en/security/best-practices/system.html - platform/docs/source.android.com - Git at Google

 <html devsite>
   <head>
     <title>System Security Best Practices</title>
     <meta name="project_path" value="/_project.yaml" />
     <meta name="book_path" value="/_book.yaml" />
   </head>
   <body>
   <!--
       Copyright 2018 The Android Open Source Project

       Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
       you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
       You may obtain a copy of the License at

           //www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0

       Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
       distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
       WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
       See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
       limitations under the License.
   -->
 <p>This section contains recommendations for ensuring the security of the core
   Android operating system and devices.
 </p>

 <h2 id="biometric-authentication">Biometric authentication</h2>

 <p>Acquire, store, and process <a href="/security/biometric">biometric data</a>
    for user authentication carefully. You should:
 </p>

 <ul>
   <li>Mandate the primary authentication method before using any other form of
     authentication (including biometrics).</li>
   <li>Require an explicit confirmation to indicate intent when using passive
     biometric modalities, such as facial recognition, for transactions (for
     example, payments) that involve authentication-bound keys.</li>
   <li>Require the primary authentication method every 72 hours.</li>
   <li>Use a fully secure pipeline for all biometric data and handling.</li>
   <li>Never send biometric data (including raw sensor measurements and derived
     features) off-device. If possible, keep this data in a secure isolated
     environment, such as the <a href="/security/trusty">Trusted Execution
     Environment (TEE)</a> or Secure Element.</li>
 </ul>

 <p>Devices with biometrics should support the
   <a href="https://developer.android.com/preview/features/security#fingerprint-auth"
      class="external">BiometricPrompt API</a>, which offers a common and
   consistent interface for app developers to take advantage of biometrics-based
   authentication in their apps. Only
   <a href="/security/biometric/#strong-weak-unlocks" class="external">strong
   biometrics</a> can integrate with <code>BiometricPrompt</code> and
   integrations must follow <a href="/compatibility/cdd">Android Compatibility
   Definition Document</a> (CDD) guidelines.</p>

 <p>For more biometric guidelines, see
 <a href="/security/biometric#hal-implementation">Biometric HAL implementation
   guidelines</a>.</p>

 <h2 id="selinux">SELinux</h2>

 <p>SELinux provides the definition and enforcement of much of Android's
   security model. Correctly using SELinux is critical to the security of
   Android devices and can help mitigate the impact of security vulnerabilities.
   All Android devices should implement a
   <a href="/security/selinux/device-policy#granting_the_dac_override_capability">robust
     SELinux policy</a> for this reason.</p>

 <ul>
   <li>Implement a least privilege policy.</li>
   <li>Avoid granting <code>CAP_DAC_OVERRIDE</code>, <code>CAP_SYS_ADMIN</code>,
     and <code>CAP_NET_ADMIN</code> permissions.</li>
   <li>Don't log system data to the SD card.</li>
   <li>Use provided types for driver access, such as <code>gpu_device</code>,
     <code>audio_device</code>, etc.</li>
   <li>Use meaningful names for processes, files, and SELinux types.
     <ul>
       <li>Ensure default labels are not used and access is not granted to them.</li>
     </ul>
   </li>
   <li>Device-specific policy should account for 5–10% of the overall policy
     running on a device. Customizations in the 20%+ range almost certainly
     contain over-privileged domains and dead policy. Unnecessarily large policy
     wastes memory, wastes disk space by necessitating a larger boot image,
     and negatively affects runtime policy lookup times.
   </li>
 </ul>

 <h3 id="dynamic-loading-selinux-policy">Dynamic loading of SELinux policy</h3>

 <p>Do not dynamically load SELinux policy on Android devices. Doing so can
   result in issues, such as:</p>

 <ul>
   <li>Preventing the acceptance of critical security patches.</li>
   <li>Exposing the ability to root a device through reloading of policies.</li>
   <li>Exposing a vector for man-in-the-middle attacks against the policy
     updater.</li>
   <li>Resulting in bricked devices due to errors with policy updates.</li>
 </ul>

