[APP][6.0+] NetGuard - No-root firewall

[Primokorn]

Primokorn can you please try if you have the same problem with one of the no root firewalls from the Play store?

You are right. Same FC with NoRoot firewall app (VpnDialogs). I'm using Temasek rom which is pretty far from stock. I'll try again with another custom rom.

Sent using XDA One

 

[M66B]

You are right. Same FC with NoRoot firewall app (VpnDialogs). I'm using Temasek rom which is pretty far from stock. I'll try again with another custom rom.

Thanks for reporting back.

I will try if I can detect/catch this error. Are you willing to test this? I can work on this later this week.

 

[Primokorn]

Thanks for reporting back.

I will try if I can detect/catch this error. Are you willing to test this? I can work on this later this week.

No issue on Exodus rom. Do you know why NetGuard doesn't show up in the list of AFWall? Actually I have no control over NetGuard.
I'll keep Temasek rom for a while so you can count on me for your tests.

 

[M66B]

No issue on Exodus rom. Do you know why NetGuard doesn't show up in the list of AFWall? Actually I have no control over NetGuard.
I'll keep Temasek rom for a while so you can count on me for your tests.

AFWall+ doesn't show applications without internet access and NetGuard doesn't have internet access.

 

[ukanth]

@M66B,I just tried it on my nexus 7 2013 on Marshmellow. This is a great start. Do you have any backlog or todo list ?

 

[M66B]

@M66B,I just tried it on my nexus 7 2013 on Marshmellow. This is a great start. Do you have any backlog or todo list ?

Thanks for trying it out and reporting back.
I have not really a backlog or to do list, but I have just added a nice new feature, which needs testing:
https://github.com/M66B/NetGuard/commit/e96f54b5dfe868377d46c1bed448e11fe160e805

 

[M66B]

I have just released beta version 0.6.

Changelog/download:
https://github.com/M66B/NetGuard/releases/tag/0.6

Feedback and thanks are appreciated.

 

[M66B]

For the people who downloaded version 0.6 already:

there is now a version 0.6a available, which show the icon for 'Block only when device not in use' in green (instead of orange).

https://github.com/M66B/NetGuard/releases/tag/0.6

 

[M66B]

@ukanth which system component needs to be allowed internet access for tethering to work?

 

[M66B]

Before anybody asks again, yes, NetGuard will be submitted to the Play store, after there is enough feedback to determine it works reliable on most devices.

 

[M66B]

Thanks @pulser_g2 for scrutinizing the user interface of NetGuard and writing about it on the XDA portal.

 

[DrummerMuppet]

Before anybody asks again, yes, NetGuard will be submitted to the Play store, after there is enough feedback to determine it works reliable on most devices.

If you don't mind the suggestion, it may be a good idea to say this in the OP as well

 

[M66B]

I have just released beta version 0.7.

Download/changelog:
https://github.com/M66B/NetGuard/releases/tag/0.7

@DrummerMuppet done

 

[zs29a]

I have just released beta version 0.7.

Download/changelog:
https://github.com/M66B/NetGuard/releases/tag/0.7

@DrummerMuppet done

Can NetGuard be modified to block ads?

 

[M66B]

Can NetGuard be modified to block ads?

Blocking ads require IP filtering, which isn't possible with this solution. See also the opening post.

 

[uncle_no_need_to_reply]

I have tried this app on a phone I'm currently working on, and since that phone is rooted I checked with Network Log whether internet access was really blocked or not for the selected apps.
Well, I'm affraid that the app doesn't work, it can't prevent system apps from connecting to the internet.
The android system, the settings, the settings storage, the bluetooth, the finger print, the finger print app lock, fused location, key chain, the thermal manager, the sensor calibration and a few others (about a dozen in total), can all freely send and receive data.
On a fully stock rom there would be many more, if there are only a dozen or so on mine it's because I've already toroughly skinned the rom and uninstalled lots of system apps.
The thing is that those system apps can't be uninstalled or modified on a non rooted phone, unlike third part installed apps that only require a bit of reverse engineering to have their internet permission removed and can be reinstalled once modified, and I'm sorry to say so but that makes net guard of not very much use, if any at all since it prevents the user to use the VPN.
Nice endeavour anyway, 2 thumbs up to the great devs m66b and pluser_k2...:silly:

