[PCWorld]

Post your comments for Android Pattern Lock Stumps FBI here

[SandMansifw]

I love this. They're stumped by a simple unlock code.

Well, there are limited number of possibilities, so they could just try process of elimination.....heh...

[slampig72]

New street name for this guy... Encrypto-Pimp!

[Alicez4wz]

CNN exclusive: FBI misconduct reveals sex, lies and videotape

By Scott Zamost and Kyra Phillips, CNN Special Investigations Unit
January 27, 2011



Washington (CNN) -- An FBI employee shared confidential information with his girlfriend, who was a news reporter, then later threatened to release a sex tape the two had made.

A supervisor watched pornographic videos in his office during work hours while "satisfying himself."

And an employee in a "leadership position" misused a government database to check on two friends who were exotic dancers and allowed them into an FBI office after hours.

These are among confidential summaries of FBI disciplinary reports obtained by CNN, which describe misconduct by agency supervisors, agents and other employees over the last three years.

Read the FBI documents obtained by CNN

[ManOfChill]

SandMansifw, on 15 March 2012 - 08:26 AM, said:

I love this. They're stumped by a simple unlock code.

Well, there are limited number of possibilities, so they could just try process of elimination.....heh...

You must be thinking about a simple iPhone unlock. There are only 9,999 of those. This is a smarter Android phone that allows a larger number of digits and/or text. But the phone in the article uses Pattern lock which is a totally different type of locking mechanism that could have many more permutations than a 4 digit pin code.

[LanceGiller]

I seriously hope google refuses to release any "methods" for bypassing. It would be foolish to assume the FBI would only use that information in warranted instances...

[dustin420m]

ManOfChill, on 15 March 2012 - 11:27 AM, said:

SandMansifw, on 15 March 2012 - 08:26 AM, said:

I love this. They're stumped by a simple unlock code.

Well, there are limited number of possibilities, so they could just try process of elimination.....heh...

You must be thinking about a simple iPhone unlock. There are only 9,999 of those. This is a smarter Android phone that allows a larger number of digits and/or text. But the phone in the article uses Pattern lock which is a totally different type of locking mechanism that could have many more permutations than a 4 digit pin code.

screw how many patterns there are, this is infamous fbi! dont you think if the fbi simply cant hack and crack an unlock like that, we must be paying too much for underqualified work? lets not even mention national security! maybe they want a safe and legal means of getting what they want, as not to be screwed by a pimp who can afford an amazing lawyer in court (OJ-style) but i could be wrong

[riffdex]

SandMansifw, on 15 March 2012 - 08:26 AM, said:

I love this. They're stumped by a simple unlock code.

Well, there are limited number of possibilities, so they could just try process of elimination.....heh...

4 digit pin lock possible combinations: 10,000
Pattern lock possible combinations: 389,112

They'll be guessing for a while

[AriFalkner]

SandMansifw, on 15 March 2012 - 08:26 AM, said:

I love this. They're stumped by a simple unlock code.

Well, there are limited number of possibilities, so they could just try process of elimination.....heh...

Yeah, it would not be too hard to load a macro to do that.

[AriFalkner]

ManOfChill, on 15 March 2012 - 11:27 AM, said:

SandMansifw, on 15 March 2012 - 08:26 AM, said:

I love this. They're stumped by a simple unlock code.

Well, there are limited number of possibilities, so they could just try process of elimination.....heh...

You must be thinking about a simple iPhone unlock. There are only 9,999 of those. This is a smarter Android phone that allows a larger number of digits and/or text. But the phone in the article uses Pattern lock which is a totally different type of locking mechanism that could have many more permutations than a 4 digit pin code.

How? Isn't dragging to a circle just like tapping a pin character? Enlighten me.

[AllanForsyth]

AriFalkner, on 15 March 2012 - 03:57 PM, said:

ManOfChill, on 15 March 2012 - 11:27 AM, said:

SandMansifw, on 15 March 2012 - 08:26 AM, said:

I love this. They're stumped by a simple unlock code.

Well, there are limited number of possibilities, so they could just try process of elimination.....heh...

