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GrapheneOS finds Bluetooth memory corruption via ARM MTE

grapheneos.social

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Re: GrapheneOS finds Bluetooth memory corruption via ARM MTE

#31

Post by digging »

wafflemaker wrote: post #12

Hope somebody using Graphene OS could answer: 1. Is it very challenging to install Graphene OS? Need special cables and to know a lot about jailbreaking Android devices, or will I be fine just following instructions? 2. Is it very inconvenient to use as a daily driver? How often phone just crashes and requires a few days of debugging? Will my bank app work on it?

I'll agree with all these other answers. It's fairly easy to set up and I've been using it with no more issues than I would expect on stock Android for years. I don't use bank apps though, I just log in to their website.

Re: GrapheneOS finds Bluetooth memory corruption via ARM MTE

#32

Post by dtx1 »

wafflemaker wrote: post #12

Hope somebody using Graphene OS could answer: 1. Is it very challenging to install Graphene OS? Need special cables and to know a lot about jailbreaking Android devices, or will I be fine just following instructions? 2. Is it very inconvenient to use as a daily driver? How often phone just crashes and requires a few days of debugging? Will my bank app work on it?

> Is it very inconvenient to use as a daily driver?

No but it is not the most convenient thing either. The Security Additions, Sandboxing Setup and a bit of slowness due to the hardened memory allocator are more annoying than just using plain android and clicking ok for whatever data it wants from you. Initial Setup and understanding what makes grapheneos different and how to use it's security features takes a bit though.

> How often phone just crashes and requires a few days of debugging?

Crashes? I haven't had one in my 4 years of usage. At least not a systemwide crash. Crashes that require days of debugging are in my experience not something that happens because hardware and software on pixel devices is well tuned for each other.

> Will my bank app work on it?

Depends on your banking app. Some work without any play services, most work with sandboxed playservices, very few do not work at all. Best you can do is tell us which bank you use and see if another user can confirm it works.

Re: GrapheneOS finds Bluetooth memory corruption via ARM MTE

#33

Post by digging »

gray_-_wolf wrote: post #16
wafflemaker wrote: post #12

Hope somebody using Graphene OS could answer: 1. Is it very challenging to install Graphene OS? Need special cables and to know a lot about jailbreaking Android devices, or will I be fine just following instructions? 2. Is it very inconvenient to use as a daily driver? How often phone just crashes and requires a few days of debugging? Will my bank app work on it?

As a former user: 1. Installation is easy, assuming your phone is supported, you can even install it via Chrome-based browser with regular USB cable. 2. Great for daily use, no crashes. Bank app might or might not work, depends on the bank.

Maybe the real question here though is: Why former?

Re: GrapheneOS finds Bluetooth memory corruption via ARM MTE

#34

Post by noman-land »

wafflemaker wrote: post #12

Hope somebody using Graphene OS could answer: 1. Is it very challenging to install Graphene OS? Need special cables and to know a lot about jailbreaking Android devices, or will I be fine just following instructions? 2. Is it very inconvenient to use as a daily driver? How often phone just crashes and requires a few days of debugging? Will my bank app work on it?

It's extremely easy to install. You download a couple things and copy/paste a terminal command or two.

It's nearly indistinguishable from stock Android. It seriously Just Works. You may have to enable sandboxed Google Play Services to get some apps but other than that it's basically perfect.

Re: GrapheneOS finds Bluetooth memory corruption via ARM MTE

#35

Post by dtx1 »

nelblu wrote: post #27
dtx1 wrote: post #2

GrapheneOS is so far ahead in terms of security than anything else that it makes chosing anything but pixel hardware really questionable. But I REALLY want replaceable batteries. Why does everything have to suck nowadays?

Not exaxtly grapheneOS but close enough CalyxOs has started supporting Fairphone 5 and it has replaceable batteries AFAIK: https://calyxos.org/news/2024/03/05/fp5/

Looking into that as an alternative for my dying pixel 3a but CalyxOS is to GrapheneOS what OpenBSD is to fedora when it comes to security. Both are good for updates and common security features but grapheneos has implemented security features that are a decade ahead of other Androids. Hardened Malloc, Playstore Sandbox instead of MicroG, Memory Tagging extensions, Selinux, bootloader Security, etc.

