Android for the Paranoid: Fake GPS

This is the first article in a series of articles highlighting applications for security conscious users.

Today we're going to take a look at an Android application called "Fake GPS".

First, why does "Fake GPS" qualify as a security application?

Many Android applications are "location aware", meaning the application may not only find out where you are, but also report this information to the developer and advertisers, and possibly even post this information publicly.  Another serious issue is that by default Android's camera will embed your GPS location inside your photos.  This means when you post a photo online, everyone will know exactly where you are!

The solution to this problem is "Fake GPS".  When combined with the Android feature "Mock Location", this application allows you to trick your phone into thinking you're somewhere else.

The above photo appears to have been taken in Phoenix, Arizona.

And this photo appears to have been taken in Florida.

How can you see the embedded GPS coordinates?  With an EXIF viewer.

Here's the info for the first photo:

http://regex.info/exif.cgi?dummy=on&imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fi46.tinypic.com%2Frvaeep.jpg

Fake GPS is very easy to use.  Simply use a scrollable/zoomable map and choose where you want the GPS coordinates to be set.  You can even go into the advanced options and have the GPS move in a random direction and speed.

So, if you're worried about someone tracking your every move with your cell phone, I highly recommend Fake GPS.

Hacking Your Digital Camera

Not all hacking is bad.  Sometimes hacking can be used to enhance the features of a product, instead of perform malicious actions.

One of my hobbies is photography.  Today I downloaded the "Canon Hack Development Kit" (CHDK) for my Canon Powershot S2 IS.

After a couple wrong versions, I finally downloaded the correct version for my camera, and was up and running.

The way the CHDK works is pretty ingenious.  The CHDK software is loaded into your camera's RAM by tricking your camera into thinking it's loading a firmware update.  However, instead of loading a firmware update, CHDK is temporarily loaded into memory much like running an application on your computer or phone - it's not loaded into memory the next time you turn off and turn back on your camera.

The features enabled with CHDK are pretty amazing.  My "point and shoot" camera now has some features which aren't available on my wife's professional camera, such as motion detection or extended time-lapse photography of up to 64 seconds (some cameras allow up to 30 minute time lapse!).

If you have a supported camera I highly encourage you to check it out.