BUG: Android 6.0.1 reboots after enabling VPN apps

[Jecht_Sin]

I have installed via USB and tested Block This (open source) and Adguard (not together. One per time) on my KD49XD8099 with Android 6.0.1 and they simply worked great! No more annoying ads (yes, I know. Companies don't like it, especially Google, but they are perfectly legal. Also we are allowed by Android itself to install whatever we like).

The only problem is that after turning the TV off (standby) few hours, when I turn it on the television starts rebooting. Uninstalling them the television (and rebooting just in case) Android becomes "stable" again (quoted because I've got reboots even without tampering with special apps). The apps were set to enable the VPN at boot. Not that it should matter, since the reboot happens just putting the tv in standby.

Now, I do understand that an external app, not made specifically for Android TV may not work (but as I wrote they actually do the job they are made for), but if the television/Android reboots there is a (very critical) issue with the OS, not the app. To test the issue the developers just need to install the apps mentioned (again, enabling the VPN at boot).

[Kuschelmonschter]

I now added this issue to my bug tracker.

[Anonymous]

Hello All

Sony would like to investigate your problem with your TV unexpectedly rebooting.  Are you able to provide more information (see below for questions).

Thank you

--- --- --- --- ---

Unexpected_Reboot :

(Questions)

Q1 – What is your TV Model Number?

Q2 – Since when did you experience the random reboot issue?

• Since TV Purchase?
• Since Software update? (Please state exact software/firmware version)
• Not Sure?

Q3 – How often does the random reboot issue occur (i.e. once a day, twice a day, once a week etc.?)

Q4 – Are you able to consistently reproduce this issue?

• No, the problem is totally random
• Yes – Please describe the step-by-step procedure

Q5 – How does your TV receive its broadcast signal?

• Digital TV by terrestrial antenna
• Digital TV by satellite dish (state satellite system)
• Digital TV by cable (state cable provider name)
• Analog TV
• Other (please describe)

Q6 – Is a CAM card necessary to reproduce the reboot problem?

Q7 – What other devices are connected to the TV?

Q8 – Does disabling Interactive Applications help avoid the reboot problem? (Instructions: HERE)

Q9 – Does turning OFF “Update Guide in Standby” help avoid the reboot problem? 

(HOME > Settings > Channel setup > Digital Setup > Guide set-up > Update Guide in standby > OFF)

Q10 – Any other additional information to add?

[Kuschelmonschter]

Sorry... I know you just want to help. But those questions are ridiculous. They are totally unrelated and just one of those alibi answers by Sony support. This is all you need to know in order to reproduce the issue. Any Sony Android TV will do...

[EDIT] Since you posted this on other threads too, I assume that this request is not for the VPN issue in particular. But who knows. Networking is supposed to provoke all kinds of weird behavior. So maybe fixing VPN will also fix other related issues. Sony should probably start with the VPN issue as it is easy to reproduce...

[Anonymous]

Hi @Kuschelmonschter

No it isnt in particular to this VPN apps issue - as the rebooting can be repeatedly reproduced - then linking (or posting) the information from your bug/issue tracker will certainly help too.

However it still doesnt give a step-by-step guide on how you can reproduce it.

Cheers

[Kuschelmonschter]

What one needs to do is set up a VPN server (or use an existing one) and connect to it from Android TV. There are dozens of ways to achieve that. I for example set up the OpenVPN server on my Synology NAS and connected to it from my Sony TV via the official OpenVPN for Android app from the Play Store. There are obviously dozens of other servers and client apps. But all client apps on Android TV will use the VpnService API and therefore crash.

I expect a dev of a TV to know what VPN is and where he can find the relevant info on how to set it up.

[Anonymous]

Either way, Sony TV techies know about this thread already.  However I havnt had any feedback as of yet - although I did chase it up a week ago

[Jecht_Sin]

I'll answer, point by point. My feeling is that the random reboots can be related to this bug. "dtv_svc"  (the equivalent  of "system_server" in Android mobile, I suppose) crashing sure isn;t a good thing. And that's a memory fault, usually caused by buffer overflows (a counter going above the size of an array the most common bug). Thus Sony is better fixing it. Anyway:

1. 49XD8099 I suppose
2. Since the first time I enabled the VPN via an app in Android 6.0.1. The bug propagated to all following updates and to Android 7.0 as well - Then in Android 6.0.1 I also had random reboots in stand-by. They seem to have disappeared in Android 7.0
3. The reboots caused by the VPN active always happen after exiting stand-by
4. Yes. These are the steps:
   Install any app enabling the VPN (it cn be a local VPN as well. It doesn't matter)
   Run the app
   Enable the VPN giving all permissions when requested
   WIth the VPN active (connected to a server) switch off the television (go in stand-by)
   Wait few seconds
   Turn on the TV (exit stand-by)
   Wait 5-10 seconds the TV sistematically reboots
   This is the crash log. Please note it is severity "F" (Fault) in the logcat:
   

