HTC Peep

Status
Not open for further replies.
Search This thread

cajunflavoredbob

Senior Member
May 1, 2010
9,938
6,465
Your Basement
It's about time they got a fix out for it!

By the way, the Tweet for @xdadevelopers went out saying this was for Android users, instead of Windows Mobile users.
 

BrotherG

Senior Member
Aug 12, 2007
180
12
How did you find the vulnerability, is there a packet analyzing tool for android?
 

cajunflavoredbob

Senior Member
May 1, 2010
9,938
6,465
Your Basement
No luck

I just received a response from HTC saying they have no idea what I'm talking about. I just sent them back a response with the linked article. Hopefully someone can get the update from them and post it here so we don't have to deal with them at all.
 

cajunflavoredbob

Senior Member
May 1, 2010
9,938
6,465
Your Basement
In trying to get a hold of this update, here are my responses from HTC so far for anyone interested.

Me said:
I just heard about the update to HTC Peep for Windows mobile users. I have an AT&T Tilt2 with Sense loaded on it. I was hoping you guys could send me the Peep update so I could use that tab again without worrying.

Kathleen said:
I understand how important it is for you to be able to update your Peep application. Unfortunately, we are not aware of an update for the Peep application. I have looked for the update and it is nowhere to be found. You will need to keep an eye on http://www.htc.com/us/support/tilt-2-att/downloads/ for updates for your device.

Me said:
I read about the security flaw in the HTC Peep tab back in August and never used it because of this. The Peep application discloses the username and password via a HTTP OAuth-related request during the initial sign in to anyone eavesdropping on the connection. It also exposes the username and password after the connection is established by having all of the requests from the mobile device to the Twitter service use a HTTP Basic authentication header even though the app is supposed to be using OAuth. For more information, please refer to this article: http://blog.taddong.com/2011/02/vulnerability-in-htc-peep-twitter.html

Lindsay said:
We have not made an official update, any updates found on 3rd Party websites are up to you to do the research and download yourself. Just know these updates are considered rooting on your Tilt 2, so make sure before you update you do the research.

Me said:
Then when will the update be made public? It is kind of a pain that I've waited for six months now to use a feature of this device because of a security issue. Also, how would this be considered rooting since I'm not using an Android device? Windows Mobile users have administrator-like privileges by default in this operating system. There is no such thing as rooting on a Windows Mobile device.

Lindsay said:
If you re-write the ROM it is considered rooting. If you can add any applications to the SD Card and install it to the device, that is not rooting. We do not have any information on any updates available for your device at this time. I apologize that we do not have any updates for HTC Peep.

Me said:
I don't mean to sound insulting, but rooting is not the same as flashing a custom ROM. Rooting is gaining root-level administrator privileges on a Linux based operating system. Windows Mobile provides this access to the user by default. There is no other setting for this. Android, being a Linux based distro, does not come with root privileges installed to protect itself from users inadvertently messing around with things they shouldn't. It is the same thing on desktop operating systems like Ubuntu, Fedora, and the like. Rooting is completely different from flashing a custom ROM, as you are suggesting. Either way, an updated Sense tab using HTTPS, as it originally should have done, would be as simple as installing a *.cab file. My question, then, becomes to whom should I address this issue to get further support should I decide to call about it with the information I have?

Lindsay said:
The fact is we do not have an update for your device at this time. I apologize for this, but at this time we do not have any updates.

Me said:
Yes, you mentioned that. I asked whom I should voice my concerns with since this is the case. I understand that you don't have any information to offer me. I wasn't questioning that. I would simply like to know where I should go from here as there has been a serious security flaw in this device for quite some time. I do not mean to insult you, if I have done so, and apologize if I have, but I want this matter resolved once and for all. Obviously, the users are not allowed to modify the HTC Sense code or this would have been resolved some time ago. If some users were allowed the Peep source code, this could be rectified very quickly with the SenseSDK, but as that isn't an option, I, and several others, look to HTC to provide support for their product and software. If it is simply a problem of my device becoming outdated, then the HTC HD2 (Leo_512, Leo_1024) has the same problem on the latest ROM image as well.

