You might have heard the word “Bootloader” several times. Android devices with Qualcomm chipset have a PBL i.e. Primary Boot Loader. Understand it as the part of your chipset that boots up your device every time you turn ON your Android smartphone. However, few might know that there is an alternative boot mode as well which is called EDL mode. EDL (Emergency Download Mode) on Qualcomm chipsets allow the OEM to flash the software on the device in case of boot loop, or bricked devices. Keep in mind that this cannot be modified and has to take full control over the Android device’s storage.
Smartphone manufacturers like OnePlus, Xiaomi, etc have released a software tool which is called programmers that utilizes EDL and Firehouse protocol to unbrick the device. Firehouse can run a number of commands and also has the capability to examine the device’s data. And in this post, we will guide you on what is Qualcomm’s EDL mode and how do we access it. So, without any further ado, let us get straight into the article itself:
What is Qualcomm’s EDL mode? How do we access?
Before we head on to the details of the EDL mode, it is necessary to understand that according to security researchers Roee Hay (@roeehay) and Noam Hadad from Aleph Research came out with a theory that critical vulnerabilities using this mode that gives the hacker full access to your smartphone. However, this method requires physical access to the device but still, it is dangerous and cannot be patched. You can check out the list of devices that are affected by this exploit below:
