Android’s Pattern Unlock Easily Cracked Without Root, And Only A Little ADB
A word of warning for all you Android hackers and modders out there. It’s common place when messing around with custom ROMs and whatnot to check a little option inside our device’s Setting app enabling “USB debugging.” Many times this is mandatory when attempting to root a device through the use of some good old fashioned ADB, and is more or less a feature developers use when working on Android apps. Well, starting today, you might wanna remind yourself to leave that checked “off” when not in use.
According to XDA developer M.Sabra, if left enabled, someone with a little know how in the ways of ADB could easily bypass the Android pattern unlock, gain access to your device and subsequently, all the personal information therein. Funny how the FBI couldn’t figure this one out. Steps for the workaround are relatively easy and straight forward, requiring only a few lines of code to either edit some of the pattern lock values to zero, or remove the “gesture.key” function entirely. And here’s the kicker — absolutely no root is necessary for any of these steps to work.
Directions on how to get around pattern unlock can be found via the source below, and are provided as a reference for the absent minded that have locked themselves out of their own devices — not those with ill intent. Let this go to show you, there’s no such thing as full-proof security.