Warning ahead of unlocking bootloader

vientito · Dec 18, 2011

http://support.setool.net/showthread.php?3-UPDATES-AND-NEWS&p=74240#post74240

read down to Oct 27 news update.

This should kinda serve as a general warning to those who want to unlock their bootloader, though it is not fully confirmed as of yet

Please check production date of your model before any attempt

amnher · Dec 19, 2011

oh thats so scary. My phone is E16i and has a date of 11W34.

I was able to unlock and relock bootloader for so many times... does it mean that my phone will not get a bad luck on that?

maliceomalice · Dec 19, 2011

whats resurruction cable method?

Sent from my E15i using xda premium

B.Jay · Dec 19, 2011

vientito said:
read down to Oct 27 news update.

This should kinda serve as a general warning to those who want to unlock their bootloader, though it is not fully confirmed as of yet

Please check production date of your model before any attempt

To spare everyone the trouble, here's the text of the post in question:

seems most of lately produced msm7227-based phones have chipset with FIXED security hole, which used to altbypass unlock.
(that is not 100% confirmed, we only have few reports, however better be warned)
such phones will DIE after successful unlock procedure.
such dead phones CAN NOT be recovered. ( perhaps, jtag can fix that, perhaps, qualcomm fixed jtag security hole too )

there is NO WAY to determine if phone has fixed chipset or chipset with security hole.

the ONLY safe way is to use unlock by resurrection cables.
if phone can be connected and booted by resurrection cables, phone is safe to unlock.
if phone can not be booted by resurrection cables, phone has fixed chipset and could not be unlocked.

you have been warned.
get and use resurrection cables.

update:
e16 phone with manufacture date 11w38 affected, i think we should care about phones which produced after 11w26

maliceomalice said:
whats resurruction cable method?

Seems to be a special designed interface to access the UART recovery mode on a hard bricked device (very low-level stuff, comes right after JTAG'ing). See this YouTube link.

If anyone of you ever followed the awesome Samsung unbrick posts by Adam Outler you should have an idea what UART access means and therefore should have a clue about what the "recovery cable" device is able to do.

The only thing that doesn't add up ... the recovery cable video doesn't show any interface for the W8/E16.

tohno · Dec 19, 2011

so does it mean newer phones cant unlock bootloader? so my w8 i bought from last week got brick during unlocking bootloader might be a victim of this new security hole? o ya...why must SE do this? to prevent us from bootloading?

wilbso · Dec 19, 2011

....... I got my x8 12 months ago and I successfuly unlocked my bootloader. But what your basically saying is that newer phones can't be unlocked.. like the unlock tool to new phones is a deathtrap? Woooo. Watch out new buyers

sent from my x8 running gingerdx

vientito · Dec 19, 2011

Simply put, SE has a lot of stakes to protect.

B.Jay · Dec 19, 2011

wilbso said:
But what your basically saying is that newer phones can't be unlocked.. like the unlock tool to new phones is a deathtrap?

That's the point in case. If the phone is within the specified date of manufacturing you can successfully unlock the bootloader, but after you did the stunt and reboot the device it's basically hard bricked beyond "do it yourself at home" repair possibilities.

The best shot you then have left is to find a repair shop having a RIFF Box (JTAG) or the aforementioned Resurrection Cable (UART Recover) to breathe new life into the device.

However, it's at least good to know that this pithole is there (though I find it fascinating that they kept on fixing up the hardware flaws - or hardware based security holes - in the chipset). EDIT: Might also explain why some people experience weird problems with custom ROMs the majority isn't able to reproduce.

Lloir · Dec 19, 2011

Mine's a 11W28 unlocked my bootloader and it's not bricked.......

wilbso · Dec 19, 2011

B.Jay said:
That's the point in case. If the phone is within the specified date of manufacturing you can successfully unlock the bootloader, but after you did the stunt and reboot the device it's basically hard bricked beyond "do it yourself at home" repair possibilities.

The best shot you then have left is to find a repair shop having a RIFF Box (JTAG) or the aforementioned Resurrection Cable (UART Recover) to breathe new life into the device.

However, it's at least good to know that this pithole is there (though I find it fascinating that they kept on fixing up the hardware flaws - or hardware based security holes - in the chipset). EDIT: Might also explain why some people experience weird problems with custom ROMs the majority isn't able to reproduce.

Mine must have been within the specified date cuz like I said before
I unlocked it successfuly, its works perfect. But yeah, thanks for the explanation

sent from my x8 running gingerdx

B.Jay · Dec 19, 2011

wilbso said:
....... I got my x8 12 months ago and I successfuly unlocked my bootloader.

wilbso said:
Mine must have been within the specified date cuz like I said before I unlocked it successfuly, its works perfect.

If you got yours 12 MONTHS ago ... No, yours is NOT in the specified date!

11w26 (and onwards) seem to be problematic
11w38 (and onwards) seem to be sure hard brick

2011, wilbso - NOT 2010 (hint: we're still in 2011 for a few more days)

wilbso · Dec 20, 2011

B.Jay said:
If you got yours 12 MONTHS ago ... No, yours is NOT in the specified date!

11w26 (and onwards) seem to be problematic
11w38 (and onwards) seem to be sure hard brick

2011, wilbso - NOT 2010 (hint: we're still in 2011 for a few more days)

Just cuz I got it 12 months ago dosnt mean the model was created then.... on he back of my x8 it says 10w47, that specific anough for ya?

sent from my x8 running gingerdx

wilbso · Dec 20, 2011

Plus my phone is an e15 not an e16 as mentioned in earlier post that's its e16 not e15 phones that willl have the problem

sent from my x8 running gingerdx

donny_mey · Dec 22, 2011

amnher said:
oh thats so scary. My phone is E16i and has a date of 11W34.

