grapheneos

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GrapheneOS Statement on Hidden Profiles
2 months ago
- Hidden or stealthy duress modes are not viable because forensic software is aware of GrapheneOS and would detect them.
- GrapheneOS's duress PIN/password is designed to be obvious, creating a dilemma for adversaries about whether the input will unlock or wipe the device.
- The wipe occurs nearly instantly by destroying hardware keystores, secure element, and disk encryption metadata, followed by clearing RAM via shutdown.
- Granting access to a decoy profile would increase attack surface for exploits, making data extraction easier.
- The feature relies on deterrence through awareness, not secrecy, and is intended to protect against coercion rather than hidden data extraction.
Donate to GrapheneOS
2 months ago
- GrapheneOS is an open source project funded by donations from individuals, companies, and organizations, used for developers, hardware, infrastructure, and legal fees.
- Donations can be made via GitHub Sponsors (credit card) with tiers from $5 to $5,000 or custom amounts.
- Cryptocurrency donations are accepted in Bitcoin, Monero, Zcash, Ethereum, Cardano, and Litecoin, with specific addresses provided for each.
- Bank transfer donations are available via Wise in EU/SEPA, UK, US, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Hungary, and Turkey, with detailed account information.
- PayPal donations are accepted for one-time, monthly, or yearly contributions, with links based on currency and fees varying by region.
- Canadian Interac e-Transfer donations can be sent to donate@grapheneos.org with Autodeposit support.
GrapheneOS Defends Data-Wiping Function That Blocked US Border Search
2 months ago
- GrapheneOS developer defends the legality of its security features after an activist used a duress password to wipe his phone, blocking federal agents.
- Environmental activist Sam Tunick used a duress password on his GrapheneOS-equipped Pixel phone during a CBP search, wiping the device irreversibly.
- The US filed a criminal indictment against Tunick for allegedly destroying property under government control, potentially the first case targeting GrapheneOS.
- GrapheneOS offers features like an auto-reboot timer to protect data without needing a duress password, making data recovery impossible after wiping.
- The case reignites the debate between privacy and US investigatory powers, similar to past disputes with Apple and encryption backdoors.
- Tunick faces up to five years in prison; his lawyers argue constitutional rights were violated during the interrogation.
The US is charging an American citizen for wiping his phone at the border
2 months ago
- A GrapheneOS duress password feature can irreversibly wipe a device when entered under coercion.
- Activist Sam Tunick allegedly used this feature during a U.S. Customs search, leading to a federal charge of destroying evidence.
- Tunick's attorneys argue the evidence should be suppressed under the fruit of the poisonous tree doctrine due to alleged coerced testimony and lack of Miranda rights.
- Privacy experts say this case has no known precedent and could criminalize the use of privacy-protecting software.
- The incident occurred in January 2024, but Tunick was arrested months later during a traffic stop involving FBI and DHS.
- The case raises questions about the legality of using data self-destruction features against government searches.
US citizen charged after GrapheneOS phone wipes during airport search
2 months ago
- A federal case in Atlanta involves the use of GrapheneOS, a privacy-focused mobile OS, which prosecutors claim was used to wipe evidence, raising legal questions about its features.
- The case targets Sam Tunick, who used GrapheneOS on a Google Pixel phone; experts say this is an unusual legal move that may criminalize the OS by default.
- The incident occurred at Atlanta airport in January 2024, where Tunick was questioned about suspected terrorism ties, denied a lawyer multiple times, and his phone was wiped after providing a passcode.
- Prosecutors view the wipe as intentional destruction of evidence, while the defense argues it violated constitutional rights and that the search was a pretext related to Cop City protests.
- The case highlights broader constitutional issues at US borders, with a ruling expected after October; GrapheneOS supporters emphasize its legitimate privacy protections.
- Similar profiling of GrapheneOS users in Spain and France shows authorities treating the OS as suspicious, linking it to criminal activity, but activists argue for the right to use privacy tools.
GrapheneOS duress PIN could land a man in prison
2 months ago
- A US man is being prosecuted for using a GrapheneOS duress PIN that wiped his Pixel phone during a border search at Atlanta airport.
- The charge treats the alleged wipe as destruction of property intended to prevent a government seizure, under a federal law.
- The incident occurred in January 2025 when border agents demanded access to the phone without a warrant, and the duress PIN triggered an irreversible wipe.
- The defendant's legal team argues he was questioned without Miranda rights, denied a lawyer, and that the search was unreasonable, with claims of pretextual questioning about child sexual abuse material and ties to the Cop City protest movement.
