Lots of apps have network access in User Profile, can't turn off

rocky-planet

New to Graphene, really enjoying it but its a learning curve. Scared myself a little here.

I set up a user profile with the intention of only running Tor browser on it (i.e. only Tor browser installed, although also Orbot for possible use of other apps later). My threat model is corporate surveillance (here, mostly of health information). It has cellular data turned on only.

I have found that when I go through the permissions on the profile, there are a surprising number of things that have network access. I have listed them out below.

I can't switch network off for some of these apps - its grayed out, like com.google.android.iwlan. Although wifi is off on this profile also. So is Bluetooth.

Firstly, I'm just surprised. Second, I'm worried about a correlation attack - there's no personal information on this profile, no contacts/phone/SMS, but I don't understand what hardware or other identifying information is available, even with the Tor Browser or Orbot.

Location is off in this profile, but does e.g. Print Service Recommendation Service figure it out from network information?

Does the lack of Google Play Services/Framework/etc mean that these apps cannot communicate 'out' to the Google servers?

Confused. The ones I am most worried about are ** in the list below.

Network
Allowed

Ad privacy
Android Services Library
Auditor
Calendar
Calendar storage
Captive portal login
com.android.ondevicepersonalization.services **
com.android.federatedcompute.services **
com.android.imsserviceentitlement **
com.android.sdksandbox
com.google.android.iwlan **
Default print service **
DeviceLockController
Download Manager
Dynamic System Updates
Gallery
ImsService
Info
Intent Filter Verification Service **
Messaging
Operator communications
Orbot
OsuLogin
PacProcessor
Phone
Print Service Recommendation Service
ProxyHandler
RcsService
RemoteProvisioner
Settings
Tor Browser
Vanadium
Vanadium System WebView
Wallpaper and style
Work Setup

Not Allowed

App Store
Contacts

Dumdum

rocky-planet I can't switch network off for some of these apps

For good reason. You should not be changing the permissions of system apps. These apps will have the permissions that they need and that is fine.

I don't understand what hardware or other identifying information is available, even with the Tor Browser or Orbot.

https://grapheneos.org/faq#hardware-identifiers
https://grapheneos.org/faq#non-hardware-identifiers

Also, see the following information on connections made:
https://grapheneos.org/faq#default-connections
https://grapheneos.org/faq#other-connections

rocky-planet

In addition, I wasn't comfortable to see that some other permissions were switched on, some unable to be switched off, and apparently accessed in the last 24 hours - but what, I do not know.

e.g. Phone permissions and contacts with com.google.android.iwlan <- seems to be a persistent offender.

other8026

rocky-planet as Dumdum has already said, you don't want to change any system apps' permissions or try to disable or "uninstall" them. If you do, you may break things. Even if everything works fine after doing that, as it sometimes does for people, things may start breaking in the future when there are major updates to AOSP.

Probably9857

rocky-planet

To add to what others have said, think of the system apps as integral parts of GrapheneOS itself. The OS is what enforces the permissions model. The OS could simply allow itself to do things without any permissions, much like Google's does with Play Services.

For reference, the network connections these apps are making (or might be, depending on settings) are described here:

https://grapheneos.org/faq#default-connections

rocky-planet

Ok, thankyou all for this. I have to trust Graphene more, I guess.

Unfortunately, something happened with Tor Browser today that makes me a little nervous all over again - it looked like a location leak.

I feel really apologetic about even saying this, but I am sure it happened.

epileptic055

Its to avoid breakage, its perfectly fine.
You need to take a different approach with GOS and how you view permissions, GOS isn't hoovering your data like stock, yes it makes some calls home for updates, but this is normal, so the sensor toggle isnt being abused like it does on stock.
I suggest leave the default apps alone, and focus on permission modification for apps you install later (Say from Google play, FDroid, Obtanium etc).