04-04-2016, 05:06 PM | #1 |
Going Viral
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Headline: 4-April-2016, Amazon attacks MR add-ins!
Not an exaggeration.
Allow a wireless connection to Amazon - your MKK keys will die. If connecting by 3G - the death of the keys is almost instantaneous. Both myself and one of our best developers (Geekmaster) just happened to be watching / playing with their Kindles when the attack started. First thing you will notice is a brand new: "Test Kindle Installation Report" document will pop up among your documents. The second thing: KUAL can't be used to 'fix' whatever was just trashed. This is the same thing that happened in the past when you changed registration status. Now it only requires that you make a connection to Amazon. Touchscreen device owners: The 'hotfix' package will fix the device for you: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...postcount=1597 Put it in the top of visible USB storage and use the 'old school' way to install it :: "Update My Kindle" menu entry. (your only choice, KUAL and MrPI will be dead) Non-Touchscreen device owners: Manually (re-)install the MKK package for your device from the selection at: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=225030 All device types You might want to add 'Rescue Pack' now, if you don't have it installed already. You don't need to know how to use it (now) - we can cross that bridge if we ever need to. = = = = = It is too early to say if the BBB firewall can block this malicious damage - and I can't test it myself at the moment (Amazon took their big hammer to my test devices). Somebody try the BBB firewall and see if your MKK keys disappear when you connect to Amazon. When (if) I get my own devices restored - I'll check out the BBB rules myself (I am the author of the BBB firewall). Last edited by knc1; 04-04-2016 at 05:20 PM. |
04-04-2016, 05:17 PM | #2 |
Sir Penguin of Edinburgh
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Pardon my ignorance, but what are "MKK keys"?
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04-04-2016, 05:24 PM | #3 |
Going Viral
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What used to be called "The Kindlet Jailbreak".
Which was always getting confused with "The Device Jailbreak". They are the combined set of developer keys for our 'Active Documents'. Without them, you can't run KUAL, Collections Manager, <probably other things>. |
04-04-2016, 05:26 PM | #4 |
Ex-Helpdesk Junkie
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"MobileRead Kindlet Kit".
It is the hack name for the shared developer keys used to sign Active Content such as the KUAL launcher. Amazon signs the Active Content in the store with their release keys, but I guess sanctioned developers get their own keys added by Amazon (for development purposes ) -- and the MKK hijacks that process and inserts the MR signing keys. |
04-04-2016, 05:30 PM | #5 |
Ex-Helpdesk Junkie
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@knc1,
So this is not a firmware change -- Amazon is messaging the Kindle that it isn't owned by a registered developer, and the Kindle knows to respond by wiping the keys? When you say the hotfix will fix it, do you really mean "reinstall the MKK until the next time it gets attacked"? And what about the bridge? |
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04-04-2016, 05:36 PM | #6 |
Just a Yellow Smiley.
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Good idea to leave jailbroke kindles in Airplane mode
Is it a good idea to leave all jailbroke kindles in Airplane mode until you and the others figure out a workaround?
I am assuming this only applies to jailbroke kindles. |
04-04-2016, 05:40 PM | #7 | |
Going Viral
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Quote:
At least until they send the goon squads to your location to take your Kindle in hand and change things. People who do not have a jail broken Kindle can not run any of our packages - So there is nothing for Amazon to disable. |
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04-04-2016, 05:47 PM | #8 |
Carpe diem, c'est la vie.
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For me, so far, the "backdoor lock" KUAL extension is working (for several days now), and using it to lock the "backdoor" is preventing this official maliciousness (for now). I can use KUAL extensions even with airplane mode OFF. At least until amazon ups their nastiness quota.
Meanwhile, all my kindles have airplane mode ON when not needed, just in case... |
04-04-2016, 05:50 PM | #9 |
Going Viral
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Maybe we just got lucky and caught a 'pre-deployment' test of what is to come RSN.
Or maybe they where just testing if we had a solution on-hand (we do). You might want to point a link to your post about recent FCC changes in this thread. |
04-04-2016, 05:56 PM | #10 | |
Carpe diem, c'est la vie.
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Quote:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...15#post3292915 IMHO, the friendly solution is for amazon to lock their radio control drivers and NOT a total firmware lockdown, which makes both us and the FCC happy all around. EDIT: Hello amazon and lab126! Are you watching us like a hawk right now? If so, please heed my advice to switch tactics and use my friendly solution as mentioned above. You do not need a total lockdown to satisfy the FCC, and as I mentioned, it will not help anyway due to the "kindle in wrong country" problem. Last edited by geekmaster; 04-04-2016 at 06:06 PM. |
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04-04-2016, 05:58 PM | #11 |
Connoisseur
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Just last week, I got frustrated with the kindle cloud collections and decided to take my kindle offline and start using calibre collections and librarian sync only. I am glad I did and guess my kindle will stay offline.
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04-04-2016, 06:12 PM | #12 |
BLAM!
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Do note that a simple reboot *should* also restore the keys .
EDIT: FWIW, Just enabled WiFi on my PW2 on FW 5.7.3, so far, so good... Last edited by NiLuJe; 04-04-2016 at 06:22 PM. |
04-04-2016, 06:35 PM | #13 | |
Going Viral
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Quote:
If so, I can test it now, my K2I is still borked. I thought that the MKK-bridge was 'touchscreen devices only'. |
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04-04-2016, 06:39 PM | #14 |
BLAM!
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@knc1: Ouch. Yes, good point. Seems I've been stuck in FW 5.x land tonight... ^^.
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04-04-2016, 06:59 PM | #15 |
Going Viral
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Will USB network mode 'go away' (return to USBMS mode) if I re-boot this K2?
Your 'safety checks' in the usbnet-toggle script will not disable usbnetworking while the cable is plugged in, And my only access is over the cable. :{ Triva: Your message writer things will write over a screen saver image (for that line anyway). |
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