Samsung's Factory Reset Protection can be bypassed in under ten minutes

Many Samsung devices come with the Factory Reset Protection feature which makes it impossible for someone to factory reset a stolen or misplaced device and then continue to use it after completely wiping the device. A new video shows that the feature is not without its fault, rather it can actually be bypassed in under ten minutes.

Factory Reset Protection makes the device inoperable if someone tries to reset it via the recovery until the original owner enters their Google account credentials and reboots the device. RootJunky points us towards a flaw in the system which allows the OS to open files when a OTG drive is inserted even when the device should be requiring the Google account credentials for a reboot. This method simply puts an APK on the OTG drive that just opens the settings up and from there the APK can be installed. Once the APK is installed its very easy to reset the device, instead of resetting it through recovery it can be factory reset from the settings, which will not trip the safety feature and essentially allow anyone to use the device as if it was their own. There's no word as yet when Samsung will roll out a software update to address this flaw.

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Adnan Farooqui - Executive Editor

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First Samsung device: SGH-E900

Adnan Farooqui is a long-term writer at SamMobile. Based in Pakistan, his interests include technology, finance, Swiss watches and Formula 1. His tendency to write long posts betrays his inclination to being a man of few words.

Phone factory reset protection