Android app 10506 cannot connect to 2023.8.1 on LAN, stuck at "initializing"

Mobile Apps Home Assistant Companion for Android
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Old phone with android 7.1.2 (lineage, mininal gapps, no chrome), was connecting just fine until I updated HASS to 2023.8.1 (from something about 2-3 month old) and now that one device cannot connect to the HASS - the app starts, correctly detects the IP but then nothing happens. tcpdump on HA shows trafic (.231 is the device and .104 is HA). I updated the HA app, cleared storage/caches, HA logs do not mention the device. Is there some other dependency which HA wants (like, the latest chrome or something)?

13:35:56.258949 IP 192.168.10.231.webcache > 192.168.10.104.38124: Flags [P.], seq 92987:99117, ack 1, win 340, options [nop,nop,TS val 16869415 ecr 2743834102], length 6130: HTTP
13:35:56.258949 IP 192.168.10.231.webcache > 192.168.10.104.38124: Flags [P.], seq 99117:99169, ack 1, win 340, options [nop,nop,TS val 16869415 ecr 2743834102], length 52: HTTP
13:35:56.259500 IP 192.168.10.104.38124 > 192.168.10.231.webcache: Flags [.], ack 99169, win 10176, options [nop,nop,TS val 2743834216 ecr 16869415], length 0
13:35:56.389244 IP 192.168.10.231.webcache > 192.168.10.104.38124: Flags [P.], seq 99169:99194, ack 1, win 340, options [nop,nop,TS val 16869454 ecr 2743834216], length 25: HTTP
13:35:56.389245 IP 192.168.10.231.webcache > 192.168.10.104.38124: Flags [.], seq 99194:103538, ack 1, win 340, options [nop,nop,TS val 16869454 ecr 2743834216], length 4344: HTTP
13:35:56.389534 IP 192.168.10.104.38124 > 192.168.10.231.webcache: Flags [.], ack 103538, win 10176, options [nop,nop,TS val 2743834346 ecr 16869454], length 0
13:35:56.438334 IP 192.168.10.231.webcache > 192.168.10.104.38124: Flags [.], seq 103538:109330, ack 1, win 340, options [nop,nop,TS val 16869454 ecr 2743834216], length 5792: HTTP
13:35:56.438482 IP 192.168.10.231.webcache > 192.168.10.104.38124: Flags [P.], seq 109330:111106, ack 1, win 340, options [nop,nop,TS val 16869454 ecr 2743834216], length 1776: HTTP
13:35:56.438483 IP 192.168.10.231.webcache > 192.168.10.104.38124: Flags [P.], seq 111106:111158, ack 1, win 340, options [nop,nop,TS val 16869454 ecr 2743834216], length 52: HTTP
13:35:56.438572 IP 192.168.10.104.38124 > 192.168.10.231.webcache: Flags [.], ack 109330, win 10176, options [nop,nop,TS val 2743834395 ecr 16869454], length 0
13:35:56.438720 IP 192.168.10.104.38124 > 192.168.10.231.webcache: Flags [.], ack 111158, win 10176, options [nop,nop,TS val 2743834395 ecr 16869454], length 0
13:35:56.448611 IP 192.168.10.231.webcache > 192.168.10.104.38124: Flags [P.], seq 111106:111158, ack 1, win 340, options [nop,nop,TS val 16869474 ecr 2743834216], length 52: HTTP
13:35:56.448708 IP 192.168.10.104.38124 > 192.168.10.231.webcache: Flags [.], ack 111158, win 10176, options [nop,nop,TS val 2743834405 ecr 16869474,nop,nop,sack 1 {111106:111158}], length 0

The device connects fine to another container with AgentDVR and all other devices in the house connect to HA.
update: installed Firefox - that works. Only the HA app does not :-/

2

You need to make sure to use the latest Android system WebView that is found in the play store. The WebView that ships with custom ROM is incompatible. Make sure sure to set the default WebView in your device after installing

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Q: why keep such a virus magnet in use? That phone has a zillion vulnerabilities.

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It does not get access to the internet (blocked on the router) and acts as a doorbell and webcam. The concept is called “reusing”.

@dshokouhi google’s webview fixed it, had to fiddle with the router to let google play do the thing. thanks! I just wish the app could spit some meaningful message rather than just spinning a circle.

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It cannot show you anything because the stock webview is too old to load the site far enough to display anything like a message.

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well, the HA app does ask for an URL to HA so the app could (in theory) look at the WebView version and suggest something besides the “check you address” message popping up minutes later. I really thought I screwed my home dns (again) at first.

7

Q: Any sources that LineageOS 14.1 (android 7.1.2) has a zillion vulnerabilities?

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It’s not a safe assumption that every WebView is going to be broken. It’s just known on a custom ROM they ship with incompatible WebView that can’t be updated on its own. It requires user intervention.

9

Look at CVE lists for vulns in android.

Current major version is 13. Every month they do security updates. So yes, reason about it and you’ll conclude, like I did, that a version of Android six major versions behind the current one is riddled with holes trivial to exploit.

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Ok, what I thought. You just have made up your mind.
iPhone user, maybe :slight_smile:

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Haha! No, actually, I use GrapheneOS on a Pixel 6 Pro. Always up-to-date with the latest monthly security patch. Security is the exact reason I do that. Looking to buy a couple Pixel tablets once GrapheneOS runs on them, to use as Home Assistant control surfaces at home.

Enjoy your remote code execution (third result for “Android 7 exploit” on DuckDuckGo, wasn’t hard to find — you could have at least done the due diligence of a cursory Web search before flippantly saying “Ok, what I thought, iPhone user”):