17
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 1 IMEI vs. IMEISV
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 2 ===============
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 3
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 4 There is a subtle distinction between an IMEI and an IMEISV. The first 14
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 5 digits are the same between the two: the supposedly-world-unique number of a
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 6 given piece of hardware. In a traditional IMEI 15-digit number the significant
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 7 14 digits are followed by a Luhn check digit, whereas an IMEISV has 16 digits:
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 8 the 14 significant digits of the IMEI, *no* Luhn check digit, and two digits of
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 9 "software version".
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 10
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 11 It is up to device manufacturers and firmware designers to decide whether or
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 12 not to store the Luhn check digit in the GSM device's flash or EEPROM or
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 13 whatever, but it is not sent over the air: instead the IMEISV is sent. It
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 14 appears that the GSM standard authors' intent was that the IMEI part is stored
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 15 immutably in each manufactured device whereas the SV digits are added by the
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 16 running firmware to indicate its version, but the IMEI handling scheme
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 17 implemented in TI's reference firmware and retained by many of the TI-based GSM
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 18 device manufacturers (at least FIC/Openmoko and Foxconn/Pirelli) dispenses away
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 19 with the IMEI vs. IMEISV distinction.
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 20
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 21 IMEI storage and retrieval in TI's reference firmware
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 22 =====================================================
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 23
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 24 When running on the plain Calypso as opposed to Calypso+, TI's TCS211 reference
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 25 firmware supports two ways of storing and retrieving the IMEI: obfuscated and
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 26 unobfuscated. In both schemes the IMEI datum is stored as a file in the
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 27 device's flash file system (FFS), and even though the FFS filename calls it the
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 28 IMEI, the content of this file is really treated as the IMEISV: 16 digits are
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 29 stored, the firmware function responsible for reading the IMEI datum out of FFS
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 30 and passing it on to the rest of the fw is called cl_get_imeisv(), the code in
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 31 this function does not transform the 16 digits in any way, and the downstream
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 32 recipients of these digits treat them as the IMEISV.
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 33
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 34 The two specific schemes offered by TCS211 fw are as follows:
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 35
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 36 In the unobfuscated scheme (FF_PROTECTED_IMEI not defined), the so-called IMEI
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 37 but really IMEISV is stored in an FFS file named /pcm/IMEI. The file is 8 bytes
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 38 long, each byte stores two IMEISV digits, and the order of the digits within
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 39 each byte is reversed relative to the natural order: first the least significant
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 40 nibble is used, then the most significant nibble.
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 41
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 42 In the obfuscated scheme (FF_PROTECTED_IMEI is defined), the so-called IMEI but
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 43 really IMEISV is stored in an FFS file named /gsm/imei.enc. The file is 16
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 44 bytes long: the first 8 bytes store the 16-digit IMEISV encrypted with DES,
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 45 using the Calypso die ID as the key, and the last 8 bytes store that Calypso die
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 46 ID DES-encrypted with itself. Underneath the obfuscation, the 16 IMEISV digits
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 47 are stored in the 8 bytes in the natural order: first the most significant
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 48 nibble is used, then the least significant nibble.
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 49
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 50 IMEI storage and retrieval schemes implemented by device manufacturers
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 51 ======================================================================
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 52
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 53 Openmoko devices use the unobfuscated IMEI storage method unchanged from TI's
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 54 reference fw: the factory-assigned IMEI is stored in an FFS file named
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 55 /pcm/IMEI, and that is where the original mokoN firmwares look for it. Further
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 56 blurring the distinction between the IMEI and the IMEISV, the 16 digits stored
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 57 in /pcm/IMEI (which the fw treats as the IMEISV) were factory-programmed as the
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 58 15-digit IMEI (with the Luhn check digit) with an appended 0, i.e., the SV
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 59 digits get set to x0 where x is the Luhn check digit.
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 60
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 61 Foxconn, the makers of the Pirelli DP-L10, have used the obfuscated version of
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 62 TI's IMEI handling mechanism instead, with an additional twist: instead of
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 63 storing the 16-byte encrypted datum in /gsm/imei.enc in FFS, they have moved it
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 64 into their own factory data record stored in a non-FFS sector of the flash.