Lindsay said:
I have sent the forum you sent me to the appropriate department for review. If you would like to troublahoot you device I would be glad to further assist you, but at this time this email will need to be closed if there is no troubleshooting to be done on your device. Again, I have sent the forum to the appropriate department.

THREAD CLOSED

It doesn't look like HTC is playing ball here. I'm going to continue to try to figure this out as I would love to actually be able to use the Twitter tab for a change. I never really used it because of the security flaw that was found.
 
Last edited:

reverepats

Senior Member
Dec 22, 2010
6,552
5,264
Boston,MA
i contected taddong and they told me

yeah they told me they had no idea what i was talking about....i contacted "tadong" and they told me to sedn the link from there site regarding the issue to HTC and he would handle them if they wanted more info on it...i guess we'll see what happens

















It doesn't look like HTC is playing ball here. I'm going to continue to try to figure this out as I would love to actually be able to use the Twitter tab for a change. I never really used it because of the security flaw that was found.[/QUOTE]
 

xfullmetal17

Senior Member
Jan 31, 2011
628
54
Uh... "If you can add any applications to the SD Card and install it to the device, that is not rooting."

Under that logic, if unrevoked forever ever releases a .apk to turn S-OFF, does that imply that merely doing that to get root access isn't rooting?

edit: this is what happens when companies aren't smart enough to release some kind of auto-app updater, separate from OTA updates. Stuff like this takes an eternity. How hard is it to add an "s" to the http of the authentication? (for that matter, why the hell is Twitter letting you log in this way in the first place?)
 
Last edited:

cajunflavoredbob

Senior Member
May 1, 2010
9,938
6,465
Your Basement
HTC finally release the Peep security update for the Rhodium, Topaz, Leo, and Photon. I've attached the files to this post, but they can also be had at HTC's website at the link below.

HTC Peep security update


EDIT: These updates do not work with custom ROMs, it seems. The *.exe needs to be copied to your device and run from there. I'm working on extracting them and making proper *.cabs now.
 

Attachments

  • LEO_S01236.7z
    309.8 KB · Views: 226
  • PHOTON_03880.7z
    309.6 KB · Views: 25
  • RHODIUM_S2_00923.7z
    309.4 KB · Views: 69
  • TOPAZ_S2_00478.7z
    309.7 KB · Views: 56
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Laurentius26

cajunflavoredbob

Senior Member
May 1, 2010
9,938
6,465
Your Basement
Peep Update *.cabs

EDIT: DO NOT PM ME ABOUT THIS FIX. IT DOES NOT WORK.




Please do not PM me about this security fix. It has nothing to do with the current Twitter outage as of the beginning of May 2011.


After pulling them apart and recompiling them, with the help of JVH3, here are the HTC Peep Update *.cabs. These are for Windows Mobile users with version 6.5 or higher. It should work, in theory with version 6.1, but I didn't feel like testing it out. Obviously, you'll need Sense 2.5 as well. There are four versions, but they all seem to be exactly the same. I didn't notice any differences other than the dates they were packaged. The Rhodium version seemed to have a slightly smaller TwitterApp.exe file, but I still don't think it was different.

Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for anything you do to your devices. These are posted for informational purposes. If you choose to install the application update, then any side effects (of which there should not be) are on you.


Changes

This update changes the way the Twitter Tab (HTC Peep) authenticates your user account. Before this update, your account information is sent via unencrypted http headers upon login which reveal both the username and password to anyone who happens to be eavesdropping on the connection, whether it is by cellular data or wifi as seen below.
Code:
authenticity_token=c8b5abaf53f223e827d9258ddfef4285a816db5f&
oauth_token=I4FK956n1foaHjayLKXJT2IaBpsmoo0amKyPhebc&
session%5B[B]username_or_email%5D=USERNAME&session%5Bpassword%5D=PASSWORD[/B]
Also, when sending tweets or receiving them, their is a continuous authenticate request sent which exposes the username and password again as illustrated below.
Code:
GET /statuses/friends_timeline.json?count=50&page=1 HTTP/1.1
Accept: text/xml, application/xml;q=0.9, */*;q=0
[B]Authorization: Basic BASE64("USERNAME:PASSWORD")[/B]
User-Agent: TwitterEngine
Host: twitter.com
I haven't been able to confirm the status of the current update yet with traffic monitoring, but according to HTC, this update sets the Peep application to use OAuth to establish a connection with https to encrypt the username and password instead of leaving it exposed for all the world to see.


