[Nexus 4 Android Development] guhl99:
[Closing message]

Hi,

I am discontinuing the work on the Android Permission Spoofing Framework as I am not using Android anymore.

If anybody is interested in taking over the development I would be very happy to help her or him getting started as much as possible.

Feel free to contact me if you would like to work on it.

Sorry and have fun - Guhl

[End closing message]

This ROM is based on AOSP Jelly Bean 4.3_r1.1. Besides the deep integration of the permission spoofing functionality the ROM is completely stock - it's not even rooted!

In addition to the original AOSP rom it includes the permission spoofing framework enhancement that was originally developed by Plamen K. Kosseff for Android 2.3. The functionality has been rebased to Android 4.3 and enhanced (a lot) by me and is now available.

My work was/is originally done for the HTC vision (G2/DZ) for which i provide ROMs based on ASOP and CM10.1 (see posting in the vision forum) but since i do also own a N4 i will provide ROMs for it also. There is also a CM10.1 version for the Nexus 4 here.

If you as a developer want to add the permission spoofing framework to your ROM please go ahead it should be portable easily. I will keep the commit list updated. If you need help don't hesitate to ask!

Actually the main motivation to publish this is to inspire other developers to integrate this with their work.

The source of the enhancement can be found on github in the repositories:

platform_frameworks_base

platform_frameworks_opt_telephony

platform_packages_apps_settings

The current work is done in the 4.3_r1.1 branch and the relevant commits are:

framework initial commit

framework bug fix 1

framework bug fix 2

frameworks telephony initial commit

app settings initial commit

framework permission spoofing - location

framework pff: infrastructure code cleanup

framework pff: permission spoofing - contacts and phone log

framework pff: permission spoofing - calendar (Instances)

framework pff: permission revoking - initial commit

framework pff: add PFFInfoDatabase to make spoofed informations persistant and changeable

framework pff: bug fix for permission revoking

What is permission spoofing

Permission spoofing means that the framework will return spoofed information to Apps instead of the original information based on permissions that the App requested during installation. The main motivation for the development of this functionality is the protection of the privacy of the phones owner.

Examples for spoofed information are:

Empty contact list instead of real contacts - READ_CONTACTS

False location instead of real location - ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION / ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION

False Information for phone id and phone number - READ_PHONE_STATE

Empty log instead of real phone call log - READ_CALL_LOG

Empty calendar list instead of real calendar entries - READ_CALENDAR

....

Current implementation

Currently the following permissions are available:

READ_PHONE_STATE

While this permission allows the App to read the state of the phone (in call, ...) it also allows the App to read information like the phone number or the IMEI of the phone. Instead of revoking the permission that has to be granted to an App, permission spoofing provides spoofed information for this sensitive data.

ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION and ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION

Instead of the real location a location that can be set using the PFF-GPSPath will be reporte (the default spoofed location is the top of Mt. Everest). The implementation is not perfect yet (Google maps and Latitude still seem to know the coarse location - working on that)

READ_CONTACTS and READ_CALL_LOG

Instead of the contacts and the call log an empty list will be reported. The implementation sets the limit parameter of the query to 0 if the permission is spoofed.

READ_CALENDAR

The implementation changes the date for which the items will returned to the first week of 1970.

More permissions might be added in the future.

Usage

Spoofing can be enabled on a per App basis. To enable spoofing go to Settings - Apps, choose the App for which you want to spoof the permission. Below the spoofable permission will be a switch that can be set to On to enable spoofing or Off to disable spoofing for this App.

Optional Apps

The source of these apps is also available at https://github.com/guhl

PFF-GPSPath

The PFF-GPSPath App can be used to set the spoofed location and in addition it can also be used to define a path the can then be simulated in the App (by effectively moveing the spoofed location)!

HowTo for PFF-GPSPath HowTo

PFF-Settings

The PFF-Settings app provides the same functionality as App - Settings but in a more comprehensive way.

It provides a list of all Apps (including system Apps) that have a spoofable permission and allows you to set spoofing On/Off for them

PFF-Test

If you spoof a spoofable permission for the app PFF-Test you can check the info that the framework provides to PFF-Test

Downloads

ROM full_mako-ota-eng.pff.20131007.zip

Gapps are not included in the rom - they can be found at gapps-jb-20130813-signed.zip

PFF-GPSPath_1_2.apk

PFF-AppSettings_1_1.apk

PFF-Test

Communication

I do not want to start a flame war on spoofing on XDA. Whiile spoofing is important for me I do understand people opposing it.

If you want to talk to me, the best way to do this is to look for me (Guhl) at #nexus4, #G2ROOT or #andromadus on freenode IRC.

Changelog

2013-10-21

Fix permission unspoofing bug in PFF-AppSettings -> Version 1.1 - see downloads

2013-10-07

Rebased from CM10.1 (4.2.2) to AOSP 4.3

Credits

Plamen K. Kosseff for the original framework changes

Flinny for his huge work on the Andromadus roms and supporting me with my original development for the vision

pierre_ja, Nipqer, Hymie and all the others at #G2ROOT for their endless help and entertainment