Phone lock defeated easily

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

At least true for LG VX4400, if you have a VZW cell phone that is locked,
just do an OTA programming to reset the lock back to the last 4 digit of the
phone number. You can then unlock the phone if you know its phone number.

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

"Quick" <quick7135-news@NOSPAMyahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1091656537.673343@sj-nntpcache-5...
> errr...
>
> 1) VZW doesn't lock their phones? programming passwd is "000000"?
> 2) You can't do OTA if the passwd is something other than "000000"?

I meant the 4-digit phone lock, not the subsidy lock.

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

IMHO wrote:
> "P T Wang" <news1003@paultwang.com> wrote in message
> news:NFdQc.203$BJ6.189@newssvr24.news.prodigy.com...
>>
>> "Quick" <quick7135-news@NOSPAMyahoo.com> wrote in message
>> news:1091656537.673343@sj-nntpcache-5...
>>> errr...
>>>
>>> 1) VZW doesn't lock their phones? programming passwd is "000000"?
>>> 2) You can't do OTA if the passwd is something other than "000000"?
>>
>> I meant the 4-digit phone lock, not the subsidy lock.
>>
>
> Pages 20, 31 & 94 explain how to lock & unlock the phone to prevent
> others from using it.

So if the phone is locked and you don't know the code can you still
dial *228?

-Quick

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

IMHO wrote:
> "Quick" <quick7135-news@NOSPAMyahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:1091664904.257319@sj-nntpcache-3...
>> IMHO wrote:
>>> "P T Wang" <news1003@paultwang.com> wrote in message
>>> news:NFdQc.203$BJ6.189@newssvr24.news.prodigy.com...
>>>>
>>>> "Quick" <quick7135-news@NOSPAMyahoo.com> wrote in message
>>>> news:1091656537.673343@sj-nntpcache-5...
>>>>> errr...
>>>>>
>>>>> 1) VZW doesn't lock their phones? programming passwd is "000000"?
>>>>> 2) You can't do OTA if the passwd is something other than
>>>>> "000000"?
>>>>
>>>> I meant the 4-digit phone lock, not the subsidy lock.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Pages 20, 31 & 94 explain how to lock & unlock the phone to prevent
>>> others from using it.
>>
>> So if the phone is locked and you don't know the code can you still
>> dial *228?
>>
>> -Quick
>>
>>
> YES! After the programming is complete the phone Cycles off & on.
> When it comes back on it is still locked.
> BUT - the password is now the last four digits of the phone number.
> This is regardless of what code you set before the update.
> Sounds weird but that is the way both of mine work.

Wow... I suppose that would lock out my 6 yr old. And I suppose
you would know after the fact that somebody had used your phone
because your password changed. Sounds like a bug to me (or a useless
feature).

-Quick

-Quick

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

"Quick" <quick7135-news@NOSPAMyahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1091666880.496714@sj-nntpcache-3...
> IMHO wrote:
> > "Quick" <quick7135-news@NOSPAMyahoo.com> wrote in message
> > news:1091664904.257319@sj-nntpcache-3...
> >> IMHO wrote:
> >>> "P T Wang" <news1003@paultwang.com> wrote in message
> >>> news:NFdQc.203$BJ6.189@newssvr24.news.prodigy.com...
> >>>>
> >>>> "Quick" <quick7135-news@NOSPAMyahoo.com> wrote in message
> >>>> news:1091656537.673343@sj-nntpcache-5...
> >>>>> errr...
> >>>>>
> >>>>> 1) VZW doesn't lock their phones? programming passwd is "000000"?
> >>>>> 2) You can't do OTA if the passwd is something other than
> >>>>> "000000"?
> >>>>
> >>>> I meant the 4-digit phone lock, not the subsidy lock.
> >>>>
> >>>
> >>> Pages 20, 31 & 94 explain how to lock & unlock the phone to prevent
> >>> others from using it.
> >>
> >> So if the phone is locked and you don't know the code can you still
> >> dial *228?
> >>
> >> -Quick
> >>
> >>
> > YES! After the programming is complete the phone Cycles off & on.
> > When it comes back on it is still locked.
> > BUT - the password is now the last four digits of the phone number.
> > This is regardless of what code you set before the update.
> > Sounds weird but that is the way both of mine work.
>
> Wow... I suppose that would lock out my 6 yr old. And I suppose
> you would know after the fact that somebody had used your phone
> because your password changed. Sounds like a bug to me (or a useless
> feature).

Can this happen on other models or are we still talking about LG phones?

Here are a few ways to make it more resistant to the *228 technique. I won't
go into details.
1. Change the MSL.
Downside: Can't use *228 (confirmed)
Workaround: Data cable (confirmed)
2. If your NAM2 is unprogrammed, switching to it should prevent the use of
*228 (in theory)
Downside: Can't use the phone
Workaround: Data cable
3. Guard your phone and don't program costy things into it such as
international dialing, calling cards with passwords, etc.

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

On Wed, 4 Aug 2004 19:52:40 -0500, "IMHO" <imho@nospam.net> wrote:

>That is when I found out about this, as you said "useless feature".

A perfectly valid feature (resetting a code in case you forget), but
ill-implemented, and not thought through at all. PM&D dropped the
ball on this one. They should have caught this during testing.

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

On Wed, 4 Aug 2004 17:12:45 -0700, "Quick"
<quick7135-news@NOSPAMyahoo.com> wrote:

>So if the phone is locked and you don't know the code can you still
>dial *228?

Not on any phone that I've ever seen. If a phone is locked, it
disallows any call but 911.

Evan
--
To reply, remove TheObvious from my e-mail address.

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

"IMHO" <imho@nospam.net> wrote in message news:<VJjQc.19003$wC3.5496@okepread07>...
> "Evan Platt" <evan@TheObvious.espphotography.com> wrote in message
> news:fua3h0d79t774jrb2h20c266osb9hi7hko@4ax.com...
> > On Wed, 4 Aug 2004 17:12:45 -0700, "Quick"
> > <quick7135-news@NOSPAMyahoo.com> wrote:
> >
> > >So if the phone is locked and you don't know the code can you still
> > >dial *228?
> >
> > Not on any phone that I've ever seen. If a phone is locked, it
> > disallows any call but 911.
> >
> > Evan
> > --
> > To reply, remove TheObvious from my e-mail address.
> >
>
> The two LG VX4400 I have definitely do.
> Find one and try it out.


My new Samsung A-650 says "phone locked, emergency calls only" when
trying *228 from a locked phone.

Dave

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

On Thu, 5 Aug 2004 12:49:32 -0700, "Quick"
<quick7135-news@NOSPAMyahoo.com> wrote:

>The Ghost of General Lee wrote:
>> On Wed, 4 Aug 2004 19:52:40 -0500, "IMHO" <imho@nospam.net> wrote:
>>
>>> That is when I found out about this, as you said "useless feature".
>>
>> A perfectly valid feature (resetting a code in case you forget), but
>> ill-implemented, and not thought through at all. PM&D dropped the
>> ball on this one. They should have caught this during testing.
>
>Doesn't sound like a testing issue. If they allow dialing *228 when
>the phone is locked in order to reset the password then it was
>probably intentional.

Maybe they simply forgot to test it in that manner. After 26 years of
programming, I've had my fair share of screwups, too.;-)

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

"C C" <someone@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
news:zgDQc.99$ZC7.92@newssvr19.news.prodigy.com...
> The VX4500 remains lock even after *228 -> 1 or 2

Did you do *228 while the phone is locked?