EDIT: This is not a 100% fix. It seems that while the initial session is now being sent over https using TCP port 443 (sending against the api.twitter.com domain), during the rest of the session, Peep switches back to HTTP basic. This still leaves the whole session after the initial login vulnerable to hijacking based on the Twitter's session ID through cookies. I suggest using a different Twitter client, as neither HTC nor Twitter care for our aging devices.


EDIT: DO NOT PM ME ABOUT THIS FIX. IT DOES NOT WORK.
 
Last edited:

JVH3

Retired Recognized Developer
Nov 24, 2008
3,687
428
Minneapolis
www.twitter.com
i dont like to install os on sd card

What relevance does your post have to anything related to this thread?

Nothing about this thread has anything to do with installling an os or anything to your sd card.

It is about the twitter tab security flaw and the recent patch by HTC.

A patch could only be installed to the device, since patches need to replace files on the device.
 

JVH3

Retired Recognized Developer
Nov 24, 2008
3,687
428
Minneapolis
www.twitter.com
I'm still getting login error problem on my HTC HD2 o2 uk phone, this update and the HTC HD2 Peep Security update on the HTC website http://www.htc.com/europe/SupportViewNews.aspx?dl_id=1085&news_id=866 doesn't work :(

Is anyone else getting this problem?

Please try to keep up.

This fix has nothing to do with login errors.

This fixes a security vulnerablity.

Without the fix, user name and password are sent in plain text through http.

With the fix, oauth is used instead, so each request does not send this information. And when it initially is sent to authenticate, https is used.

The twitter tab works for just about everybody. And the fact that no one else is reporting problems since applying the fix indicates that the fix does not have a problem.

Things to check:
Do you have a twitter acount?
Are you entering your twitter user name and password correctly?
Is your twitter account locked by twitter? (try using it with your computer)
Do you have a data plan?
Do you have a strong cell signal with Edge or 3G service?
Have you tried soft resetting your device?
Are you in the UK?
If not, does the country you are in block access to twitter?
Can you browse web pages with your phone?

No need to reply to this reply to your post since your post was not on topic for this thread.
 

ramonguthrie

Senior Member
Mar 7, 2010
59
2
London
www.rbgstudios.co.uk
Please try to keep up.

This fix has nothing to do with login errors.

This fixes a security vulnerablity.

Without the fix, user name and password are sent in plain text through http.

With the fix, oauth is used instead, so each request does not send this information. And when it initially is sent to authenticate, https is used.

The twitter tab works for just about everybody. And the fact that no one else is reporting problems since applying the fix indicates that the fix does not have a problem.

Things to check:
Do you have a twitter acount?
Are you entering your twitter user name and password correctly?
Is your twitter account locked by twitter? (try using it with your computer)
Do you have a data plan?
Do you have a strong cell signal with Edge or 3G service?
Have you tried soft resetting your device?
Are you in the UK?
If not, does the country you are in block access to twitter?
Can you browse web pages with your phone?

No need to reply to this reply to your post since your post was not on topic for this thread.

My Peep app stop working in January, there are no problems with my twitter account, all I'm looking for is a solution or fix!

Do you know where i can get a Peep.cab?
 

JVH3

Retired Recognized Developer
Nov 24, 2008
3,687
428
Minneapolis
www.twitter.com
My Peep app stop working in January, there are no problems with my twitter account, all I'm looking for is a solution or fix!

Do you know where i can get a Peep.cab?

As I previously said, this thread is dedicated to the HTC Security Patch for the twitter tab.

I suggest either looking for a thread dedicated to the twitter tab not working or creating your own thread in the question and answer section.

http://xdaforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=456

This thread is not the appropriate place for your question.
 

KenDB3

Member
Dec 2, 2008
21
0
New England area
My HTC Peep stopped working on my Rhodium after installing this update. Peep worked right up until I installed the HTTPS Fix.

