From: "Chris H" <runparts@...>
Nov 22, 2005
I'm cross posting my message from the I-Appliance BBS because this
seems to=
get more traffic. Anyway, I found a neat thing about my
MailStation:
So I=
was playing around with an old Southwestern Bell branded
"eMessage" (DET1 =
MIVO 100 w/ 2.22CIDSV firmware) that I got from Just
Deals a good time ago,=
and while browsing with the hex editor
(Shift-Fn-T while powering on, then=
hiting shift F3? however it is
done, I forget) I found what appear to be s=
omeone else's saved emails.
The unit came to me unconfigured, I've added on=
e user and left the
other 4 blank. At around 02 c0 a0 plus or minus there a=
re several
emails from/to a Kirstin who is apparently new to email ("I GOT =
MAIL
FOR MY PHONE!!"). Interesting to read. My guess is that the Just Deals=
units were re-furbished from a warrenty return. They reset them at the
fac=
tory but that does not wipe the user space memory clear. So I get
to read s=
ome random person's emails. Check it out if you have one of
the Just Deals =
mailstations or another refurbished unit.
Not necessarly useful informatio=
n, but interesting and raises several
questions about privacy.
Chris H.
=
From: "Anthony Albert" <albert@...>
Nov 22, 2005
On 22 Nov 2005 at 10:20, Chris H wrote:
Indeed, it does raise privacy concerns. Reliable and complete deletion
of (possibly) sensitive information should definitely be on the list of
any refurbishement operation... My guess is that they just didn't
give it any thought at the refurb place, just assumed the reset would
do the trick. With flash memory, though, that's not enough - I think
there should have been a ROM routine included for doing just that.
Anthony Albert
===========================================================
Anthony J. Albert albert@...
Systems and Software Support Specialist Postmaster
Computer Services - University of Maine, Presque Isle
"This is only temporary, unless it works."
From: "Cyrano Jones" <cyranojones_lalp@...>
Nov 28, 2005
=
" (DET1 MIVO 100 w/ 2.22CIDSV firmware) that I got from
Just
od time ago, and while browsing with the hex editor
ering on, then hiting shift F3? however it is
Hi Chris,=
It's Shift-F5 (from test mode), to enter hex viewer mode.
From there, an=
interesting key sequence is
g710304x<back>
Then try function-s
You will f=
ind yourself in hex *edit* mode. :-)
else's saved emails.
er and left the
several
MAIL
D=
eals
the
he Just Deals mailstations or another refurbished unit.
useful information, but interesting and raises
several
privacy.
I find it both useful and interesting! Useful, because it inspir=
ed
me to take another look at the file structure from the hex-viewer.
I hav=
e been trying to understand the file system by examining the
code. But the=
re were several details that hadn't really clicked
into place. Looking at=
some files after knowing a little bit about
the structure provided a coupl=
e of big "AHA!!!" moments.
And interesting, because it raises the question=
of just where the
responsibility lies for protecting the privacy of data t=
hat is
locked inside of an appliance with non-removable and non-volatile
m=
emory.
I tend to believe it should be the users responsibility. But maybe=
as consumers, we need to demand a privacy policy from the
manufacturers an=
d dealers of these kinds of devices?
From: "Cyrano Jones" <cyranojones_lalp@...>
Nov 28, 2005
Testing the flash seems to wipe out all of the dataflash,
except for the se=
rial number. The files are no longer just
tagged as deleted, they are zer=
oed out.
From: Gary Clouse <niklaus37217@...>
Nov 29, 2005
I work a lot with used computers, and they often have
old data on them. I will usually backup the data, and
hold it until I can verify that the previous owner
doen't want it, at which time I delete the backup.
MOst of the time the former owner is unreachable or
doesn't want the old data.
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