 <h2 id="backdoors">Backdoors</h2>

 <p>Android apps should not have any backdoors or ways to access the system or
   data that bypass normal security mechanisms. This includes diagnostics,
   debugging, development, or warranty repair special access gated by secrets
   known to the developer. To prevent backdoors:</p>

 <ul>
   <li>Scan all third-party apps using an industry-recognized app vulnerability
     scanning tool.</li>
   <li>Perform code reviews of all code with sensitive access, including
     third-party libraries.</li>
   <li>Utilize Google Play Protect by uploading apps to Google Play for
     scanning. You can upload apps for scanning without publishing to Google
     Play.</li>
   <li>Do not preload diagnostics- or repair-focused tools on release
     builds. Only install these tools on-demand to solve specific issues.
     Additionally, these tools must not operate upon or upload any
     account-specific data.</li>
 </ul>

 <h2 id="development-tools">Development tools</h2>

 <p>Development tools, such as debugging, testing, and diagnostic tools, can
   often create unintended security gaps on your device by revealing how they
   operate and the data that they collect. To make sure that development tools
   don't make it into production builds:</p>

 <ul>
   <li>Develop a blacklist of in-house debug and testing tool hashes and scan
     builds for these APKs prior to using the system image.</li>
   <li>Scan all first-party apps using an industry-recognized app vulnerability
     scanning tool.</li>
   <li>Hire a third-party app security testing firm to evaluate all critical
     on-device diagnostic apps before any major update, especially if the app is
     developed by a third party.</li>
   <li>Ensure that only the user can enable the tool, either verbally or over
     chat, during a support session. Store artifacts of consent and disable the
     tool after collecting the necessary diagnostic information.</li>
   <li>Store this tool's record of use in a log accessible by the user in their
     carrier account.</li>
   <li>Ensure that any personally identifiable information (PII) or device
     telemetry data collected by the tool is subject to anonymization, retention
     and deletion practices relevant to the country. Only data relevant for the
     support call should be collected. This data should be deleted after each
     call.</li>
   <li>Ensure that techniques that can be used for spyware, such as keystroke
     logging, microphone usage, or camera usage, are not used without explicit
     user consent. Apps utilizing these potentially privacy-invasive methods
     should be very clearly disclosed along with a privacy policy that the user
     must consent to. Apps like this should not be enabled without explicit
     consent by the user.</li>
 </ul>

 <p>Here are some additional suggestions to refer to when implementing
   disclosure and consent:</p>

 <h3 id="in-app-disclosure">In-app disclosure</h3>

 <ul>
   <li>Display the normal usage of the app directly in-app. Do not require the
     user to navigate into a menu or settings.</li>
   <li>Describe the type of data being collected and explain how the data will
     be used.</li>
   <li>Ideally do not embed this information in a privacy policy or terms of
     service. Do not include it with other disclosures unrelated to personal or
     sensitive data collection.</li>
 </ul>

 <h3 id="request-consent">Request for consent</h3>

 <ul>
   <li>Consent must be affirmative. Don't consider navigation away from the
     disclosure, including tapping away or pressing the back or home button,
     as consent.</li>
   <li>Present the consent dialog in a clear and unambiguous way.</li>
   <li>Require affirmative user action, such as tap to accept or speak a
     command, to accept.</li>
   <li>Don't collect personal or sensitive data before obtaining
     affirmative consent.</li>
   <li>Don't use auto-dismissing or expiring messages.</li>
 </ul>

 <h2 id="embedded-functionality-in-aosp">Embedded functionality in AOSP</h2>

 <p>Embedding additional functionality in AOSP can often have unexpected
   behavior and consequences; proceed with caution.</p>