Re: GrapheneOS finds Bluetooth memory corruption via ARM MTE

#36

Post by xvector »

> Pixels shipped a massive hardware security feature (MTE) they aren't enabling for the OS to save 3.125% memory/cache usage. It's silly. Heap MTE has near 0% perf overhead in async mode and is cheaper than increasingly ineffective legacy mitigations like SSP in asymmetric mode.

I really want to see someone from the Pixel team justifying the decision here. I really wonder what the thought process is for someone to disable such a significant security feature for negligible performance gain.

Re: GrapheneOS finds Bluetooth memory corruption via ARM MTE

#37

Post by dtx1 »

actionfromafar wrote: post #15
dtx1 wrote: post #2

GrapheneOS is so far ahead in terms of security than anything else that it makes chosing anything but pixel hardware really questionable. But I REALLY want replaceable batteries. Why does everything have to suck nowadays?

These phone cases with an integrated battery pack goes a long way towards replaceable batteries if you keep a stack of them. They probable put less strain and wear on the built-in battery too.

> They probable put less strain and wear on the built-in battery too.

Nope, unless you can fore your phone to only charge to below 80% they strain the battery just as much if not more by keeping them at 100% all the time.

Re: GrapheneOS finds Bluetooth memory corruption via ARM MTE

#38

Post by freedomben »

Sytten wrote: post #6
dtx1 wrote: post #2

GrapheneOS is so far ahead in terms of security than anything else that it makes chosing anything but pixel hardware really questionable. But I REALLY want replaceable batteries. Why does everything have to suck nowadays?

Agreed but they do drop support for older pixel devices very very quickly which is kinda of PITA. At least the Pixel 8 is supposed to be supported 7 years.

Just a point of clarity, GrapheneOS has the same support window that Google does, so they're not dropping support earlier than the vendor. The reason they drop support is because the burden of supporting an EOL device is way, way higher, especially for a security-oriented OS.

Re: GrapheneOS finds Bluetooth memory corruption via ARM MTE

#39

Post by logicprog »

wafflemaker wrote: post #12

Hope somebody using Graphene OS could answer: 1. Is it very challenging to install Graphene OS? Need special cables and to know a lot about jailbreaking Android devices, or will I be fine just following instructions? 2. Is it very inconvenient to use as a daily driver? How often phone just crashes and requires a few days of debugging? Will my bank app work on it?

It's extremely easy to install. The hard version of the installation is just plugging your phone in Via usb, doing some things with the power and volume rocker buttons, and copy pasting like two or three terminal commands. The easy version is just plugging your phone into your computer and using the single click installer button that works in any Chrome browser.

As for how it works, it's been my daily driver OS on my Google pixel 6 nearly since the pixel 6 came out, and I've never once had it crash on me. Ever. It's never bugged out or needed me to debug or fix or maintain it in any way either. Every app I've ever tried just works on it too, as if I was using stock android, I literally don't even notice the difference honestly. Like sometimes I even forget this isn't what my phone came with. Personally my banking app, discover, works, but I don't know if others would, although I think they probably should since it has Google Play services and the bootloader is locked once you're done installing.

Re: GrapheneOS finds Bluetooth memory corruption via ARM MTE

#40

Post by jackwilsdon »

noman-land wrote: post #34
wafflemaker wrote: post #12

Hope somebody using Graphene OS could answer: 1. Is it very challenging to install Graphene OS? Need special cables and to know a lot about jailbreaking Android devices, or will I be fine just following instructions? 2. Is it very inconvenient to use as a daily driver? How often phone just crashes and requires a few days of debugging? Will my bank app work on it?

It's extremely easy to install. You download a couple things and copy/paste a terminal command or two. It's nearly indistinguishable from stock Android. It seriously Just Works. You may have to enable sandboxed Google Play Services to get some apps but other than that it's basically perfect.

You don't even need to download anything - if you're using a supported browser you can just use the web installer (you can even use another Android phone!): https://grapheneos.org/install/web
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