Modding N95 bypass signing

dude... if you gotta PM someone that site cause the can't find it, they shouldnt be using it! 😉
Interesting to see it somewhat confirms some early comments in the forum from yesterday.

This forum/site isn't for illegal activities or warez so why should it be for hacking and modding your equipment. That raises alot of problems especially if one wanted to hold this site responsible for any damages they do.

In my opinion, I would steer clear of any attempt to modify your phone physically. Especially if you aren't an electrical engineer of sorts. Protect your investment and don't attempt to modify your hardware.

If you are into that sort of thing, I'm sure you're knowledgeable enough to not need a guide and you definately won't be looking here for those hacks and would know where to look.

Here is a question:
Why?

Why would you want to bypass the signing process when you can self sign for your own device easily (and legally)

That's a good question. It's not like selfsigning is hard or takes any time.

Some people just like to make things overly complicated to boost their ego rather than use what works already.

3Shirts and waxup, did you actually read that blog in any detail? I thought it was quite entertaining, although I wouldn't want to try it myself.

The security platform in Symbian is such that all the API calls are grouped into different capabilities. There are a few basic capabilities which are always available; some extended capabilities which can be granted to apps with self-signing; few more advanced ones accessible only through certified signed (symbian approved developers); and lastly three most powerful capabilities which are manufacturer approved, these are AllFile, DRM and TCB.

The hack mentioned on that blog is entirely software based, no physical modification to the phone is needed. And the most obvious benefit is the ability to give more capabilities to self-signed applications, even including AllFiles/DRM/TCB.

One example would be FExplorer, which is available as an unsigned beta. With this hack it's possible to give FExplorer the AllFiles capability which will let you look into the /private folders on the phone memory which is currently impossible, as Symbian would never allow a file manager to have the AllFiles capability.

All very interesting in theory, but I would strongly discourage anyone to try it out.

Btw, for anyone interested, here is a list and description of all the capabilities:

http://www.forum.nokia.com/main/platforms/s60/capability_descriptions.html

Yes, I understand my ignorance in not reading the post. I already had it in mind as to what/where it was leading to.

I'm very aware of access rights and, like you said, I wouldn't encourage anyone to try and change the associations on the applications, hence why I said that if you were into this sort of stuff, you'd know where to look to get the information necessary to edit these rights.

Furthermore, I wouldn't feel good if I had posted an entry about changing file permissions or anything else and they messed up their phone and came back blasting me about it.

I think it's great as a whitepaper and nothing more.
:tongue:

Hi Kontraband,
I just thought that it was quite an interesting site/blog, never having come across anything like it with Nokia before. Certainly with other phones it's fairly normal for afficionados, I wasn't sure about posting the url that's why I said pm me.
Hi 3Shirts
As for signing it isn't as easy as you say. with my email accounts it's not possible and I have read elsewhere that if you weren't signed up before then it's impossible now. I have made screensavers with Carbide and found that they also required signing etc. Afterall the software Carbide I obtained legittimately from Nokia, I make the file for my phone with my own pictures and design and then find that I can't use it!
Have fun,
Mike.

Well to be fair, you'd be crazy to modify the firmware image just to avoid signing app. It'd be almost as bad as that guy who faked his own death just to avoid speeding penalties... (and failed miserably).

yeah, but the people that need the link sending to them are the ones that need the help signing....

The thing on the forum that made me read it wasnt a desire to hack anything in my setup, but more that Nokia are taking notes on anything that is change to not go in line with how it should be... such as your product code to get a generic upgrade...

Kontraband,
you've got it in one! I download an application (free) can't put it on my phone, design a screensaver, can't put it on MY PHONE"I need permission from someone else. That's B*******. It's like buying a toaster and being told you can only buy this brand of bread. Normally I haven't worried too much but lately all this crap about certificates, untrusted sources, unsigned is really hacking me off. My wife has a Motorola RAZR I can change everything on this phone and I mean everything, No motorola logo to start with. A top of the range Nokia and I can't do what I want with my own property. In Italy there was a case against sky where someone had updated the firmware to give him better performance/facilities, He won the case!
Have Fun,
Mike.

Further to my previous mail, I believe that Nokia should state in their advertisements and manuals that all software loaded on their phones has to be certified and approved by an external entity. I believe that this should be taken up by a Euro MP as a restriction of public liberty.
Have afun,
Mike.

Have you guys ever stopped to think WHY S60 3rd Edition is just about the only Mobile OS that does NOT have viruses? It is because Nokia's security initiative that has bought about this effect. They protect the OS for a god-damn reason and its to stop people from exploiting any flaws.

There are always good and bad to this - but I see this as more good than bad. At least you wont get any malicious codes that can spam itself via SMS or making illicit calls without you knowing.

Forcing people to self-sign means that the user understands that they are installing non-official code at their own risk, so that it will not affect others.

If you think this is draconian - look at Apple and their Ifoney.. you cannot install anything other than RSS feeds on the phone without much hacking around..

User wants to install pyNetMony (great little wifi, cell everything monitoring app)...

finds they need to sign everything....

try to sign it...

nokia says sorry this sis file isn't allowed in this range...

user jailbreaks phone to use app

Any virus protection now bypassed.

The moral? -don't know.