 <ul>
   <li>Ensure that the user is prompted if they want to use different default
     apps (for example, search engine, web browser, launcher) and disclose
     sending data off device.</li>
   <li>Ensure that AOSP APKs are signed with the AOSP certificate.</li>
   <li>Run regression tests and keep a change-log to determine whether the AOSP
     APKs have had code added.</li>
 </ul>

 <h2 id="security-updates">Security updates</h2>

 <p>Android devices should receive ongoing security support for at least two
   years from launch. This includes receiving regular updates that address
   known security vulnerabilities.</p>

 <ul>
   <li>Work with hardware partners, such as your SoC vendors, to put
     appropriate support agreements in place for all components on your
     Android device.</li>
   <li>Ensure that security updates can be installed with minimal user
     interaction to increase the likelihood of users accepting and installing
     updates on their Android device. Implementing
     <a href="/devices/tech/ota/ab/">Seamless System Updates</a> or an
     equivalent security feature is strongly recommended.</li>
   <li>Ensure that you understand the cumulative requirement of the Android
     Security Patch Level (SPL) as declared in the
     <a href="/security/bulletin/">Android Security Bulletin</a>. For example,
     devices that use the 2018-02-01 security patch level must include all
     issues associated with that security patch level, as well as fixes for
     all issues reported in all previous security bulletins.</li>
 </ul>

 <h3 id="dynamic-kernel-updates">Dynamic kernel updates</h3>

 <p>Do not dynamically modify critical system components. While there is some
   research to suggest that dynamic kernel updates help protect against
   emergency threats, the assessed cost currently outweighs the benefits.
   Instead, create a robust OTA update method to quickly distribute
   vulnerability protections.</p>

 <h2 id="key-management">Key management</h2>

 <p>Maintain good key management policies and practices to ensure the security
   of signing keys.</p>

 <ul>
   <li>Do not share signing keys with external parties.</li>
   <li>If a signing key is compromised, generate a new key and double sign all
     apps going forward.</li>
   <li>Store all keys in high-security module hardware or services requiring
     multiple factors to access.</li>
 </ul>

 <h2 id="system-image-signing">System image signing</h2>

 <p>The signature of the system image is critical to determine device integrity.</p>

 <ul>
   <li>Do not sign devices with a publicly known key.</li>
   <li>Manage device-signing keys in a manner consistent with industry-standard
     practices for handling sensitive keys, including a hardware security module
     (HSM) that provides limited, auditable access.</li>
 </ul>

 <h2 id="unlockable-bootloaders">Unlockable bootloaders</h2>

 <p>Many Android devices support unlocking, enabling the device owner to modify
   the system partition or install a custom operating system. Common use
   cases include installing a third-party system image and performing
   systems-level development on the device. For example, to unlock the system
   image on a Google Nexus or Pixel, a user can run <code>fastboot oem
   unlock</code>, which displays this message:</p>

 <aside class="caution">
     <p><strong>Unlock bootloader?</strong></p>

     <p>If you unlock the bootloader, you will be able to install custom
       operating system software on this phone.</p>

     <p>A custom OS is not subject to the same testing as the original OS, and
       can cause your phone and installed apps to stop working properly.</p>

     <p>To prevent unauthorized access to your personal data, unlocking the
       bootloader will also delete all personal data from your phone (a "factory
       data reset").</p>

     <p>Press the Volume Up/Down buttons to select Yes or No. Then press the
       Power button to continue.</p>

     <p><strong>Yes:</strong> Unlock bootloader (may void warranty)</p>

     <p><strong>No</strong>: Do not unlock bootloader and restart phone.</p>
 </aside>

 <p>As a best practice, unlockable Android devices must securely erase all user
   data prior to being unlocked. Failure to properly delete all data on
   unlocking may allow a physically proximate attacker to gain unauthorized
   access to confidential Android user data. To prevent the disclosure of user
   data, a device that supports unlocking must implement it properly.</p>

