transmitting encrypted information? Isn’t that just like speech that might travel over the airwaves?

Technically nothing, but legally it's just not allowed in the US (neither for FRS/GMRS, nor for ham radio operators, with very few exceptions).

Re: Flipper Zero Gets Major Firmware Update, Can Eavesdrop on Walkie-Talkies

#23

Post by cdchn »

washadjeffmad wrote: post #19
runjake wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was previously unaware of these particular radios. You just inadvertently sent me down one hell of a rabbit hole. It arrives Thursday.

And they keep improving - I think the latest revisions come with expanded flash for custom firmware. I've got a few UV-K5(99)s right now, and I end up giving them away to friends (even if I replace the duckies and keep the tri-bands) when new models release. With the custom bandpass and filter mods, they're reignited a very old interest of mine.

The new UV-5RM have a much better display and cool features like one-key frequency copy and USB-C charging.

Re: Flipper Zero Gets Major Firmware Update, Can Eavesdrop on Walkie-Talkies

#24

Post by vueko »

runjake wrote: post #16
jasonjayr wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I got my hands on one of those cheap UV-K5 Radios and the first thing I did was try to listen in to one of my FRS Radios and discovering all their channels & sub channels/privacy codes. Discovered this list while learning & researching: https://www.k0tfu.org/reference/frs-gmrs-privacy-codes-demys...

I was previously unaware of these particular radios. You just inadvertently sent me down one hell of a rabbit hole. It arrives Thursday.

You're going to want to look into CHIRP: https://chirpmyradio.com/projects/chirp/wiki/Home

Re: Flipper Zero Gets Major Firmware Update, Can Eavesdrop on Walkie-Talkies

#25

Post by vueko »

Aloha wrote: post #12
imroot wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Get an itinerant frequency -- $300, requires no coordination, and you can encrypt your comms. One of the (ham) radio clubs that I'm a member of does this as a benefit for the group, and it's something that's nice to have: I can give my wife a radio and not worry about what she may or may not say if we have to take two separate cars when we road trip. I've been meaning to do the process myself, but, I haven't had the…

I'm using EFJ 5100's and have a full KVL, and software that can make Christmas Tree radios. P25 Encryption is pretty good, in terms of quality.

While definitely better than the non-encryption of CTCSS etc, P25 encryption has some relatively concerning implementation problems. It's possible none of these actually matter for your usecase as many are related to UX around configuring and using encryption in an institutional setting, but the unauthenticated traffic injection, induced transmission and jamming issues are, well, not great no matter how you look at it.

https://www.mattblaze.org/blog/p25

https://www.mattblaze.org/papers/p25sec.pdf

I will grant that the open-source kfdtool keyloader boxes are neat.

I have been meaning to see if I can repro the induced transmission via retransmission requests thing when the data packet stuff is fully disabled via CPS, but a friend permanently borrowed my hackrf so that project is on hold for now. I'm not optimistic, though, due to the comments in the paper about where in the stack the retransmission request is processed.

Re: Flipper Zero Gets Major Firmware Update, Can Eavesdrop on Walkie-Talkies

#26

Post by runjake »

cdchn wrote: post #23
washadjeffmad wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And they keep improving - I think the latest revisions come with expanded flash for custom firmware. I've got a few UV-K5(99)s right now, and I end up giving them away to friends (even if I replace the duckies and keep the tri-bands) when new models release. With the custom bandpass and filter mods, they're reignited a very old interest of mine.

The new UV-5RM have a much better display and cool features like one-key frequency copy and USB-C charging.

Can you link me? The only 5RM I am pulling up is a Baofeng.

Is the 5RM as hackable as these?

Re: Flipper Zero Gets Major Firmware Update, Can Eavesdrop on Walkie-Talkies

#27

Post by runjake »

shadowpho wrote: post #21
washadjeffmad wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And they keep improving - I think the latest revisions come with expanded flash for custom firmware. I've got a few UV-K5(99)s right now, and I end up giving them away to friends (even if I replace the duckies and keep the tri-bands) when new models release. With the custom bandpass and filter mods, they're reignited a very old interest of mine.

Very interesting! Where did you get them?

Apologies if this has some sort of referral in it. I copied straight from the Amazon app.

https://a.co/d/gEGW5gr

Re: Flipper Zero Gets Major Firmware Update, Can Eavesdrop on Walkie-Talkies

#28

Post by gh02t »

runjake wrote: post #16
jasonjayr wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I got my hands on one of those cheap UV-K5 Radios and the first thing I did was try to listen in to one of my FRS Radios and discovering all their channels & sub channels/privacy codes. Discovered this list while learning & researching: https://www.k0tfu.org/reference/frs-gmrs-privacy-codes-demys...

I was previously unaware of these particular radios. You just inadvertently sent me down one hell of a rabbit hole. It arrives Thursday.

Those are really good radios for the money, have fun. I have nicer radios but still use my UVK5 just because it's easy to use and works well. Plus all the firmware mods are fun to play with.

FYI if you're not aware... not to be the no fun police, but you do need a license to transmit with one. And it's technically not legal to use them on FRS/GMRS/MURS frequencies even with a license, though that's probably the least enforced rule on the FCC books. Assuming you're in the US at least.

Re: Flipper Zero Gets Major Firmware Update, Can Eavesdrop on Walkie-Talkies

#29

Post by jasonjayr »

gh02t wrote: post #28
runjake wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was previously unaware of these particular radios. You just inadvertently sent me down one hell of a rabbit hole. It arrives Thursday.

Those are really good radios for the money, have fun. I have nicer radios but still use my UVK5 just because it's easy to use and works well. Plus all the firmware mods are fun to play with. FYI if you're not aware... not to be the no fun police, but you do need a license to transmit with one. And it's technically not legal to use them on FRS/GMRS/MURS frequencies even with a license, though that's probably the least…

I found the UVMOD website that lets you make a patched Firmware to enable all sorts of hacks.

Since I don't have a license yet, the next time I'm playing with it, I am going to enable the TX block on all bands, so as to prevent any accidents.

Of course, much to the FCC's annoyance, in the "dangerous mods" list, you can also choose to disable the TX block on all bands. You really shouldn't do that, though. The folks that run this project are trying to do the right thing and warn anyone that goes down that path ...

https://whosmatt.github.io/uvmod/

Re: Flipper Zero Gets Major Firmware Update, Can Eavesdrop on Walkie-Talkies

#30

Post by windexh8er »

runjake wrote: post #26
cdchn wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The new UV-5RM have a much better display and cool features like one-key frequency copy and USB-C charging.

Can you link me? The only 5RM I am pulling up is a Baofeng. Is the 5RM as hackable as these?

The Baofeng is what the parent you're replying to is talking about. I own it as well and it does have a nice display and one button copy. But I prefer the TIDRADIO TD-H3. Not as cool as the Quansheng in terms of hackable - but a phenomenal radio for the money. I bought more radios in the last year than I've bought in the last decade. I've got both Ham and GMRS licensing in the US.
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