Hacker gets Windows RT 8.1 (WinPE) running on a Lumia 520
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Recently, we reported about Windows Phone Internals, a new tool from Heathcliff. The tool allows users to unlock the bootloader of a few Lumia devices and flash custom ROMs on their Lumia device. The tool currently supports a few Lumia devices, including the Lumia 520, 521, 525, 620, 625, 720, 820, 920, 925, 928, 1020 and 1320.
Obviously, the tool is pretty risky, and may damage your device if you don’t have much knowledge about custom ROMs and bootloaders. With that being said, the tool can allow users to do some crazy things on their Lumia devices. It seems like XDA member Wack0Distractor was able to get Windows 8.1 RT (6.3.9600 WinPE) running on their Lumia….520. For those unfamiliar with WinPE, it’s the Windows Preinstallation Environment.
Windows RT 6.3.9600 WinPE on a Nokia Lumia 520. pic.twitter.com/sM6atz1OEV
— slipstream/RoL (@TheWack0lian) November 28, 2015
In a post on XDA, Wack0Distractor stated:
Thanks to @Heathcliff74 and co. for WPinternals, without that, this wouldn’t have been possible! After patching signature checks out of winload, and adding the halexts and registry entries for those, I had to patch 1 byte in the kernel, without which a SECURITY_SYSTEM bugcheck happens during boot. I haven’t fully added any drivers yet, other than the halexts, i’ll be doing that soon. So right now touchscreen doesn’t work etc.
I will probably try to get some drivers working in this WinPE then nothing more, this was a proof of concept. I have a DragonBoard 410c that I aim to use for WoA experimentation when i get a power supply for it, so…
As Wack0Distractor stated, the touchscreen isn’t working on the Lumia 520 just yet. In case you are wondering, we probably won’t see a tutorial for this anytime soon — and this is, indeed, just a proof of concept.
It will be very interesting to see what Windows Phone Internals will allow hackers to do in the near-future. As usual, we will keep you updated with the latest news on this. Until then, tell us what you think of Windows Phone Internals in the comment section below.