 <ul>
   <li>After the user confirms the unlocking command, the device must start an
     immediate data wipe. The <code>unlocked</code> flag must not be set until
     after the secure deletion is complete.</li>
   <li>If a secure deletion can't be completed, the device must stay in a locked
     state.</li>
   <li>If supported by the underlying block device,
     <code>ioctl(BLKSECDISCARD)</code>or equivalent should be used. For
     embedded MultiMediaCard (eMMC) devices, this means using a Secure Erase or
     Secure Trim command. For eMMC 4.5 and later, this means using a normal Erase
     or Trim followed by a Sanitize operation.</li>
   <li>If <code>BLKSECDISCARD</code> is not supported by the underlying block
     device, <code>ioctl(BLKDISCARD)</code> must be used instead. On eMMC
     devices, this is a normal Trim operation.</li>
   <li>If <code>BLKDISCARD</code> is not supported, overwriting the block
     devices with all zeros is acceptable.</li>
   <li>A user must have the option to require that user data be wiped
     beofre flashing a partition. For example, Nexus devices use the
     <code>fastboot oem lock</code> command to wipe user data.</li>
   <li>A device may record, via eFuses or similar mechanism, whether a device
     was unlocked and/or relocked. However, we strongly recommend that relocking
     the bootloader with subsequent factory reset should restore full device
     functionality.</li>
 </ul>

 <p>These requirements ensure that all data is destroyed upon the completion of
   an unlock operation. Failure to implement these protections is considered a
   <a href="/security/overview/updates-resources#severity">moderate level
     security vulnerability</a>.</p>

 <p>A device that is unlocked may be subsequently relocked using the
   <code>fastboot oem lock</code> command. Locking the bootloader provides the
   same protection of user data with the new custom OS as was available with the
   original device manufacturer OS (e.g. user data will be wiped if the device
   is unlocked again).</p>

 <h2 id="device-pentesting">Device pentesting</h2>

 <p>Devices should be reviewed by a competent pentester prior to shipment.
   Pentesting should establish that the device followed security guidance
   provided here as well as internal OEM security guidance.</p>
 </body>
 </html>
	<html devsite>
	<head>
	<title>System Security Best Practices</title>
	<meta name="project_path" value="/_project.yaml" />
	<meta name="book_path" value="/_book.yaml" />
	</head>
	<body>
	<!--
	Copyright 2018 The Android Open Source Project

	Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
	you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
	You may obtain a copy of the License at

	//www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0

	Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
	distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
	WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
	See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
	limitations under the License.
	-->
	<p>This section contains recommendations for ensuring the security of the core
	Android operating system and devices.
	</p>

	<h2 id="biometric-authentication">Biometric authentication</h2>

	<p>Acquire, store, and process <a href="/security/biometric">biometric data</a>
	for user authentication carefully. You should:
	</p>

	<ul>
	<li>Mandate the primary authentication method before using any other form of
	authentication (including biometrics).</li>
	<li>Require an explicit confirmation to indicate intent when using passive
	biometric modalities, such as facial recognition, for transactions (for
	example, payments) that involve authentication-bound keys.</li>
	<li>Require the primary authentication method every 72 hours.</li>
	<li>Use a fully secure pipeline for all biometric data and handling.</li>
	<li>Never send biometric data (including raw sensor measurements and derived
	features) off-device. If possible, keep this data in a secure isolated
	environment, such as the <a href="/security/trusty">Trusted Execution
	Environment (TEE)</a> or Secure Element.</li>
	</ul>

	<p>Devices with biometrics should support the
	<a href="https://developer.android.com/preview/features/security#fingerprint-auth"
	class="external">BiometricPrompt API</a>, which offers a common and
	consistent interface for app developers to take advantage of biometrics-based
	authentication in their apps. Only
	<a href="/security/biometric/#strong-weak-unlocks" class="external">strong
	biometrics</a> can integrate with <code>BiometricPrompt</code> and
	integrations must follow <a href="/compatibility/cdd">Android Compatibility
	Definition Document</a> (CDD) guidelines.</p>

