12 February 2016

Nexus 6P : a fuse if you unlock the bootloader

Nexus 6P :  a fuse if you unlock the bootloader

Some developers have already received their copy of the Nexus 6 p, and discover with astonishment the presence of a QFuse. This small physical 'fuse' is unique designed to blow when the bootloader is unlocked. Notice to those who wish to engage .

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Nexus 6 P 

For lovers of software changes, unlock the boot-loader from a phone or a Tablet is often the first step. Sometimes it leaves marks by increment a virtual counter called eFuse. The death of this virtual fuse is then used by some manufacturers for refusing to support the unit in warranty in some countries. Many users of Samsung for example remember the famous yellow triangle at startup which notified the bootloader unlocked status. Nothing really annoying however, it is easy to remove.

On their side, Huawei and Google went further, since the Nexus 6 p embarks for his QFuse of Qualcomm, a physical fuse which rack definitively when the boot-loader is unlocked. The existence of this QFuse, discovered by Vulpix, Hardware-zone forum moderator, is confirmed by former leaks of the phone, prior to his announcement, where it is possible to see in the boot-loader the mention ' Qfuse Status: ENABLED.

A possible barrier to Android Pay
Thus, even if your phone is restored to its state of origin, the constructor could always know that if the boot-loader was unlocked one day... but the phone itself is also capable. Also, even in countries where the cancellation of the warranty for software modification is not really a danger, as in France for example, the existence of this fuse could be problematic.

For Android Pay for example, Google contact less payment service, protection could be implemented at any time in order to prevent any transaction if this fuse is not in its original state. This is however that the most pessimistic scenario, Android Pay is currently blocked by the root, and not by unlocking the boot-loader.

A method already used previously
This is not the first time that this type of protection is used. To tell the truth, the existence of the QFuse is almost as old as the system Android itself, and it notes, for example, the presence of one of them on the Motorola Atrix, released in... 2011.

Where this security is amazing, is it embarked here on the Nexus, clearly demonstrating that Google has taken the opposite of its core programme. At the launch of the Nexus One, in 2010, the range was an audience of developers, with what this means changes (including the boot-loader).

The doubt remains
For the moment, the presence of this fuse was relieved, but his exact role has not yet been clearly defined. Therefore, wait for a reaction on the part of Huawei to know if there is actually what panic or not.

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