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Samsung Blu-ray players bricked because of an XML config file

theregister.com

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Re: Samsung Blu-ray players bricked because of an XML config file

#11

Post by iforgotpassword »

Someone1234 wrote: post #2

That's why: " What does a factory reset entail?" is a fascinating question. Everyone assumes you'll lose your settings during a factory reset, but what isn't as clear cut: Does it revert the firmware to whatever it was shipped with (bugs and all)? Some vendors do, but most vendors do not. A legitimate factory reset (inc. firmware) mechanism or USB boot/reflash would have likely saved Samsung considerable amounts of m…

In this case it wasn't even a firmware update that bricked the device. Just some meta data that told the device how to behave. So a factory reset should still have deleted that stupid XML file from the flash storage, which would totally have fixed the issue. Even with all the paranoia they could have had about reverting to an old firmware version and breaking copy protection through exploits. Just wipe the freaking flash storage and keep the current firmware.

Re: Samsung Blu-ray players bricked because of an XML config file

#12

Post by petepete »

vezycash wrote: post #9
petepete wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I tried a factory reset with my Samsung TV after a firmware update injected advertising into the UI. Unfortunately it remained on the current firmware version and just cleared the settings.

>Samsung TV after a firmware update injected advertising into the UI. Wouldn't Samsung and the rest have stopped this if people just returned the TV?

Probably. Connivingly they waited for 9 months after I bought the TV before releasing the firmware update.

I wrote a guide years ago on blocking them via DNS which loads of people found useful. These days a PiHole is probably a better option.

https://gist.github.com/peteryates/b44b70d19ccd52f62d66cdd4b...

Re: Samsung Blu-ray players bricked because of an XML config file

#14

Post by andrewxdiamond »

_ph_ wrote: post #13

Programming errors happen, but thats why I don't get, that companies still use programming languages, where such errors result in a crash vs. an error which can be handled and recovered from. A faulty XML file shouldn't render the whole machine unusable.

Not sure if the language is at play, you can write shitty software in any language

Re: Samsung Blu-ray players bricked because of an XML config file

#15

Post by kelnos »

iforgotpassword wrote: post #11
Someone1234 wrote: post #2

That's why: " What does a factory reset entail?" is a fascinating question. Everyone assumes you'll lose your settings during a factory reset, but what isn't as clear cut: Does it revert the firmware to whatever it was shipped with (bugs and all)? Some vendors do, but most vendors do not. A legitimate factory reset (inc. firmware) mechanism or USB boot/reflash would have likely saved Samsung considerable amounts of m…

In this case it wasn't even a firmware update that bricked the device. Just some meta data that told the device how to behave. So a factory reset should still have deleted that stupid XML file from the flash storage, which would totally have fixed the issue. Even with all the paranoia they could have had about reverting to an old firmware version and breaking copy protection through exploits. Just wipe the freaking f…

The one issue I can see with this if the original firmware has an outdated TLS trust store, reverting to the original firmware might make it impossible to update it via normal means. Whether or not this is good or bad is an exercise left up to the reader.

Re: Samsung Blu-ray players bricked because of an XML config file

#16

Post by catalogia »

Someone1234 wrote: post #2

That's why: " What does a factory reset entail?" is a fascinating question. Everyone assumes you'll lose your settings during a factory reset, but what isn't as clear cut: Does it revert the firmware to whatever it was shipped with (bugs and all)? Some vendors do, but most vendors do not. A legitimate factory reset (inc. firmware) mechanism or USB boot/reflash would have likely saved Samsung considerable amounts of m…

> Does it revert the firmware to whatever it was shipped with (bugs and all)? Some vendors do, but most vendors do not.

I think if it doesn't revert to the firmware it had when shipped by the factory, it shouldn't be considered a factory reset.

Re: Samsung Blu-ray players bricked because of an XML config file

#17

Post by toast0 »

jonhohle wrote: post #10
toast0 wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Does it revert the firmware to whatever it was shipped with (bugs and all)? Some vendors do, but most vendors do not. I think that's the only reasonable thing to do. Have the original firmware either as an actual rom, or only writable with an enable jumper flipped; use a power on key sequence to boot from the original firmware, copy to normal firmware and reboot into normal firmware (which is now the original firmw…

As the owner of the device, I couldn’t care less if reverting to earlier firmware has been exploited. Are device manufacturers making more money from customers or studios?

Device manufactures can't make money from customers if studios blacklist their players.

Re: Samsung Blu-ray players bricked because of an XML config file

#18

Post by dogma1138 »

Someone1234 wrote: post #2

That's why: " What does a factory reset entail?" is a fascinating question. Everyone assumes you'll lose your settings during a factory reset, but what isn't as clear cut: Does it revert the firmware to whatever it was shipped with (bugs and all)? Some vendors do, but most vendors do not. A legitimate factory reset (inc. firmware) mechanism or USB boot/reflash would have likely saved Samsung considerable amounts of m…

It really depends how these things are setup.

Factory resetes that reset the EEPROM basically usually means that the hardcoded values form the ROM/Firmware will be used on the next boot.

However you usually have another tier today which is flash storage which isn’t a mechanism that can be easily reset with a “factory reset” because it involves a file system.

If the bad config files are on the flash you need a factory reset mechanism that basically tells the main firmware or boot loader to recreate the file system on the next boot.

Re: Samsung Blu-ray players bricked because of an XML config file

#19

Post by tedunangst »

_ph_ wrote: post #13

Programming errors happen, but thats why I don't get, that companies still use programming languages, where such errors result in a crash vs. an error which can be handled and recovered from. A faulty XML file shouldn't render the whole machine unusable.

What language makes it impossible to write if parse(config) == false then reboot?
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