You must be thinking about a simple iPhone unlock. There are only 9,999 of those. This is a smarter Android phone that allows a larger number of digits and/or text. But the phone in the article uses Pattern lock which is a totally different type of locking mechanism that could have many more permutations than a 4 digit pin code.

How? Isn't dragging to a circle just like tapping a pin character? Enlighten me.

An android unlock pattern can be equivalent to 9 digits long.

[Yargs]

Maybe his real gang affiliation is with the Encryps.

[KingslyTheodarRajasekar]

riffdex, on 15 March 2012 - 03:01 PM, said:

SandMansifw, on 15 March 2012 - 08:26 AM, said:

I love this. They're stumped by a simple unlock code.

Well, there are limited number of possibilities, so they could just try process of elimination.....heh...

4 digit pin lock possible combinations: 10,000
Pattern lock possible combinations: 389,112

They'll be guessing for a while

Your numbers are off. There are 986409 permutations. But I agree they will be guessing for a while approximately 68.5 days.

362880 + 362880 + 181440 + 60480 + 15120 + 3024 + 504 + 72 + 9 = 986409 permutations
986409 permutations * ( 15 seconds timeout/3 entries + 1 second pattern entry) = 5918454 seconds
5918454 seconds = 68.5 days

[JoeyButafuocco]

ManOfChill, on 15 March 2012 - 11:27 AM, said:

SandMansifw, on 15 March 2012 - 08:26 AM, said:

I love this. They're stumped by a simple unlock code.

Well, there are limited number of possibilities, so they could just try process of elimination.....heh...

You must be thinking about a simple iPhone unlock. There are only 9,999 of those. This is a smarter Android phone that allows a larger number of digits and/or text. But the phone in the article uses Pattern lock which is a totally different type of locking mechanism that could have many more permutations than a 4 digit pin code.

10,000. Zero is a number too.

0 0 0 0
0 0 0 1
0 0 0 2
0 0 0 3...
...
9 9 9 7
9 9 9 8
9 9 9 9

Incidentally this phone in question does not have whole image encryption (or more specific, it's commercial if that's the case) and seed brute forcing is much easier to do... so this article simply demonstrates the FBI really sucks at technology. They refuse to outsource to people like us because that's too expensive and they are very paranoid about security and civilians are the devil as far as that's concerned. So if you have a clearance and have been doing gov't contracting and are with a vendor they can use you but that's VERY expensive.
Bottom line, they take some CPA with a sidearm and "promote" them into a technical position. I actually dealt with their cyber crime agents before with a client and it was an absolute joke how stupid the two guys were.

This post has been edited by JoeyButafuocco: 16 March 2012 - 08:01 AM

[Knight717]

The pattern doesn't have to be 4 circles, it can be up to 9. So, 9*9*9*9*9*9*9*9*9 = 387,420,489 different possible combinations... If he used all 9 circles. If he used 8 there could be 134,217,728 different combinations... and so on, and so on...
If he used only 4 circles, then there are only 262,144 different combinations.

[Knight717]

Also, I love math with the number 9... if you add up the digits of any multiple of 9, it is 9.
387,420,489
3+8+7+4+2+0+4+8+9=45
4+5=9

[Kazmatron]

KingslyTheodarRajasekar, on 16 March 2012 - 02:58 AM, said:

riffdex, on 15 March 2012 - 03:01 PM, said:

SandMansifw, on 15 March 2012 - 08:26 AM, said:

I love this. They're stumped by a simple unlock code.

Well, there are limited number of possibilities, so they could just try process of elimination.....heh...

4 digit pin lock possible combinations: 10,000
Pattern lock possible combinations: 389,112

They'll be guessing for a while

Your numbers are off. There are 986409 permutations. But I agree they will be guessing for a while approximately 68.5 days.

362880 + 362880 + 181440 + 60480 + 15120 + 3024 + 504 + 72 + 9 = 986409 permutations
986409 permutations * ( 15 seconds timeout/3 entries + 1 second pattern entry) = 5918454 seconds
5918454 seconds = 68.5 days

Gotta be at least 4 digits....knocks out 585 of those combinations, I believe that gives 985,824 lock combinations.