PSA: Poco is NOT unbrickable due to EDL mode being protected

[CosmicDan]

Before I got started on hacking the Poco (e.g. custom splash graphics, maybe repartition for dualboot, who knows what else) I wanted to port-over my Low-level Backup/Restore kit from Mi A1.

To my disappointment I have discovered that the EDL mode on the Poco is protected by some proprietary Xiaomi authorization.

This is the same problem encountered as those many who have bricked over anti-rollback protection in other devices - they cannot get authorization.

So, in summary - EDL flashing is not possible as Xiaomi have locked it to authorized machines only. Avoid messing around with non-standard-Android partitions at all costs.

 

[SH1M4BD3]

Before I got started on hacking the Poco (e.g. custom splash graphics, maybe repartition for dualboot, who knows what else) I wanted to port-over my Low-level Backup/Restore kit from Mi A1.

To my disappointment I have discovered that the EDL mode on the Poco is protected by some proprietary Xiaomi authorization.

This is the same problem encountered as those many who have bricked over anti-rollback protection in other devices - they cannot get authorization.

So, in summary - EDL flashing is not possible as Xiaomi have locked it to authorized machines only. Avoid messing around with non-standard-Android partitions at all costs.

Great to know this early...thaks for discovering this, so we can avoid unwanted bricked our devices..thanks sir

 

[SmallTarzan]

Thanks, sar.

 

[ydd0ras]

Dan thanks for important info.

Sent from my Redmi Note 4 using XDA-Developers Legacy app

 

[Jaskirat singh]

Damn it!
Btw Thanks for the information

 

[whrynox]

I guess we can bring this up to Jai Mani since he insists that this phone would be custom development friendly.

Off-topic: Glad to see you here since I also owned Mi A1 and saw your great work in that device

 

[SH1M4BD3]

As the whyred disaster of anti roll-back happened, they need the authenticated account to unbrick from edl brick with requesting through miui forum thread. What about poco???

 

[meltbanana]

I guess we can bring this up to Jai Mani since he insists that this phone would be custom development friendly.

Off-topic: Glad to see you here since I also owned Mi A1 and saw your great work in that device

a good idea
https://twitter.com/jaimani/status/1037982863579381760

reading comments it seems some people already lost interest in xiaomi devices due to ARP.

 

[DeHuMaNiZeD]

If anyone has twitter, should write to him. i think this could be solved. If he wants some real development, this should be disabled.

 

[Jaskirat singh]

https://www.xda-developers.com/xiaomi-anti-rollback-protection-brick-phone/

Consider reading this article

 

[meltbanana]

https://www.xda-developers.com/xiaomi-anti-rollback-protection-brick-phone/

Consider reading this article

thanks, I'm interested why it's not disabled at bootloader unlock, otherwise Xiaomi will become pointless for developers.

I like my new pocophone but that's rather not developer-friendly.
I decided between the Nokia 7 Plus and this and now I hope it was the right move.

 

[raphielscape]

Haha yes

 

[jineshpatel30]

Before I got started on hacking the Poco (e.g. custom splash graphics, maybe repartition for dualboot, who knows what else) I wanted to port-over my Low-level Backup/Restore kit from Mi A1.

To my disappointment I have discovered that the EDL mode on the Poco is protected by some proprietary Xiaomi authorization.

This is the same problem encountered as those many who have bricked over anti-rollback protection in other devices - they cannot get authorization.

So, in summary - EDL flashing is not possible as Xiaomi have locked it to authorized machines only. Avoid messing around with non-standard-Android partitions at all costs.

That's sad.

@jaimani if you guys are serious about development friendliness then you should give full freedom for at-least POCO. Don't put barriers otherwise your wish to fill development threads on XDA won't come true.

https://twitter.com/jaimani/status/1037982863579381760

Remember initially OnePlus Supported development every possible way to get where they are now.

PS: that's Product head of POCO's official account on XDA & Twitter.

 

[CosmicDan]

That's sad.

@jaimani if you guys are serious about development friendliness then you should give full freedom for at-least POCO. Don't put barriers otherwise your wish to fill development threads on XDA won't come true.

https://twitter.com/jaimani/status/1037982863579381760

Remember initially OnePlus Supported development every possible way to get where they are now.

PS: that's Procut head of POCO's official account on XDA & Twitter.

The idea of this protection is security, it's a good feature in principle but poorly implemented. It should be possible for us as verified Mi account holder for this device to automatically have authorization - much like we log-in to our device account when unlocking the bootloader (which only took 5 minutes after setting up the device for me - not even 3 days).

It could be possible that this "authorization" for EDL mode is actually *not* in Xiaomi's power, but the ODM (the actual manufacturer of the phone; Xiaomi don't own any factories AFAIK) or even the OEM themselves (Qualcomm) but I doubt it, since we have to login with a Mi account to check for authorization.

 

[chickentuna]

The idea of this protection is security, it's a good feature in principle but poorly implemented. It should be possible for us as verified Mi account holder for this device to automatically have authorization - much like we log-in to our device account when unlocking the bootloader (which only took 5 minutes after setting up the device for me - not even 3 days).

It could be possible that this "authorization" for EDL mode is actually *not* in Xiaomi's power, but the ODM (the actual manufacturer of the phone; Xiaomi don't own any factories AFAIK) or even the OEM themselves (Qualcomm) but I doubt it, since we have to login with a Mi account to check for authorization.

Not sure if this is gonna help you but I'll post anyway.

Someone from reddit was able to get authorization: https://www.reddit.com/r/Xiaomi/comments/9g4dlv/for_those_in_need_of_a_authorized_edl_miflash/

 

[CosmicDan]

Not sure if this is gonna help you but I'll post anyway.

Someone from reddit was able to get authorization: https://www.reddit.com/r/Xiaomi/comments/9g4dlv/for_those_in_need_of_a_authorized_edl_miflash/

Seen lots of people claim that. In every case the account only provides it once, then it loses authorisation.

 

[engr.chachi]

is EDL mode protection part of the Xiaomi's Anti-Rollback protection?

 

[CosmicDan]

is EDL mode protection part of the Xiaomi's Anti-Rollback protection?

No. There is no ARB in Pocophone.

But it is part of general security (stops people changing ROM's without unlocking bootloader or something).

 

[engr.chachi]

No. There is no ARP in Pocophone.

But it is part of general security (stops people changing ROM's without unlocking bootloader or something).

so how come it is unbrickable if bootloader is unlocked?

 

[CosmicDan]

so how come it is unbrickable if bootloader is unlocked?

Who said it's unbrickable? It's not. This thread is saying it's NOT unbrickable, because we're locked out of EDL mode.

ARB is a completely different thing. But Xiaomi phones with ARB also have locked EDL mode. So far only Mi A1 (and I think the A2's) are the only Xiaomi devices without EDL protection. It's there to block cross-flashing from reseller's, because it doesn't require unlocked bootloader to access EDL mode at all.

Read that recent XDA article about it, it covers all this stuff (I wouldn't be surprised if this thread was one of the inspirations for that article).