   07-17 15:56:07.090 19408 19408 F DEBUG   : *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
   07-17 15:56:07.090 19408 19408 F DEBUG   : Build fingerprint: 'Sony/BRAVIA_ATV2_EU/BRAVIA_ATV2:7.0/NRD91N.S36/1.6.0.26.02.1.00:user/release-keys'
   07-17 15:56:07.090 19408 19408 F DEBUG   : Revision: '0'
   07-17 15:56:07.090 19408 19408 F DEBUG   : ABI: 'arm'
   07-17 15:56:07.090 19408 19408 F DEBUG   : pid: 1681, tid: 1870, name: navigator  >>> /basic/dtv_svc <<<
   07-17 15:56:07.090 19408 19408 F DEBUG   : signal 11 (SIGSEGV), code 1 (SEGV_MAPERR), fault addr 0x0
   07-17 15:56:07.090 19408 19408 F DEBUG   :     r0 00000000  r1 6d3f9330  r2 00000003  r3 00000011
   07-17 15:56:07.091 19408 19408 F DEBUG   :     r4 611d0208  r5 00000000  r6 a8e68368  r7 00000002
   07-17 15:56:07.091 19408 19408 F DEBUG   :     r8 6ecf8948  r9 6ecf88d8  sl ffffffff  fp 6ecf88ac
   07-17 15:56:07.091 19408 19408 F DEBUG   :     ip 00000000  sp 6ecf8828  lr a78d33ac  pc aad2b434  cpsr 200f0010
   07-17 15:56:07.156 19408 19408 F DEBUG   : 
   07-17 15:56:07.156 19408 19408 F DEBUG   : backtrace:
   07-17 15:56:07.160 19408 19408 F DEBUG   :     #00 pc 000bc434  /linux_rootfs/basic/libdtv_common.so (_net_get_dev_ip+176)
   07-17 15:56:07.160 19408 19408 F DEBUG   :     #01 pc 000c334c  /linux_rootfs/basic/libdtv_common.so
   07-17 15:56:07.160 19408 19408 F DEBUG   :     #02 pc 000caa64  /linux_rootfs/basic/libdtv_common.so (x_dhcpc_get_info+68)
   07-17 15:56:07.160 19408 19408 F DEBUG   :     #03 pc 00e50f9c  /linux_rootfs/basic/libmtkapp.so (a_nw_get_crnt_real_ip_info+1148)
   07-17 15:56:07.160 19408 19408 F DEBUG   :     #04 pc 00949f80  /linux_rootfs/basic/libmtkapp.so
   07-17 15:56:07.160 19408 19408 F DEBUG   :     #05 pc 00edffc4  /linux_rootfs/basic/libmtkapp.so (nav_brdcst_msg_to_components+296)
   07-17 15:56:07.160 19408 19408 F DEBUG   :     #06 pc 00ee8708  /linux_rootfs/basic/libmtkapp.so
   07-17 15:56:07.160 19408 19408 F DEBUG   :     #07 pc 000309f4  /linux_rootfs/basic/libdtv_common.so
   07-17 15:56:07.160 19408 19408 F DEBUG   :     #08 pc 0002f91c  /linux_rootfs/basic/libdtv_common.so
   07-17 15:56:07.160 19408 19408 F DEBUG   :     #09 pc 00017668  /linux_rootfs/basic/libdtv_osai.so (thread_main+76)
   07-17 15:56:07.160 19408 19408 F DEBUG   :     #10 pc 0000be30  /linux_rootfs/basic/libdtv_osai.so (os_drv_thread_main+96)
   07-17 15:56:07.160 19408 19408 F DEBUG   :     #11 pc 00006e80  /linux_rootfs/lib/libpthread-2.18.so
   07-17 15:56:07.160 19408 19408 F DEBUG   :     #12 pc 000ccd7c  /linux_rootfs/lib/libc-2.18.so

5. I have no aerial
6. No Cam has ever been attached
7. The PS4 and PS3 via HDMI. Still I can reproduce it with nothing attached
8. Samba doesn't matter.
9. I tested it. No changes. It still reboots
10. Yes. You have got the crash stack. It's a memory fault. Please fix it!

Quinnicus adding: Unexpected_Reboot

[Kuschelmonschter]

---

Jecht_Sin schrieb:
Enable the VPN giving all permissions when requested
WIth the VPN enabled switch off the television (go in stand-by)

---

Which app did you use? This approach does not work with OpenVPN. I have to connect to a VPN server. Otherwise no crash.

[Jecht_Sin]

---

Kuschelmonschter wrote:

---

Jecht_Sin schrieb:
Enable the VPN giving all permissions when requested
WIth the VPN enabled switch off the television (go in stand-by)

---

Which app did you use? This approach does not work with OpenVPN. I have to connect to a VPN server. Otherwise no crash.

---

That's what I mean with "enable the VPN". If there is no server connection the VPN is off. AT least that's how I describe it.

PS: I'll rephrase it.

[Jecht_Sin]

So, since I have made a shell script which runs every few seconds to kill the HueyModule that keeps crashing, I have decided to try to extend it to disable/enable the VPN after entering/exiting stand-by.

Basically I force stop the VPN app if the screen is off, and then I launch it again, emulating the touch on the button that enables the VPN, when the screen is on. I won't post the code unless requested because it is very specific for the app I use (but it can be adapted).

And obviously the TV doesn't reboot anymore.. The downside is that each time I turn on the screen the VPN app starts, to manage to enable the VPN. I don't seem to be able to find which is the (background) activity that I can run instead just to enable the VPN (from the app) without starting its GUI, if any of such activities is available.

As it is it's a very ugly workaround (and I may disable it indeed), but it confirms how the issue is totally related to the VPN active only while turning on the screen. Hopefully Sony will decide to work on this, because I swear, this has literally no excuses