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LG Secure Startup

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(@the_grinch)
Posts: 136
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Anyone run into this before? Phone boots and I see the MetroPCS start up, but then it comes to Secure Startup with a counter saying 30 tries. Is it any different than the normal Android lock screen?

 
Posted : 08/06/2018 7:21 pm
passcodeunlock
(@passcodeunlock)
Posts: 792
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What is your device model ?!

 
Posted : 08/06/2018 7:41 pm
(@arcaine2)
Posts: 235
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This would point to encrypted filesystem with a custom code or corrupted userdata partition. This is not a lockscreen yet and once you enter the correct code system will continue to boot.

 
Posted : 08/06/2018 8:10 pm
(@the_grinch)
Posts: 136
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Topic starter
 

Model is LM-X210MA

It is encrypted, but nothing led me to believe any data corruption (though I believe the suspect attempted to smash the device) exists. But really a custom code? My research showed that this was meant as almost like a boot password where the device will not receive nor be able to make phone calls, texts or notifications.

 
Posted : 08/06/2018 10:14 pm
passcodeunlock
(@passcodeunlock)
Posts: 792
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It is an Android security setting to ask for password on boot, nothing else.

If it is very important, send me the device )

 
Posted : 09/06/2018 7:44 am
(@arcaine2)
Posts: 235
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It is encrypted, but nothing led me to believe any data corruption (though I believe the suspect attempted to smash the device) exists. But really a custom code?

Which is why i said "or corrupted". Older LGs are known from bad eMMCs so this can happen and might look like this as well (instead of usual "boot certification verify" error). By custom code i mean a code set by user. Since this is an Android 7 based device it has forced encryption turned on and owner seemed to have set a password on top of that. Just regular stuff.

Fun fact. I had a device for test, LG K8 (K350n) with no forced encryption that acted like yours after i forced flash TWRP using LAF mode without unlocking bootloader first. It started to ask for password on boot. This has nothing to do with the phone you have, just a fun fact.

 
Posted : 09/06/2018 8:51 pm
passcodeunlock
(@passcodeunlock)
Posts: 792
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If TWRP or other custom recovery was flashed (and there was dm-verity on), the error would be different, saying that the device must be factory reset. Flashing the recovery.img and boot.img from the original factory ROM to the device fixes this problem.

The OP didn't post anything saying that a custom recovery was flashed to the device, most probably it is the safe boot enabled from the Android settings.

Faulty (physically destroyed) eMMC is very rare, even if trying to physically destroy a phone, it's pretty hard to externally smash the eMMC, because usually it is shielded with locally resistant metal shields. Bending or twisting the device could cause much more damage to the motherboard and it's soldered components.

…or just use (many times) a bigger hammer )

 
Posted : 10/06/2018 1:22 pm
(@thomass30)
Posts: 110
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As far as I know secure startup is additional encyption protection. If secure startup was enabled, the device will ask you for the password(required to generate the encryption key) during the boot process.

 
Posted : 11/06/2018 2:24 pm
(@arcaine2)
Posts: 235
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If TWRP or other custom recovery was flashed (and there was dm-verity on), the error would be different, saying that the device must be factory reset. Flashing the recovery.img and boot.img from the original factory ROM to the device fixes this problem.

It may depend on device. What you're describing happen on Samsung devices (not only, but i've only seen it like this on Samsung) which then shows an error message saying that factory reset is required and yes, flashing stock image (either boot or recovery, depending on what was changed) fixes it. With LG, at least that K8 2016 this was not the case. I tested this 3 times with same result each time, on clean firmware. Right after i forced flash TWRP using LAF mode , phone immediately started to ask for password on boot. Flashing stock recovery which i backed up before did not fix this. For some reason that's how it worked on that phone.

The OP didn't post anything saying that a custom recovery was flashed to the device, most probably it is the safe boot enabled from the Android settings.

I agree which is why i this is just a fun fact.

Faulty (physically destroyed) eMMC is very rare, even if trying to physically destroy a phone, it's pretty hard to externally smash the eMMC, because usually it is shielded with locally resistant metal shields. Bending or twisting the device could cause much more damage to the motherboard and it's soldered components.

Physically destroyed eMMCs are rare. Faulty eMMCs are not. It can either be a corrupted firmware, bad firmware that'll lead to data corruption (Samsung Note, Note 2, S2, S3 etc) or just corrupted data in area that's required for phone to boot. LG devices (older like L9, F60, Fino, L65, L/F70) were known for such issues and usually area where boot.img was stored got corrupted. Usually, writing a boot.img solved the problem but after 2 or 3 months the same issue repeated until boot.img cannot be written anymore or whole eMMC goes read only due to too many errors. It is possible that userdata area gets corrupted and it'll lead to such error (this was a case in older Samsung phones, like Galaxy S or S2 from what i remember). I had LG K10 (2016) in store last week that stuck in bootloop. It then died while flashing a new firmware and stuck in 9008 mode. Checking the eMMC pointed to data corruption in area where aboot.bin is stored. I was unable to write aboot.bin back in 9008 mode and it seemed to be bad eMMC. I've seen reports from others who had the same problem.

 
Posted : 11/06/2018 4:58 pm
passcodeunlock
(@passcodeunlock)
Posts: 792
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It may depend on device. What you're describing happen on Samsung devices (not only, but i've only seen it like this on Samsung) which then shows an error message saying that factory reset is required and yes, flashing stock image (either boot or recovery, depending on what was changed) fixes it. With LG, at least that K8 2016 this was not the case. I tested this 3 times with same result each time, on clean firmware. Right after i forced flash TWRP using LAF mode , phone immediately started to ask for password on boot. Flashing stock recovery which i backed up before did not fix this. For some reason that's how it worked on that phone.

When playing with some eMMC from vendors like LG, you have to deal with the encryption root keys being also zapped on flashing recovery and cache, that is why flashing back the factory images didn't help. Always keep handy a full eMMC raw image of the original device, which if you flash back - everything, including the encrypted user data partition - you get the original device state. Flashing just different parts might generate new encryption root keys on boot, which will fail to open a previously encrypted user partition.

Physically destroyed eMMCs are rare. Faulty eMMCs are not. It can either be a corrupted firmware, bad firmware that'll lead to data corruption (Samsung Note, Note 2, S2, S3 etc) or just corrupted data in area that's required for phone to boot. LG devices (older like L9, F60, Fino, L65, L/F70) were known for such issues and usually area where boot.img was stored got corrupted. Usually, writing a boot.img solved the problem but after 2 or 3 months the same issue repeated until boot.img cannot be written anymore or whole eMMC goes read only due to too many errors. It is possible that userdata area gets corrupted and it'll lead to such error (this was a case in older Samsung phones, like Galaxy S or S2 from what i remember). I had LG K10 (2016) in store last week that stuck in bootloop. It then died while flashing a new firmware and stuck in 9008 mode. Checking the eMMC pointed to data corruption in area where aboot.bin is stored. I was unable to write aboot.bin back in 9008 mode and it seemed to be bad eMMC. I've seen reports from others who had the same problem.

Faulty eMMC exist, but they are rare. Let's make some maths with presumptions

- if 0,1% of the phones got faulty eMMC
- if 1 out of 10.000 sold devices are involved in forensic cases
- split by vendors, implementations, eMMC versions and hardware revisions

There are pretty big chances that 1 out of 1.000.000 devices will have a faulty eMMC prior to a forensic case anyway.I might say low chances, but proven to exist now and then )

I would really welcome if any mobile vendor could correct my presumption numbers…

 
Posted : 11/06/2018 8:37 pm
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