	<p>For more biometric guidelines, see
	<a href="/security/biometric#hal-implementation">Biometric HAL implementation
	guidelines</a>.</p>

	<h2 id="selinux">SELinux</h2>

	<p>SELinux provides the definition and enforcement of much of Android's
	security model. Correctly using SELinux is critical to the security of
	Android devices and can help mitigate the impact of security vulnerabilities.
	All Android devices should implement a
	<a href="/security/selinux/device-policy#granting_the_dac_override_capability">robust
	SELinux policy</a> for this reason.</p>

	<ul>
	<li>Implement a least privilege policy.</li>
	<li>Avoid granting <code>CAP_DAC_OVERRIDE</code>, <code>CAP_SYS_ADMIN</code>,
	and <code>CAP_NET_ADMIN</code> permissions.</li>
	<li>Don't log system data to the SD card.</li>
	<li>Use provided types for driver access, such as <code>gpu_device</code>,
	<code>audio_device</code>, etc.</li>
	<li>Use meaningful names for processes, files, and SELinux types.
	<ul>
	<li>Ensure default labels are not used and access is not granted to them.</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
	<li>Device-specific policy should account for 5–10% of the overall policy
	running on a device. Customizations in the 20%+ range almost certainly
	contain over-privileged domains and dead policy. Unnecessarily large policy
	wastes memory, wastes disk space by necessitating a larger boot image,
	and negatively affects runtime policy lookup times.
	</li>
	</ul>

	<h3 id="dynamic-loading-selinux-policy">Dynamic loading of SELinux policy</h3>

	<p>Do not dynamically load SELinux policy on Android devices. Doing so can
	result in issues, such as:</p>

	<ul>
	<li>Preventing the acceptance of critical security patches.</li>
	<li>Exposing the ability to root a device through reloading of policies.</li>
	<li>Exposing a vector for man-in-the-middle attacks against the policy
	updater.</li>
	<li>Resulting in bricked devices due to errors with policy updates.</li>
	</ul>

	<h2 id="backdoors">Backdoors</h2>

	<p>Android apps should not have any backdoors or ways to access the system or
	data that bypass normal security mechanisms. This includes diagnostics,
	debugging, development, or warranty repair special access gated by secrets
	known to the developer. To prevent backdoors:</p>

	<ul>
	<li>Scan all third-party apps using an industry-recognized app vulnerability
	scanning tool.</li>
	<li>Perform code reviews of all code with sensitive access, including
	third-party libraries.</li>
	<li>Utilize Google Play Protect by uploading apps to Google Play for
	scanning. You can upload apps for scanning without publishing to Google
	Play.</li>
	<li>Do not preload diagnostics- or repair-focused tools on release
	builds. Only install these tools on-demand to solve specific issues.
	Additionally, these tools must not operate upon or upload any
	account-specific data.</li>
	</ul>

	<h2 id="development-tools">Development tools</h2>

	<p>Development tools, such as debugging, testing, and diagnostic tools, can
	often create unintended security gaps on your device by revealing how they
	operate and the data that they collect. To make sure that development tools
	don't make it into production builds:</p>

	<ul>
	<li>Develop a blacklist of in-house debug and testing tool hashes and scan
	builds for these APKs prior to using the system image.</li>
	<li>Scan all first-party apps using an industry-recognized app vulnerability
	scanning tool.</li>
	<li>Hire a third-party app security testing firm to evaluate all critical
	on-device diagnostic apps before any major update, especially if the app is
	developed by a third party.</li>
	<li>Ensure that only the user can enable the tool, either verbally or over
	chat, during a support session. Store artifacts of consent and disable the
	tool after collecting the necessary diagnostic information.</li>
	<li>Store this tool's record of use in a log accessible by the user in their
	carrier account.</li>
	<li>Ensure that any personally identifiable information (PII) or device
	telemetry data collected by the tool is subject to anonymization, retention
	and deletion practices relevant to the country. Only data relevant for the
	support call should be collected. This data should be deleted after each
	call.</li>
	<li>Ensure that techniques that can be used for spyware, such as keystroke
	logging, microphone usage, or camera usage, are not used without explicit
	user consent. Apps utilizing these potentially privacy-invasive methods
	should be very clearly disclosed along with a privacy policy that the user
	must consent to. Apps like this should not be enabled without explicit
	consent by the user.</li>
	</ul>

