I'm this close to visiting my "local" branch for all my banking.
I'm lucky my banking app works (GrapheneOS), as it's now requiring 2FA with the app anytime I login on the browser. Can't use an actually secure form like TOTP. At least they now allow passwords over 8 characters (yes, serious).
I've seen a website that silently truncated my password during a password reset, but then wouldn't truncate it during login. It took me a while to figure out why my password never worked.
What are the security issues? Rooted just means the potential to give trusted apps root access. Of course, if you give an app root access that you trust but is then abusing that trust and being malicious, yes it's a security issue. But if you don't do that, the simple fact of having a rooted phone should have no security change in any way. (Ok, except for potential bugs in Magisk/su or whatever)
GrapheneOS is made by diva developers who frankly should not be trusted. "We only allow Google phones to run our OS!" as if they don't have a backroom deal with Google.
My bank is like that and another horrible thing is that after you choose your password (which can be long and complex) you need to choose a 6 DIGIT restore code incase you forgot your password...
And they all develop their own shitty app for 2FA (the lazy ones just rebrand SecureGo as their own - you still have to install all of them separately) instead of using the 15 year old TOTP standard. The latter is good enough for tiny companies like Google and Amazon but what do they know about itsec, right?
The app for my bank DNB (Norway) doesn't work on my LineageOS phone, but it works on my GrapheneOS phone.
I wonder if they've added the graphene keys, because it just suddenly started working a while ago, though might be some GrapheneOS magic
The hardware attestation feature is part of the Android Open Source Project and is fully supported by GrapheneOS. SafetyNet attestation chooses to use it to enforce using Google certified operating systems. However, app developers can use it directly and permit other properly signed operating systems upholding the security model. [...] Direct use of the hardware attestation API provides much higher assurance than using SafetyNet so these apps have nothing to lose by using a more meaningful API and supporting a more secure OS.
My banking apps work on GrapheneOS, so I guess they are using hardware attestation instead of SafetyNet. LineageOS won't pass hardware attestation because it doesn't support locked bootloader.
In what way does it fail on Lineage? My local banking app fails on CalyxOS - seems to pass the security checks (judging from init messages when opening the app), but get a nondescriptive error when trying to log in.
With the PNC bank I use, about 12 years ago, passwords used to be case insensitive, and they would allow ridiculously insecure passwords without complaining, like one123. I had a ridiculous password like that for a while because it was funny, then realized I'd be the one to pay for it.
I didn't try a rooted phone, but thankfully my banking app did work on my phone with custom ROM without SafetyNet.
But they do block some VPNs. I know it temporarily didn't work with ProtonVPN, though now it does again. They only told me that they allow VPNs which they consider secure, but for security purposes they won't reveal how those considerations are done.
How would that make it insecure, if they aren't just using pre-made IP blocklists?
Anyway, that was a painful experience.
Getting it to work after being to connected to VPN required de-activation and re-activation of the app. That's a fairly painful process since it uses OTP tokens generated by a card reader:
It does have a digital version, but that's less secure.
Funnily enough I had issues with Wallet working on my phone since I have unlocked bootloader but no root. Banking and everything else afaik worked. So I installed all that stuff, Magisk, Magisk Hide, I don't even remember all the things I tried and what it resulted in was now since I was actually rooted all the banking apps and other stuff stopped working.
When you root, you're creating more flags for apps to detect, so you have to put in more effort to hide them all. That means a greater likelihood of something being detected if you missed it. It's a trade off. You do have to learn a bit about what you're doing and do some trial and error.
But the greater point is, if banking apps and wallet are important to you on that specific phone, you can either root and put in the effort to make it work, root and just do all that stuff from a browser, or not root at all.
Yeah, it's annoying, but it isn't the fault of Magisk or the rooting community, it's Google and your banks fault for actively punishing you for using your own device the way you like.
Personally, I have two phones now. My main one is rooted, and if I need an app that breaks on root, I pull out the "clean" one (my old phone after factory reset). Use a hotspot if mobile.
Banks do this because most people don’t know how to use technology and it’s a lot easier to get remote access and malware on your computer than your phone.
Even worse still: many online banking services require you to connect to Google, basically through the back end captcha system. You never have to solve the puzzle or click on traffic lights, but they do still associate you and your web browser with having an account with that bank.
However also, you can often use root with banking apps, you just have to set it up right. Configure Magisk to operate in the Zygisk domain with a deny list, and add the apps to that.
My credit union's web site looks like a MySpace page. They don't even offer freaking 2FA. Been meaning to transition to cash management account but such a PITA.
I have an account with a larger credit union and their Android app implements onerous rules which some exec must feel makes it more secure, but is just a burden 99.999% of the time. Today I found that the fingerprint login expires after a week of not logging in, requiring the username/password to log in. Annoying but ok, I log in with a username and password. Then it says I need to do MFA and presents 3 options, email, SMS, and app push notification. The UI for app push notification even says "This device". I selected that one, and the app shows the approve/deny button over the MFA requirement screen.
So obviously the saved state in the app wasn't actually expired, since it could still approve MFA requests. So what good is it expiring biometric auth if the app is still authorized to log me in effectively bypassing MFA?
So obviously the saved state in the app wasn't actually expired, since it could still approve MFA requests. So what good is it expiring biometric auth if the app is still authorized to log me in effectively bypassing MFA?
Some apps implement other checks. Mine checks whatever you replaced the stock webview (checking the package name). So sometimes it is challenging to find those checks to bypass them.
This is actually something I have spent a lot of time thinking about. In Sweden, where my boyfriend lives, their BankID app is ubiquitous, and there is very little cash handling going on, additionally the fees for actually going to the bank or subsidiary to pay your bills are exorbitant.
Everybody pays their bills online using "BankID", which is kinda nifty and works well enough if a single point of failure is your thingaling, but what if people simply choose not to get a phone, or don't want a computer, just basic like that, what if?
Sweden has gone about 80% fascist, in case you didn't know. By popular vote, even! We have literal Nazis in government right now, they're the second largest party, and while "not all Swedes" agree that they are Nazis, their heritage and lineage stems directly from the neo-Nazi movement in Sweden in the 80's and 90's, supported financially by Putin. <- this is not a joke, btw
All SIM cards have to be registered with your personal identification number (more or less "social security number", but with your 100% full identifiable personal information), by law, and by law it is illegal not to state where you live (like a census law, you must report to authorities at all times where you reside. If you don't have a home, well, your last address is where you officially live).
The right wing extremists have pumped money into police, and they now have the right to effect stop-and-frisk zones, and wiretapping anyone they please without probable cause or even suspicion of criminal activity.
Because they think it matters. Same as people posting on Facebook some legalese saying "Facebook doesn't have the rights to my stuff.". They think that by slapping a copyright "claim" on their stuff that they supercede the agreements of the platform and somehow protect their comments from being scrapped by bots/advertisers, etc. All it really does is add a little "this guy is probably a sovereign citizen type" sign to every post they make.
My former bank launched a sub-bank that was 100% outsourced. App and website only, no branches, no ATM'S, no phone number, just some software and a card. I dumped them for a competent bank after 25 years with them
I'm actually ok if they passed on the saving of not having to operate branches to their customers in the form of lower fees, a higher interest rate for saving accounts, better credit card rewards, etc.