How do I verify that the USB debugging key fingerprint is correct?

Question

When I try to enable USB debugging on my Android device, I am prompted with this message:

The computer's RSA key fingerprint is:
FE:35:23:34:...

I see the public key in ~/.android/adbkey.pub

How can I verify that this RSA key fingerprint is correct on the computer's commandline?

Can I use adb?

You are using an USB connection. How likely is an interception attack on an USB cable? — Robert, Sep 24 '20 at 15:10
@Robert Although the chances are slim, they are not zero. Given that Android developers chose to deliberately show a key fingerprint, it seems only logical to verify it before accepting, no? Are you saying verification is impossible? — Jonathan Cross, Sep 25 '20 at 16:32

score 6 · Answer 1 · answered Sep 25 '20 at 16:36

6

awk '{print $1}' < ~/.android/adbkey.pub | base64 --decode | md5sum

answered Sep 25 '20 at 16:36

Jonathan Cross

1 Answers1