I was able to unlock and relock bootloader for so many times... does it mean that my phone will not get a bad luck on that?

Mine with 11w33,, not bricked..., and always change with many custom kernel....

can explain me with it...?

B.Jay · Dec 22, 2011

@wilbso:

U mad, bro?

donny_mey said:
Mine with 11w33,, not bricked..., and always change with many custom kernel....

can explain me with it...?

Well, as we can only speculate on the Engrish post TheLaser made on the site from where the info comes from ...

W8/E16 phones within the range of 11W26 through 11W37 seem to be problematic. I interpret this as "there's some hardware fix though it can be worked around in software". If this now refers to flashtool or the replacement bootloader binary is up for anyone's guess.

11W38 and onwards seems to be a candidate for a sure kill after unlocking the bootloader. I interpret this as "the new bootloader binary that gets installed doesn't manage to start up because various 'security holes' have been fixed in the hardware therefore rendering the code defunct". That would at least explain why such hard bricks show no sign of life anymore at all (no LED, no screen, no nothing).

If you find a better theory or a better detailed description written in non-Engrish type ahead ...

donny_mey · Dec 22, 2011

B.Jay said:
@wilbso:

U mad, bro?

Well, as we can only speculate on the Engrish post TheLaser made on the site from where the info comes from ...

W8/E16 phones within the range of 11W26 through 11W37 seem to be problematic. I interpret this as "there's some hardware fix though it can be worked around in software". If this now refers to flashtool or the replacement bootloader binary is up for anyone's guess.

11W38 and onwards seems to be a candidate for a sure kill after unlocking the bootloader. I interpret this as "the new bootloader binary that gets installed doesn't manage to start up because various 'security holes' have been fixed in the hardware therefore rendering the code defunct". That would at least explain why such hard bricks show no sign of life anymore at all (no LED, no screen, no nothing).

If you find a better theory or a better detailed description written in non-Engrish type ahead ...

i realy sure about that but in 11w38 maybe killed with this act....

but i'm not sure for this,,,, or this a promotion tools from SE tool, and we must buy if we want to unlock that...

it's right...???

B.Jay · Dec 22, 2011

donny_mey said:
but i'm not sure for this,,,, or this a promotion tools from SE tool, and we must buy if we want to unlock that...

This is not a promotion from SE or any other company. The fact behind this is...

...that if you have a hard bricked W8 you need the "resurrection cable" thingy to _maybe_ restore the firmware on the phone (as there's no intel on how the "resurrection" is possible on the aforementioned models it's yet another guessing based on what has been written all over the place (read: "oberservation"), therefore the "maybe").

...that the safest way to attempt a bootloader unlock on said phones is to do it through the "resurrection cable" as only there you can tell IF it will work or not.

The only "promotion" in all of it is the heads-up on that piece of hardware a do-it-yourself-at-home technician (or privateer wanting to specialize in unbricking dead phones) may need - and that's all.

wilbso · Dec 22, 2011

B.Jay said:
@wilbso:

U mad, bro? Is the 10w47 within the specified date. Because I unlocked bootloader without trouble

Well, as we can only speculate on the Engrish post TheLaser made on the site from where the info comes from ...

W8/E16 phones within the range of 11W26 through 11W37 seem to be problematic. I interpret this as "there's some hardware fix though it can be worked around in software". If this now refers to flashtool or the replacement bootloader binary is up for anyone's guess.

11W38 and onwards seems to be a candidate for a sure kill after unlocking the bootloader. I interpret this as "the new bootloader binary that gets installed doesn't manage to start up because various 'security holes' have been fixed in the hardware therefore rendering the code defunct". That would at least explain why such hard bricks show no sign of life anymore at all (no LED, no screen, no nothing).

If you find a better theory or a better detailed description written in non-Engrish type ahead ...

Sorry....

is 10w47 in the specific date? Cuz I managed to unlock bootloader and flash custom kernel. In about to flash another soon just need your oponion

sent from my x8 running gingerdx

B.Jay · Dec 22, 2011

wilbso said:
is 10w47 in the specific date? Cuz I managed to unlock bootloader and flash custom kernel. In about to flash another soon just need your oponion

10W## through 11W25 should be considered safe
(where 10W## means "from start of production all through 2010")
11W26 through 11W37 could turn out to be problematic
(though I'm not sure what Laser means by that exactly)
11W38 and newer are supposed to hard brick
("no sign of life" .. no LED, no vibrate, no screen, no flash-mode connection)

Note that this seems to apply to the W8 E16 AND X8 E15 as well ... in one of tohno's threads we have a hard bricked X8 (11W43) mentioned.

I'm still trying to make head and tails out of the random info, but I think it's safe to say that one should better have a look at the manufacturing code before trying to unlock the bootload to avoid a bad awakening.

Edit: On a second thought ... while we're still lacking in-depth details I think someone should prod one of the mods to post a sticky tagged as "[WARNING] Read BEFORE attempting bootloader unlock".

ChewingOnMyCharger · Dec 23, 2011

I can confirm a hard brick on my Xperia x8 (11w40) when trying to unlock my bootloader.

Warning ahead of unlocking bootloader

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