Comment by librick
1 day ago
To update 10th-gen Honda Civics, Honda ships updates on specially-formatted USB drives. They're essentially Android 4.2.2rc1-era recovery packages with some Honda-added version checks (which can be spoofed). The packages are signed with the publicly-known AOSP test key, so with physical access to the front USB port you can sign and flash your own package for arbitrary code execution on the headunit. This doesn't require root/su. I've run it end-to-end on my own 2021 Civic and separately confirmed an official EU update file carries the AOSP test-key signature. Tooling and writeup in the post.
Thanks so much for your analysis. This kind of investigation and exposure of lazy work is the reason I love hacker news.
Hey, how did you obtain the update file? I’ve been trying to probe an Acura head unit from the same year, it’s also on Android 4.x, but have ran into a roadblock when it comes to obtaining an update file.
> AOSP
Android Open Source Project
for those outside the bubble!
[flagged]
Sphere of knowledge/awareness, i.e. non-Android-nerds
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A number of other cars' infotainment systems are also based on ASOP. I remember downloading updates for my Hyundai which were also essentially Android images
The head units themselves are very dated and simply could not run recent versions of Android. I have a 2020 and I'm always eyeing up the after market units which are all better in every way.
its not about them being dated, or fast. Its the fact that the head unit will work in 10 years vs the aftermarket one probably dying in 2.
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based on aosp was not the notable part
beautifully done.