current community

your communities

more stack exchange communities

company blog
Stack Exchange Inbox Reputation and Badges
tour help
Information Security Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for information security professionals. Join them; it only takes a minute:

Sign up
Here's how it works:
  1. Anybody can ask a question
  2. Anybody can answer
  3. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top
up vote 5 down vote favorite

I think the title of this question says it all.

That said I was looking at changing the device name on my phone and the only instructions I found where to either root the device or use abd.

This got me thinking is changing the device name restricted because the device name is packed with device specific information.

So what if anything does the android device name reveal and what value does it have when tracking users / devices?

share|improve this question
    
I think your question is way too broad, to answer it correctly would require to write a 200-page length essay. But you want to know only some page from it. So, be more specific. – peterh 3 hours ago
1  
The name itself is just randomly generated on first use. As to the implications of that, one could indeed write a lengthy essay. – Hacktiker 3 hours ago
    
@Hacktiker if you could make your comment an answer i'll accept it as that works for the main specific part of the question. – Robert 2 hours ago
    
@peterh i agree the question is too broad. As the name of the device is just a tag the subject of how that can be used doesn't fit this question. – Robert 2 hours ago
    
Could you give an example of device name? – Marcel 2 hours ago
up vote 7 down vote accepted

The device name is constructed as follows on first use:

    // setup our unique device name
    if (TextUtils.isEmpty(SystemProperties.get("net.hostname"))) {
        String id = Settings.Secure.getString(context.getContentResolver(),
                Settings.Secure.ANDROID_ID);
        if (id != null && id.length() > 0) {
            String name = new String("android-").concat(id);
            SystemProperties.set("net.hostname", name);
        }
    }

Where ANDROID_ID is a random 64-bit number.

So essentially the device name is unique and does not change during the lifetime of the device. While it does not reveal anything about the device itself, it might be used to track the device.

share|improve this answer
    
It's not clear from that whether a factory reset would clear the device name. That may be interesting if you treat it as identifying then dispose of the phone. – Chris H 1 hour ago
    
That often depends on the manufacturer (ROM) and the type of reset used. In general a full reset including the system partition will cause it to be regenerated. – Rolf ツ 51 mins ago
    
System apps can change the ANDROID_ID, such apps already exist in Play Store. – Márton Molnár 6 mins ago

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.