Posted: 2022-01-27 (UTC+00:00)
Updated: 2022-11-09 (UTC+00:00)
A FOSS phone, especially so-called
@@ -135,29 +138,33 @@
LineageOS?", to which I answer with "What's not bad about it?".
- - LineageOS uses
- debug builds, not safe and secure release builds.
- - LineageOS requires an unlocked bootloader. Even when installed on devices which support custom
- Android Verified Boot (AVB) keys, the bootloader cannot be locked due to lack of the OS being
- signed.
- - LineageOS does not install critically important firmware without manual flashing, requiring users
- to perform a second update to install this firmware; this likely causes users to ignore the
- notification or miss firmware updates.
- - LineageOS does not implement
- rollback protection, meaning any adversary, from a stranger who physically picks up the device,
- to a goverment entity remotely, can simply downgrade the OS to a previous version in order to
- exploit known
- security vulnerabilities.
+
LineageOS is not the only Android OS (commonly, and incorrectly, referred to as a "ROM") with such issues, but it is one of the worst. The only things such insecure OSes can provide you are customisation abilities, and a backdoor to your data. They are best suited as a development OS, not a production OS.
What can you do about this? The answer is simple; however, it does require you to use logic, fact, and evidence, not emotion, which is a difficult pill for most people to swallow. Use your @@ -187,6 +194,8 @@ guaranteed monthly security updates for the entire support timeframe of the devices.
Use what you can, and do what you can. By neglecting security, you are, even if unintentionally, neglecting exactly what you are trying to gain; privacy and control.