	<p>Here are some additional suggestions to refer to when implementing
	disclosure and consent:</p>

	<h3 id="in-app-disclosure">In-app disclosure</h3>

	<ul>
	<li>Display the normal usage of the app directly in-app. Do not require the
	user to navigate into a menu or settings.</li>
	<li>Describe the type of data being collected and explain how the data will
	be used.</li>
	<li>Ideally do not embed this information in a privacy policy or terms of
	service. Do not include it with other disclosures unrelated to personal or
	sensitive data collection.</li>
	</ul>

	<h3 id="request-consent">Request for consent</h3>

	<ul>
	<li>Consent must be affirmative. Don't consider navigation away from the
	disclosure, including tapping away or pressing the back or home button,
	as consent.</li>
	<li>Present the consent dialog in a clear and unambiguous way.</li>
	<li>Require affirmative user action, such as tap to accept or speak a
	command, to accept.</li>
	<li>Don't collect personal or sensitive data before obtaining
	affirmative consent.</li>
	<li>Don't use auto-dismissing or expiring messages.</li>
	</ul>

	<h2 id="embedded-functionality-in-aosp">Embedded functionality in AOSP</h2>

	<p>Embedding additional functionality in AOSP can often have unexpected
	behavior and consequences; proceed with caution.</p>

	<ul>
	<li>Ensure that the user is prompted if they want to use different default
	apps (for example, search engine, web browser, launcher) and disclose
	sending data off device.</li>
	<li>Ensure that AOSP APKs are signed with the AOSP certificate.</li>
	<li>Run regression tests and keep a change-log to determine whether the AOSP
	APKs have had code added.</li>
	</ul>

	<h2 id="security-updates">Security updates</h2>

	<p>Android devices should receive ongoing security support for at least two
	years from launch. This includes receiving regular updates that address
	known security vulnerabilities.</p>

	<ul>
	<li>Work with hardware partners, such as your SoC vendors, to put
	appropriate support agreements in place for all components on your
	Android device.</li>
	<li>Ensure that security updates can be installed with minimal user
	interaction to increase the likelihood of users accepting and installing
	updates on their Android device. Implementing
	<a href="/devices/tech/ota/ab/">Seamless System Updates</a> or an
	equivalent security feature is strongly recommended.</li>
	<li>Ensure that you understand the cumulative requirement of the Android
	Security Patch Level (SPL) as declared in the
	<a href="/security/bulletin/">Android Security Bulletin</a>. For example,
	devices that use the 2018-02-01 security patch level must include all
	issues associated with that security patch level, as well as fixes for
	all issues reported in all previous security bulletins.</li>
	</ul>

	<h3 id="dynamic-kernel-updates">Dynamic kernel updates</h3>

	<p>Do not dynamically modify critical system components. While there is some
	research to suggest that dynamic kernel updates help protect against
	emergency threats, the assessed cost currently outweighs the benefits.
	Instead, create a robust OTA update method to quickly distribute
	vulnerability protections.</p>

	<h2 id="key-management">Key management</h2>

	<p>Maintain good key management policies and practices to ensure the security
	of signing keys.</p>

	<ul>
	<li>Do not share signing keys with external parties.</li>
	<li>If a signing key is compromised, generate a new key and double sign all
	apps going forward.</li>
	<li>Store all keys in high-security module hardware or services requiring
	multiple factors to access.</li>
	</ul>

