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Locked iPhones rendered almost useless in Australia's COVIDSafe tracking efforts:
Software engineer Richard Nelson, who was part of a team of researchers that found other bugs in COVIDSafe, has detailed a bug affecting iPhone users, rendering their device basically useless when it comes to tracking efforts.
A locked iPhone with an expired ID cannot generate a new ID. Without an ID, Nelson said the device will record other devices around it, but cannot be recorded by others.
"A device in this state will record other people around it, but will not be recorded by others. If all relevant devices are in this state, no encounters are logged," he wrote.
"One could imagine Alice packing her bag, putting her iPhone in and going out for the day to a football game. With her device in this state, nobody else will record her presence, and if anyone around her tested positive she would not be contacted."
[...] Nelson told ZDNet that if the iPhone user was to unlock their phone, but not necessarily open the COVIDSafe app, a new ID would be fetched.
"If Alice's device was locked and had an expired token, and Alice then unlocks her device to check email, for example, and if Bob's device then scans and picks up Alice's device, Bob will be able to read Alice's ID," Nelson added.
But if the device is locked again first, it won't be read.
(Score: 2, Flamebait) by c0lo on Tuesday June 16 2020, @01:26PM (17 children)
Done correctly, it may help and can't hurt.
Or, for you, if it's not Nirvana [wikipedia.org] is shit?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 16 2020, @01:59PM (8 children)
>> ...and can't hurt.
It can't hurt until the government shows up at your door for attending a meeting of the wrong political party. You have three minute to pack your bags, please leave your valuables in this box on your way out.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday June 16 2020, @02:10PM
Then you didn't do the application the correct way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 16 2020, @02:11PM (2 children)
Good. Please let me know when that happens. Until then it may help and you're making shit up. Thanks.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 16 2020, @02:26PM (1 child)
Found the Democrat!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 16 2020, @02:45PM
Yeah, that rabid Democrat [vox.com] really fucked us over.
Idiot.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 16 2020, @02:14PM
They're holding you wrong.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 16 2020, @02:41PM (2 children)
If that's a real concern for you*, move out of whatever shithole you live in.
*Criminal gangs [wikipedia.org] aren't political parties, so if that's what you're referring to, go get some more tattoos on your face, I'm sure you'll feel right at home in prison. I understand there's lots of violent, hate-filled extremists like you there. But hey, it's three hots and a cot, plus free clothes and healthcare. And you don't even need to rob banks or beat/kill darkies, jews and homos. Good times!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 16 2020, @04:05PM (1 child)
Adjust your medication.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 16 2020, @04:32PM
Are you suggesting that doing different drugs make me more tolerant of violent hate-filled thugs?
(Score: 3, Touché) by leon_the_cat on Tuesday June 16 2020, @02:37PM (7 children)
"can't hurt" i disagree, I think it adds an extra layer of normality to government tracking.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday June 16 2020, @03:06PM (6 children)
Look on the source code [github.com] and come with arguments based on that.
Maybe, we'll then talk more about reality and less about paranoia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 16 2020, @04:07PM
Enjoy the ride down the slippery slope, sheep person.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Immerman on Tuesday June 16 2020, @04:35PM
If they can contact Alice when she's been exposed, rather than Alice having to check in the public "infected lists" to see for herself if she's recorded any contacts with people on it, then it's definitely mass-surveillance infrastructure.
And from a quick read into the particulars it sounds like that is indeed how it works. There are (supposedly) some institutional limits on who can access the tracking data, and it sounds like the implementation doesn't make it as useful for mass surveillance as it could be, but it absolutely can still be used for the purpose.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 16 2020, @06:36PM
aussies will do anything "the authorities" tell them to. sad state of affairs. i saw a gun review where the aussie reviewer said they have gun storage laws that state that one has to remove the bolt while storing a rifle. fucking pitiful.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 17 2020, @08:41AM (2 children)
How about giving an example of government helping me before I wade through some code that is useless to me ...
(Score: 3, Touché) by c0lo on Wednesday June 17 2020, @09:07AM
How about you don't move the goal posts and stick to a concrete proof that this app contributes to the "oh noes, the govt tracks me"?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Wednesday June 17 2020, @09:10AM
Also, I hope that you are living in Australia, mate, I won't be bothered to search how the A/C's government is helping the A/C.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford