-_- Data Wipe After 10 Unsuccessful Login Attempts -_-

[HarvesterX™]

! WARNING ! -_- G2 FACTORY RESETS AFTER 10 LOGIN ATTEMPTS -_-

I'm rather embarrassed that I'm just finding this out, but for anyone else just finding out or for new G2 owners then this is rather important information to know. I believe all phones with EAS behave this way now, but that wasn't always the case.

The logic seems sounds enough. I'm guessing it's to protect your data. But is it really? Seems to me to just be an easier way to get what most thieves are after...your phone. They don't only a benefit for the OEMs to get businesses to use their phones with the added security to protect against data theft, and is a nice option but it should be just that,..an option. Instead it's forced upon everyone using a pattern or pin lock. Most other phones I've seen include a warning on the lockscreen. The only warning the G2 gives you is after 9 failed attempts.

As it is now, we are just giving thieves easy access to our phones. If you use tracking apps, they won't do much good if installed in /data as after the would be new owner of your $600 device quickly guesses wrong 10 times that tracking app won't be with a dime. I can see vengeful loved ones doing this on purpose, or your child wiping your phone on accident trying to get in to pay Flapless Emus or equivalent. LG at least made it so after 5 attempts a dialog appears asking you to type the sentence shown before proceeding ("life is good" ironically...as it a won't be good much longer). This might stop the youngest of children at least, or the unlearned lol.

I tested this out myself, documenting the disaster waiting to happen.

View attachment 71142

As we can see here, all looks normal in Android world and I'm only told what I've always been told...10 attempts left. Being on Android so long I just assumed after 10 tries I'd be locked out and eventually given the option to use my Google credentials to get back in... (EDIT; This picture wrong inline for for some reason, but is attached at the end) yeT

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Life IS good isn't it? I wonder what makes LG think I actually buy that they are being sincere here...why not. Lol...

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I'm damn glad my fingers didn't cramp up while doing the pattern the final time. But hey, check the bottom right out. It's a little hard to make out but there's another option there now besides "Emergency Call". It's a little hard to make out but this looks like where to click to attempts to gain access by either the backup pin you entered or your Google login credentials. I didn't click it, or for that matter even look at it that hard. I just noticed it while adding the screenshots to the post. If you get this far and still don't know your password, PLEASE go there first :biggrin:

Since LG doesn't give us much of a warning, consider this your first one. Hopefully this will help prevent sometime from a disaster or letting someone borrow their phone before disabling the pattern or pin lockscreen. Fun stuff huh?

 

[Danvee]

Apparently, the G2 isn't the only one... http://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/1sk00v/lock_screen_10_attempts_remain_before_device_data/

 

[HarvesterX™]

From the information I've collected since then, quite a few devices have this behavior now. I'm not sure if it's a carrier requirement though or an EAS one.

I think that Reddit article is one I read last night. They all start to blend together after a while since the same info is pretty much propagated outwards by these tech and blog sites which all get their information from the same place.

I first though it was an April Fool's day joke because the first two articles I read where printed on the 1st lol. That's why I attempted it myself.

 

[UrbanBounca]

I would imagine that most Android devices are using this feature, and as an Android user, I don't think it's a bad idea. People seem to store extremely information on their devices anymore, and while I don't agree with it, it's still the case.