NewLC - How use BAK? - Comments

Re: How use BAK?

nosame@china-isi.com — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 02:14:25 +0100

Thank you all.

It's extremely helpful for me. I think I got you ideas.

Re: How use BAK?

N_A — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 10:34:00 +0100

A by-the-book virus cannot propagate on Symbian based devices at all without the user actively installing the app.

Symbian 9 and Platform Security adds further restrictions.

Trojan horse approach or outright commercial spyware apps can still be created.

Read this article about Symbian viruses and the "threat" they pose (or don't, really) : http://3lib.ukonline.co.uk/viruses.htm

If your ambition is writing a virus scanner, then you can do so, but need to cooperate with the device manufacturers to get it done and working (being any sort of Symbian OS licensee BAK, DevKit, whatever, will not be sufficient). And once you've create such a product, it is primarilg going to waste consumer's money (if it isn't free), and waste the battery power, CPU cycles, storage and RAM space on their devices with no real benefits to the user (except unnecessary sense of security, if they're ignorant enough to think they need it).

Re: How use BAK?

rbrunner — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 08:25:28 +0100

If you define "virus" as a program that can infect a PC or a phone against your will, without your help and secretely, as far as I know the number of such virii for Symbian OS 9 so far is exactly ZERO.

I would guess that there are two main reasons for this: The first reason is all the security built into Symbian together with probably few bugs that you could exploit to circumvent the security, and the second reason is that Symbian is not in the focus of malware authors. The bad boys just don't try very hard, because they know it's very difficult, and after all: What is there to gain if your virus gets into a phone?

And writing a successful Symbian malware is certainly way beyond the means of the proverbial youth that just wants to hack something to show the world that he is a hero.

Re: How use BAK?

nosame@china-isi.com — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 06:17:18 +0100

Thank you so much. you're so great.

I have an extra question want to ask you,

How a virus work in symbian OS? I mean in such a restricted system, how can a virus work invisually to user,

from transmit, inbreak, launch, to run?

Is it the only way, to run an application in \sys\bin directory, Symbian accepcted?

Is it the only way, to put an executable into this directory through a .sis file for must of people?

If so, is that means, we do "run" the virus in our cells?

Thank you.

Re: How use BAK?

N_A — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 21:38:01 +0100

The link works now. On that page, there's also a segment that reads:

Do I need a Symbian Kit for Server-side File System Development?

Yes.

Symbian OS provides file services through a public user-side client API. Server-side, file requests are passed to registered file system hook plugins (for anti virus vendors), then to specific file system plug-ins (e.g. FAT, LFFS), then (optionally) to file system extensions, which in turn write to hardware though media drivers (specialist device drivers).

Development of a file system plugin using BAK is theoretically possible as the required headers are present. However this would be extremely difficult as there is only API reference documentation (no guide) and no example code.

A DevKit is required in order to get the source code for existing file systems and media drivers; it is highly recommended in order to develop new ones.

Notes:

* File System plugins require TCB capbility, which can only be granted by the phone manufacturer
* During development you should install file system plugin on an MMC card so that you can remove the card to restore the phone to a bootable state in the event of a crash.
* FAT32 file system source is not supplied in the DevKit.

Re: How use BAK?

nosame@china-isi.com — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 17:13:46 +0100

Thank you N_A,

Actually I need that kit.

I'm writing a file system driver.

Do you still have any ideas at how to use it?

Ha, Symbian' web server is suffering problem recently. It' inaccessable.

Thank you again.

Re: How use BAK?

N_A — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 16:44:28 +0100

What kind of software are you developing? That determines whether you need the BAK at all, or whether you should just use the "regular" published SDKs (for S60, UIQ or whatever you're targeting).

How use BAK?

nosame@china-isi.com — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 16:07:44 +0100

Hi,

I wonder how to use the BAK develop kit.

I can't found any APIs reference or related documents when I have it installed.

And now I have no idea with it.

Could you tell me,

How use it?

And what make Symbian make such a clumcy BAK for his partner?