Can "Active Content" damage the system partition?

HarryT · 11-04-2014, 10:38 AM

As I'm sure you know, the Voyage doesn't support user-loaded "active content", and apparently a CS rep has indicated that an attempt to run active content could have been responsible for damaging the system partition on a user's Voyage, resulting in application errors, crashes, etc.

How likely is this scenario? Could active content damage the system partition?

knc1 · 11-04-2014, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

As I'm sure you know, the Voyage doesn't support user-loaded "active content", and apparently a CS rep has indicated that an attempt to run active content could have been responsible for damaging the system partition on a user's Voyage, resulting in application errors, crashes, etc.

How likely is this scenario? Could active content damage the system partition?

Only in two circumstances that I can think of:
Lab126 programming error in their sandbox implementation ;
Users of MKK that intentionally (or accidentally) write damaging code.

Neither of the above is specific to the Voyage.

HarryT · 11-04-2014, 11:13 AM

Cheers, knc. That's what I thought, but just wanted a sanity check. So it's unlikely that active content that ran safely on a PW could damage a Voyage, right?

knc1 · 11-04-2014, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Cheers, knc. That's what I thought, but just wanted a sanity check. So it's unlikely that active content that ran safely on a PW could damage a Voyage, right?

Right.

Although at the moment, you have to use the serial port to install our jailbreak.
Which makes it unlikely that it was anything from here.

But active content from Amazon ....
That depends on their Q.A. of things they distribute.

Glorfindel · 11-04-2014, 11:29 AM

Maybe they meant the reading and writing was leading to bad sectors? Sounds kinda silly to me too...

NiLuJe · 11-04-2014, 12:23 PM

Yup, as knc1 said, on vanilla devices, Active Content is pretty thoroughly sandboxed

.

j.p.s · 11-04-2014, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NiLuJe

Yup, as knc1 said, on vanilla devices, Active Content is pretty thoroughly sandboxed

.

But if Active Content support is gone, couldn't Active Content sandboxing be gone as well?

shalym · 11-04-2014, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by j.p.s

But if Active Content support is gone, couldn't Active Content sandboxing be gone as well?

Exactly. Since Amazon has completely removed support for Active Content on the Voyage, it stands to reason that any safeguards that existed in previous devices no longer exist in this device. So...assume a device with no safeguards or "sandboxing". Is it possible for active content to corrupt the device?

Shari

knc1 · 11-04-2014, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shalym

Exactly. Since Amazon has completely removed support for Active Content on the Voyage, it stands to reason that any safeguards that existed in previous devices no longer exist in this device. So...assume a device with no safeguards or "sandboxing". Is it possible for active content to corrupt the device?

Shari

Just how do you intend to make Active Content work, without any system support for it?

aceflor · 11-04-2014, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by knc1

Right.

Although at the moment, you have to use the serial port to install our jailbreak.
Which makes it unlikely that it was anything from here.

But active content from Amazon ....
That depends on their Q.A. of things they distribute.

Active Content from Amazon, not from here.

HarryT · 11-04-2014, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by j.p.s

But if Active Content support is gone, couldn't Active Content sandboxing be gone as well?

The support framework IS the sandbox. If the sandbox is gone, it can no longer run at all.

NiLuJe · 11-08-2014, 04:13 PM

It's actually still there, but it simply doesn't support the new devices. (If the full Kindlet framework were gone, you wouldn't even be able to sideload azw2 files and have them show up on the Homescreen [and/or registered to the relevant backend]).

It's similar to what happened when the 4GB PW2 came out on FW 5.4.3.2: the FW didn't know about the new devices, couldn't figure out which device the Active Content was running on, and since that device check is mandatory, the launch is aborted...

Given the response from Kindle's CS, it would appear to have been done on purpose this time, although the method they chose to employ is quite a bit puzzling...

[And, again, hitting and failing that device check is completely harmless for the system].

11-04-2014, 10:38 AM	#1
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Can "Active Content" damage the system partition? As I'm sure you know, the Voyage doesn't support user-loaded "active content", and apparently a CS rep has indicated that an attempt to run active content could have been responsible for damaging the system partition on a user's Voyage, resulting in application errors, crashes, etc. How likely is this scenario? Could active content damage the system partition?

11-08-2014, 04:13 PM	#12
NiLuJe BLAM! Posts: 13,477 Karma: 26012492 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Paris, France Device: Kindle 2i, 3g, 4, 5w, PW, PW2, PW5; Kobo H2O, Forma, Elipsa, Sage, C2E	It's actually still there, but it simply doesn't support the new devices. (If the full Kindlet framework were gone, you wouldn't even be able to sideload azw2 files and have them show up on the Homescreen [and/or registered to the relevant backend]). It's similar to what happened when the 4GB PW2 came out on FW 5.4.3.2: the FW didn't know about the new devices, couldn't figure out which device the Active Content was running on, and since that device check is mandatory, the launch is aborted... Given the response from Kindle's CS, it would appear to have been done on purpose this time, although the method they chose to employ is quite a bit puzzling... [And, again, hitting and failing that device check is completely harmless for the system]. Last edited by NiLuJe; 11-08-2014 at 04:17 PM.

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11-04-2014, 11:13 AM	#3
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Cheers, knc. That's what I thought, but just wanted a sanity check. So it's unlikely that active content that ran safely on a PW could damage a Voyage, right?

11-04-2014, 11:29 AM	#5
Glorfindel Force-Aware Elf Posts: 4,757 Karma: 11557898 Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Valinor Device: Kindle 4 w/SO	Maybe they meant the reading and writing was leading to bad sectors? Sounds kinda silly to me too...

11-04-2014, 12:23 PM	#6
NiLuJe BLAM! Posts: 13,477 Karma: 26012492 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Paris, France Device: Kindle 2i, 3g, 4, 5w, PW, PW2, PW5; Kobo H2O, Forma, Elipsa, Sage, C2E	Yup, as knc1 said, on vanilla devices, Active Content is pretty thoroughly sandboxed .