- A judge is not expected to rule on the motion until at least October, leaving the legal implications of privacy tools like the duress PIN under scrutiny.
GrapheneOS protections against data extraction from locked devices
2 months ago
- GrapheneOS builds on Android 17 security and requires Pixel hardware for now, with Motorola partnership expected in 2027.
- Disk encryption is robust; attackers must exploit OS after first unlock or brute-force PIN, with secure element enforcing strict rate limiting (20 attempts, escalating delays).
- Insider attack resistance prevents firmware update bypass of rate limiting by requiring owner authentication for secure element updates.
- GrapheneOS raises password limit to 128 characters for high-entropy passphrases independent of rate limiting.
- Optional 2nd factor fingerprint PIN reduces fingerprint attempts to 5 and requires a short PIN after fingerprint for unlock.
- Exploit protections include hardened memory allocators and hardware memory tagging (MTE) to block attacks.
- Physical attack defenses block USB connections when locked and disable USB data after disconnection.
- Auto-reboot timer (10 min to 72h, default 18h) returns device to Before First Unlock state with memory zeroing.
- Supports secondary user and Private Space end session to revert to Before First Unlock without reboot.
- Duress PIN/password wipes device immediately when entered in any PIN/password prompt, including secondary users and Private Spaces.
US accuses American of wiping phone using a duress password during border search
2 months ago
- The U.S. Justice Department is prosecuting Samuel Tunick for allegedly using a 'duress' password to wipe his phone's data before border authorities seized it, marking the first known case of such charges.
- Tunick's phone ran GrapheneOS, a custom Android OS with a feature that allows a special passcode to erase device contents when entered.
- Tunick's attorneys argue the seizure was unlawful, claiming he was denied legal counsel and not informed of his rights during secondary inspection at Atlanta airport.
- The motion to suppress evidence alleges the government investigated Tunick for his association with the Defend the Atlanta Forest movement, not for child exploitation imagery as claimed.
- Security experts note this is a novel case, highlighting risks for travelers with sensitive data and suggesting avoiding carrying data when crossing borders.
- The federal court will decide on Tunick's motion to suppress later in 2025.
US Government targets Cop City protester over phone operating system
2 months ago
- The US Department of Justice is prosecuting an Atlanta resident for having GrapheneOS on his phone, linked to the Cop City protest movement, under a statute making it a crime to destroy property to prevent seizure.
- Experts say this may be the first time the law has targeted the privacy-focused operating system, raising concerns about criminalizing such technology.
- Sam Tunick was stopped at Atlanta airport after being placed on a terrorism watchlist due to alleged ties to the Cop City opposition; he was interrogated without a warrant or access to a lawyer.
- The interrogation used child sexual abuse images as a pretext to investigate Tunick's connections to the Cop City protest, according to a motion to suppress evidence.
- Similar trends in Europe show authorities profiling Google Pixel users, assuming they have GrapheneOS and are involved in criminal activity.
- A judge's decision on the motion to suppress evidence is expected at the end of October.
Ongoing changes to Android security patches due to AI vulnerability discovery
2 months ago
- Google is reducing backport support for older Android versions, limiting critical vulnerability patches to the most recent 2 major releases (Android 16 and 17).
- Externally reported high and critical vulnerabilities are still backported for about 3 years, but internal discoveries by Google (often via AI) have stricter limits.
- Android Security Bulletins now omit moderate and low severity patches and are delayed by 2-4 months after disclosure; only Samsung flagships, Pixels, and GrapheneOS ship patches early.
- Bare minimum security patches now require being on Android 16, 16 QPR2, or 17, with Android 18 becoming the sole source for current high/critical patches upon release.
- GrapheneOS plans to work with Motorola and Qualcomm for serious patches, port to the latest Linux LTS, and may reverse-engineer binary patches if Google doesn't open-source security previews.

grapheneos

GrapheneOS Statement on Hidden Profiles

Donate to GrapheneOS

GrapheneOS Defends Data-Wiping Function That Blocked US Border Search

The US is charging an American citizen for wiping his phone at the border

US citizen charged after GrapheneOS phone wipes during airport search

GrapheneOS duress PIN could land a man in prison

GrapheneOS protections against data extraction from locked devices

US accuses American of wiping phone using a duress password during border search

US Government targets Cop City protester over phone operating system

Ongoing changes to Android security patches due to AI vulnerability discovery