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 65 The content of the 16 digits treated as the IMEISV by the G23M component of the
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 66 fw is the same as Openmoko's: 15-digit IMEI with the Luhn check digit followed
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 67 by a 0 digit.
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 68
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 69 Compal, the makers of Motorola C1xx phones, have similarly moved their IMEI out
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 70 of FFS into their own proprietary flash data structures, and we have never
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 71 decoded the latter, hence we don't know exactly where and how their IMEI is
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 72 stored. If you wish to run FreeCalypso firmware on these phones, you have to
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 73 set your own IMEISV for our fw even if you are not seeking to make it different
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 74 from the factory-assigned one, as we don't know how to retrieve the latter.
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 75
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 76 Changing the IMEI
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 77 =================
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 78
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 79 When someone says that they wish to change the IMEI on their phone, they need
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 80 to be a little clearer as to what they really mean, as there are two possible
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 81 interpretations of the just-stated wish:
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 82
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 83 1. Transmitting a different IMEISV toward the network by running your own
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 84 firmware on the device,
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 85
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 86 or
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 87
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 88 2. Changing the IMEI seen by the device's original proprietary firmware.
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 89
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 90 Interpretation 1 is much easier than interpretation 2: when you are writing your
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 91 own firmware for an "alien" GSM device (hardware designed and made by someone
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 92 other than you), it is much easier to just set your own IMEISV and be done with
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 93 it than to figure out how to retrieve the factory-assigned one. Thus those
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 94 device manufacturers who try to make it more difficult to change their IMEIs
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 95 are actually creating the opposite effect: people will just set their own IMEISV
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 96 when running their own fw on their hw.
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 97
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 98 Openmoko devices are a rare exception in that if you write your own IMEISV into
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 99 /pcm/IMEI in FFS, your new IMEISV will take effect not only with FreeCalypso
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 100 firmware, but also with the legacy mokoN fw versions, because they all look in
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 101 /pcm/IMEI. The same does NOT hold with Compal/Motorola or Foxconn/Pirelli
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 102 phones, however: if you wish to change their IMEI to be seen by their original
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 103 proprietary firmwares, you are on your own, as we do not currently have any
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 104 tools for accomplishing such a feat.
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 105
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 106 IMEI handling in FreeCalypso
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 107 ============================
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 108
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 109 The FreeCalypso family of projects has adopted the following IMEI storage and
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 110 retrieval scheme both for our own FreeCalypso-made hardware and for FreeCalypso
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 111 firmwares running on alien hardware: all of our firmware versions regardless of
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 112 target will look first in /etc/IMEISV, then in /pcm/IMEI when needing to obtain
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 113 the IMEISV for GSM operation. This is the new unified convention; previously
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 114 we used varying IMEISV retrieval schemes depending on the target and in
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 115 different FC firmware projects. The new unified convention is backward-
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 116 compatible with our previous schemes on every target.
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 117
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 118 The /etc/IMEISV file is a FreeCalypso invention. The file is 8 bytes long, and
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 119 stores the 16 digits of the IMEISV in the natural order: first the most
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 120 significant nibble is used, then the least significant nibble. This nibble
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 121 order makes the IMEISV number directly readable in a hex dump of the file, and
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 122 the filename /etc/IMEISV makes it clear that the last two digits are the SV and
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 123 are not required to be equal to the Luhn check digit and 0.
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 124
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 125 Both /etc/IMEISV and /pcm/IMEI can be written with the fc-fsio utility's
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 126 set-imeisv command:
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 127
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 128 set-imeisv fc XXXXXXXX-YYYYYY-ZZ # write /etc/IMEISV
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 129 set-imeisv pcm XXXXXXXX-YYYYYY-ZZ # write /pcm/IMEI
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 130
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 131 When working on Openmoko devices, we recommend writing your IMEISV into
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 132 /pcm/IMEI (set-imeisv pcm command) and not creating an /etc/IMEISV file: newer
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 133 FC firmware versions will look in both locations, but older FC fw versions and
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 134 the legacy mokoN ones look only in /pcm/IMEI. On all other targets we recommend
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 135 using the new /etc/IMEISV storage format, i.e., you should use the set-imeisv fc
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
parents:
diff
changeset
+ − 136 variant.