Verizon TP2, using the Custom ROM --> Verizon MR2 Fixed by Mr. X
(ROM Found here)
http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/cdma-tp2-...zon-mr2-fixed-mr-x-boots-unlocked-device.html

I see the "Tap Here to Authenticate" Screen
I type in Username/Password (which works when logging into the website)
HTC Peep tries to log in, but I get an error --> "You entered an incorrect username or password."
I cleaned out the Temp folder to try and get a fresh start, but no luck.
I tried to uninstall, but I am unable to uninstall properly.
I tried to Re-install, but no luck.
I shut down Sense, re-installed, and rebooted and turned on Sense, no luck.

So, minus doing a brand new ROM flash it looks like this .CAB tanked the Twitter tab for me. I didn't really want to keep using it unsecured, but it sucks that the update stopped it from working altogether.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top Liked Posts

  • There are no posts matching your filters.
  • 19
    Peep Update *.cabs

    EDIT: DO NOT PM ME ABOUT THIS FIX. IT DOES NOT WORK.




    Please do not PM me about this security fix. It has nothing to do with the current Twitter outage as of the beginning of May 2011.


    After pulling them apart and recompiling them, with the help of JVH3, here are the HTC Peep Update *.cabs. These are for Windows Mobile users with version 6.5 or higher. It should work, in theory with version 6.1, but I didn't feel like testing it out. Obviously, you'll need Sense 2.5 as well. There are four versions, but they all seem to be exactly the same. I didn't notice any differences other than the dates they were packaged. The Rhodium version seemed to have a slightly smaller TwitterApp.exe file, but I still don't think it was different.

    Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for anything you do to your devices. These are posted for informational purposes. If you choose to install the application update, then any side effects (of which there should not be) are on you.


    Changes

    This update changes the way the Twitter Tab (HTC Peep) authenticates your user account. Before this update, your account information is sent via unencrypted http headers upon login which reveal both the username and password to anyone who happens to be eavesdropping on the connection, whether it is by cellular data or wifi as seen below.
    Code:
    authenticity_token=c8b5abaf53f223e827d9258ddfef4285a816db5f&
    oauth_token=I4FK956n1foaHjayLKXJT2IaBpsmoo0amKyPhebc&
    session%5B[B]username_or_email%5D=USERNAME&session%5Bpassword%5D=PASSWORD[/B]
    Also, when sending tweets or receiving them, their is a continuous authenticate request sent which exposes the username and password again as illustrated below.
    Code:
    GET /statuses/friends_timeline.json?count=50&page=1 HTTP/1.1
    Accept: text/xml, application/xml;q=0.9, */*;q=0
    [B]Authorization: Basic BASE64("USERNAME:PASSWORD")[/B]
    User-Agent: TwitterEngine
    Host: twitter.com
    I haven't been able to confirm the status of the current update yet with traffic monitoring, but according to HTC, this update sets the Peep application to use OAuth to establish a connection with https to encrypt the username and password instead of leaving it exposed for all the world to see.


    EDIT: This is not a 100% fix. It seems that while the initial session is now being sent over https using TCP port 443 (sending against the api.twitter.com domain), during the rest of the session, Peep switches back to HTTP basic. This still leaves the whole session after the initial login vulnerable to hijacking based on the Twitter's session ID through cookies. I suggest using a different Twitter client, as neither HTC nor Twitter care for our aging devices.


    EDIT: DO NOT PM ME ABOUT THIS FIX. IT DOES NOT WORK.
    1
    Seems that HTC is finally acknowledging Peep's vulnerabilities and while not publicly releasing an update, they will send it out to people who request it...

    http://blog.taddong.com/2011/02/vulnerability-in-htc-peep-twitter.html
    1
    HTC finally release the Peep security update for the Rhodium, Topaz, Leo, and Photon. I've attached the files to this post, but they can also be had at HTC's website at the link below.

    HTC Peep security update


    EDIT: These updates do not work with custom ROMs, it seems. The *.exe needs to be copied to your device and run from there. I'm working on extracting them and making proper *.cabs now.