	<h2 id="system-image-signing">System image signing</h2>

	<p>The signature of the system image is critical to determine device integrity.</p>

	<ul>
	<li>Do not sign devices with a publicly known key.</li>
	<li>Manage device-signing keys in a manner consistent with industry-standard
	practices for handling sensitive keys, including a hardware security module
	(HSM) that provides limited, auditable access.</li>
	</ul>

	<h2 id="unlockable-bootloaders">Unlockable bootloaders</h2>

	<p>Many Android devices support unlocking, enabling the device owner to modify
	the system partition or install a custom operating system. Common use
	cases include installing a third-party system image and performing
	systems-level development on the device. For example, to unlock the system
	image on a Google Nexus or Pixel, a user can run <code>fastboot oem
	unlock</code>, which displays this message:</p>

	<aside class="caution">
	<p><strong>Unlock bootloader?</strong></p>

	<p>If you unlock the bootloader, you will be able to install custom
	operating system software on this phone.</p>

	<p>A custom OS is not subject to the same testing as the original OS, and
	can cause your phone and installed apps to stop working properly.</p>

	<p>To prevent unauthorized access to your personal data, unlocking the
	bootloader will also delete all personal data from your phone (a "factory
	data reset").</p>

	<p>Press the Volume Up/Down buttons to select Yes or No. Then press the
	Power button to continue.</p>

	<p><strong>Yes:</strong> Unlock bootloader (may void warranty)</p>

	<p><strong>No</strong>: Do not unlock bootloader and restart phone.</p>
	</aside>

	<p>As a best practice, unlockable Android devices must securely erase all user
	data prior to being unlocked. Failure to properly delete all data on
	unlocking may allow a physically proximate attacker to gain unauthorized
	access to confidential Android user data. To prevent the disclosure of user
	data, a device that supports unlocking must implement it properly.</p>

	<ul>
	<li>After the user confirms the unlocking command, the device must start an
	immediate data wipe. The <code>unlocked</code> flag must not be set until
	after the secure deletion is complete.</li>
	<li>If a secure deletion can't be completed, the device must stay in a locked
	state.</li>
	<li>If supported by the underlying block device,
	<code>ioctl(BLKSECDISCARD)</code>or equivalent should be used. For
	embedded MultiMediaCard (eMMC) devices, this means using a Secure Erase or
	Secure Trim command. For eMMC 4.5 and later, this means using a normal Erase
	or Trim followed by a Sanitize operation.</li>
	<li>If <code>BLKSECDISCARD</code> is not supported by the underlying block
	device, <code>ioctl(BLKDISCARD)</code> must be used instead. On eMMC
	devices, this is a normal Trim operation.</li>
	<li>If <code>BLKDISCARD</code> is not supported, overwriting the block
	devices with all zeros is acceptable.</li>
	<li>A user must have the option to require that user data be wiped
	beofre flashing a partition. For example, Nexus devices use the
	<code>fastboot oem lock</code> command to wipe user data.</li>
	<li>A device may record, via eFuses or similar mechanism, whether a device
	was unlocked and/or relocked. However, we strongly recommend that relocking
	the bootloader with subsequent factory reset should restore full device
	functionality.</li>
	</ul>

	<p>These requirements ensure that all data is destroyed upon the completion of
	an unlock operation. Failure to implement these protections is considered a
	<a href="/security/overview/updates-resources#severity">moderate level
	security vulnerability</a>.</p>

	<p>A device that is unlocked may be subsequently relocked using the
	<code>fastboot oem lock</code> command. Locking the bootloader provides the
	same protection of user data with the new custom OS as was available with the
	original device manufacturer OS (e.g. user data will be wiped if the device
	is unlocked again).</p>

	<h2 id="device-pentesting">Device pentesting</h2>

	<p>Devices should be reviewed by a competent pentester prior to shipment.
	Pentesting should establish that the device followed security guidance
	provided here as well as internal OEM security guidance.</p>
	</body>
	</html>