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Ebay unlockers safe to use?

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  • 20-07-2015 3:51pm
    #1
    deadanonymau5
    Registered Users Posts: 2,875 ✭✭✭


    Hi

    Just curious if using an Ebay phone unlocker is safe? They usually ask for phone imei, the network you're locked to and want to move to.

    I read before that phones that were unlocked by these were more susceptible to being hacked/or something along the lines of malware/viruses? Is this right? Or maybe it was only phones that were rooted?


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    #2
    Curb Your Enthusiasm
    Registered Users Posts: 3,466 ✭✭✭Curb Your Enthusiasm


    You'll be grand.


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    #3
    deadanonymau5
    Registered Users Posts: 2,875 ✭✭✭deadanonymau5


    deadanonymau5 wrote: »
    Hi

    Just curious if using an Ebay phone unlocker is safe? They usually ask for phone imei, the network you're locked to and want to move to.

    I read before that phones that were unlocked by these were more susceptible to being hacked/or something along the lines of malware/viruses? Is this right?

    Or maybe it was phones that were rooted?


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    #4
    petrolcan
    Registered Users Posts: 898 ✭✭✭petrolcan


    deadanonymau5 wrote: »
    Hi

    Just curious if using an Ebay phone unlocker is safe? They usually ask for phone imei, the network you're locked to and want to move to.

    I read before that phones that were unlocked by these were more susceptible to being hacked/or something along the lines of malware/viruses? Is this right? Or maybe it was only phones that were rooted?

    I've used them for stock and rooted without issue.

    Saying that, I haven't had to pay for unlocking for a while. There is usually a method on xda for unlocking.


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    #5
    Aimead
    Registered Users Posts: 184 ✭✭Aimead


    petrolcan wrote: »
    There is usually a method on xda for unlocking.
    This^. The issue I have with doing this through Ebay is that I could have no confidence that the data I shared wouldn’t end up biting me.

    Take some time out and read through the various XDA dev threads. The instructions are usually there.


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    #6
    deadanonymau5
    Registered Users Posts: 2,875 ✭✭✭deadanonymau5


    Aimead wrote: »
    This^. The issue I have with doing this through Ebay is that I could have no confidence that the data I shared wouldn’t end up biting me.

    Take some time out and read through the various XDA dev threads. The instructions are usually there.

    You have an issue with handing over your imei to an ebay unlocker? Or are you talking about rooting?


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    #7
    Aimead
    Registered Users Posts: 184 ✭✭Aimead


    deadanonymau5 wrote: »
    You have an issue with handing over your imei to an ebay unlocker? Or are you talking about rooting?
    The former.


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    #8
    deadanonymau5
    Registered Users Posts: 2,875 ✭✭✭deadanonymau5


    Aimead wrote: »
    The former.

    Thanks.

    How do you think it could end up biting you?


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    #9
    Aimead
    Registered Users Posts: 184 ✭✭Aimead


    deadanonymau5 wrote: »
    How do you think it could end up biting you?
    See, for example, Sonik and Blanchou's work that showed a stack of US carriers using imei numbers as base for for authentication keys. In general I wouldn't feel comfortable giving out any sort of information like this, and in the present case a proof of concept exploit already exists. Now, you could make the point that an Ebay seller in another country can't exploit such, but the truth would be that you can't think of a way that could not that such an exploit doesn't exist. If you don't give out such information then you're less likely to get bitten.

    Make sense?


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