Kindle Serial Number Change?

[Alibunker86]

Hi I'm new here, so apologies if I'm not following the correct protocol.
I recently lost a very distinctive 8th Gen Amazon Kindle (left on a plane) and about a week later something very similar turned up on a buy and sell website for sale. The ad showed a screen showing recommendations for the book I'd been reading as well as all my recent viewed books, some less mainstream. The local police contacted the seller, but the serial number didn't match mine despite all this. My question is, is it possible to change the serial number of a Kindle - someone on another website suggested this could be done on the mms - does anyone know if this is straightforward enough for a hacker and any rough ideas how they would do that ( without breaching any ethics on the forum)? My other question is despite being wiped would the device still use the info history on the device as recommendations?
Thanks for any help.

[NiLuJe]

I don't recall if there's any form of write protection in place, but, if there isn't, yes, it's potentially trivial if you have root/shell access to the device.

But, more low-tech, how can you be sure the S/N that was reported is actually accurate? After all, it's far easier to lie than to actually modify the device .

AFAIK, the recommendation stuff is handled server-side, so, if it was deregistered (i.e., blacklisted, which is what Amazon does if you inform them that your device has been stolen), and that actually took, doubly nope, as I'd imagine that'd both cut the cord, and wipe the userstore/settings on the device.
I've never handled blacklisted devices (but I do, unfortunately, have experience with the procedure from your side of things ), and I don't recall actually ever deregistering a device manually, so, take that with a grain of salt.

On the other hand, if the device was left in Airplane mode, it can't be made aware it's been kicked out of the garden, so, yeah, it would keep showing the same pool of recommendations.

[lumpynose]

Originally Posted by NiLuJe

But, more low-tech, how can you be sure the S/N that was reported is actually accurate? After all, it's far easier to lie than to actually modify the device .

That was my exact thought. It's unlikely the police were looking at the device and wrote down the serial number. The OP could try explaining this to the police and explain how to bring up the serial number but I wouldn't get my hopes up with them doing that.

[Alibunker86]

Hi guys, thanks for that. I had my serial number noted down from my Amazon account and the police examined the Kindle and followed instructions as to how to go through Settings and then into Device information where the serial number is stored, so they had both numbers to compare. Have you by any chance, when you've opened up a Kindle, noticed a printed copy of the serial number inside the case that matches the serial number registered with Amazon?

Your comment about Airplane Mode is really interesting because it would have been in Airplane Mode when it was left on the plane, so that might explain why there were recommendations still there.

I haven't deregistered it yet because there were discussions with the seller online over the last few days, and I felt that if this was the Kindle in question the seller might have noticed that it could no longer be used, and would have removed the ad.

Im curious about root/shell access - would you be able to point me in the direction of more details on this? I'm particularly curious to find out if someone is wiping the Kindle clean (step 1 perhaps), is it then simply a case of step 2, change the serial number while I'm at it as it's easy enough to do? I'm guessing that if you change the number you'd need a viable serial number that you'd maybe get off a broken device. Is access to root and shell through Jailbreak software? I only mention Jailbreak as I've been googling how to change the serial number and Jailbreak came up a lot when people were pimping up their devices.

Any comments gratefully received, and thanks for taking the time to reply earlier.

[Alibunker86]

Hi I realise from reading other threads that I probably overstepped the mark asking for details on how hackers might change a serial number, so apologies if it looked like I had an ulterior motive.

But just going back to the last part of my message, can you tell me if you've noticed a serial number that would match the Amazon registration inside the Kindle shell or on the motherboard when you open the case?

[NiLuJe]

There might be a PCB/board id printed on the board, but I don't recall if those are device-specific, they might instead be revision-specific instead (although, a random look at the one on my K4 makes it look fairly specific). The S/N used to be printed on the *box*, though, but that doesn't help you ;p.
Not that that would help much, either, as you probably have no idea what your board id actually was .

The RFID chip stuck on the inside of the back cover *might* have more detailed data, though, but I have no idea how you might read those things .

I explicitly said root/shell access and not JB, because while, yeah, a JailBroken device would make it easier, it's not necessarily the only way.

Sidebar: That's some very dedicated police officers you've got there, I wouldn't have expected that ;p.

[Alibunker86]

Thanks NiLuJe, appreciate your reply. Yes, it did seem like a dedicated response, my reading list on the Kindle seemed compelling enough for them, but in the meantime I think they may have actually opened up a bit of a Pandora's Box, so they possibly had an inkling of something else. I actually really only wanted my Kindle back (for a sentimental reason if nothing else)! Im still convinced it's my Kindle and if I could identify a serial number inside I might have a chance (eventually, given what's since transpired) of getting it back. Thanks again for your help, really appreciated.

[knc1]

Originally Posted by Alibunker86

Thanks NiLuJe, appreciate your reply. Yes, it did seem like a dedicated response, my reading list on the Kindle seemed compelling enough for them, but in the meantime I think they may have actually opened up a bit of a Pandora's Box, so they possibly had an inkling of something else. I actually really only wanted my Kindle back (for a sentimental reason if nothing else)! Im still convinced it's my Kindle and if I could identify a serial number inside I might have a chance (eventually, given what's since transpired) of getting it back. Thanks again for your help, really appreciated.

You posted that it was for sale.
So buy it.
Then you can settle the serial number question.


If it is the same as on your account (and you have not yet reported missing to Amazon) - then it will work normally.


If the serial number has been changed (easy to do as pointed out above) there are two possible results:
The number it was changed to is in Amazon's database already, the Amazon system will blacklist that number (killing both devices).
The number it was changed to is not in Amazon's database, the Amazon system will blacklist it.


BUT
Once it is in your hands (and kept in "Airplane Mode") you can look up its installed serial number (in the "Device Info" panel) and also in your Amazon account's "Manage Content and Devices" page.