 

[M66B]

I have tried this app on a phone I'm currently working on, and since that phone is rooted I checked with Network Log whether internet access was really blocked or not for the selected apps.
Well, I'm affraid that the app doesn't work, it can't prevent system apps from connecting to the internet.
The android system, the settings, the settings storage, the bluetooth, the finger print, the finger print app lock, fused location, key chain, the thermal manager, the sensor calibration and a few others (about a dozen in total), can all freely send and receive data.
On a fully stock rom there would be many more, if there are only a dozen or so on mine it's because I've already toroughly skinned the rom and uninstalled lots of system apps.
The thing is that those system apps can't be uninstalled or modified on a non rooted phone, unlike third part installed apps that only require a bit of reverse engineering to have their internet permission removed and can be reinstalled once modified, and I'm sorry to say so but that makes net guard of not very much use, if any at all since it prevents the user to use the VPN.
Nice endeavour anyway, 2 thumbs up to the great devs m66b and pluser_k2...:silly:

Are you sure you did distinguish between regular internet traffic and traffic routed into the VPN sinkhole?

Else this would be bad and an annoying Android limitation.

Edit: to be sure, I will add debug logging to see what is being routed into the VPN sinkhole (only in special builds, since decoding TCP/IP packets will use battery power).

Edit: I have added debug logging for connection requests in the sinkhole. Could you please build a version of NetGuard with this enabled and check what happens?

 

[pulser_g2]

I have tried this app on a phone I'm currently working on, and since that phone is rooted I checked with Network Log whether internet access was really blocked or not for the selected apps.
Well, I'm affraid that the app doesn't work, it can't prevent system apps from connecting to the internet.
The android system, the settings, the settings storage, the bluetooth, the finger print, the finger print app lock, fused location, key chain, the thermal manager, the sensor calibration and a few others (about a dozen in total), can all freely send and receive data.
On a fully stock rom there would be many more, if there are only a dozen or so on mine it's because I've already toroughly skinned the rom and uninstalled lots of system apps.
The thing is that those system apps can't be uninstalled or modified on a non rooted phone, unlike third part installed apps that only require a bit of reverse engineering to have their internet permission removed and can be reinstalled once modified, and I'm sorry to say so but that makes net guard of not very much use, if any at all since it prevents the user to use the VPN.
Nice endeavour anyway, 2 thumbs up to the great devs m66b and pluser_k2...:silly:

This is very interesting here - I didn't find this the case. I tested it out by blocking almost everything, and then trying to tether my device. It wasn't possible to do wireless tethering (which is a system function), with NetGuard enabled.

In my "data usage" screen, I don't see any apps listed which aren't whitelisted by me. Out of interest, what device are you using here? I wonder if some OEM is preventing "their" apps from talking over the VPN? If so, that would be a fairly major data leakage, as it would mean a corporate VPN intended to make it safe to use public WiFi, would be getting bypassed on a routine basis.

I did a quick experiment here - Xperia Z2 on 5.1. I unfroze Sony Account Manager (some app that's built into the ROM to let you log into a Sony account). I have it blocked in NetGuard. I then tried to add a Sony account, and it freezes on "Loading". It didn't get anywhere, and I left it for a long time. So it seems to be working here on system apps at least.

 

[bagarwa]

Is it (technically) possible to add "on-demand" feature ?
Maybe something close to how LBE works ... Yes/No/Don't ask again
Suggestion...

Is the LBE's firewall actually working for you? I get the prompt to allow / deny WiFi access when I launch the app (say, Chrome for example). But even if I deny, the app is still able to access internet. i.e. the deny isn't working. I tested this right before installing NetGuard.

Nexus 5, Stock 6.0, ElementalX, Rooted.

 

[M66B]

Is the LBE's firewall actually working for you? I get the prompt to allow / deny WiFi access when I launch the app (say, Chrome for example). But even if I deny, the app is still able to access internet. i.e. the deny isn't working. I tested this right before installing NetGuard.

Nexus 5, Stock 6.0, ElementalX, Rooted.

Please discuss LBE elsewhere.