The popular hacker George Hotz, also known as Geohot, has designed a root tool called Towelroot that will let most Android smartphones users to root their device without a particular effort and technical knowledge. Just one click in in fact allows Android users to root their devices, and this is possible because they run an unpatched version of the Linux kernel.
George Hotz is the expert that hacker the PlayStation 3 and for this reason he being sued by Sony, Geohot is also known for unlocking, with his the limera1n jailbreak tool, the iPhone and use the mobile with any wireless carriers
Geohot for his Towelroot application has exploited the vulnerability (CVE-2014-3153) which was recently disclosed by another popular hacker Pinkie Pie. The hack is possible because most versions of Android devices are based on the Linux kernel version 3.14.5, let’s remind that the flaw could be exploited by hackers to potentially acquire root access on vulnerable device.
Once obtained root access on the Android device the user has system control over it, Geohot’s Towelroot is able to root many Android devices including the following models:
- AT&T Galaxy S5
- Verizon Galaxy S5
- Galaxy S4 Active
- Nexus 5
- AT&T Galaxy Note 3
- Verizon Galaxy Note 3
- Also some users have even reported its success with the all time favorite company of GeoHot, Sony Xperia SP C5303.
The process to root Android Devices is composed of the following steps:
Step 1: Download Android Rooting application from towelroot.com website and install it.
Step 2: During the installation, you might receive a warning message saying that Towelroot “contains code that attempts to bypass Android’s security”. Choose anyway to install it selecting the checkbox: “I understand and still want to install it”.
Step 3: Once completed the installation of the Towelroot, run the application and click the button reading “make it ra1n” and it will force your device to reboot.
Step 4: After the device reboots to home screen your phone will be rooted with its bootloader unlocked. Simple, what do you think?
Step 2: During the installation, you might receive a warning message saying that Towelroot “contains code that attempts to bypass Android’s security”. Choose anyway to install it selecting the checkbox: “I understand and still want to install it”.
Step 3: Once completed the installation of the Towelroot, run the application and click the button reading “make it ra1n” and it will force your device to reboot.
Step 4: After the device reboots to home screen your phone will be rooted with its bootloader unlocked. Simple, what do you think?
The dark side of the story is that bad actors could exploit the same vulnerability to gain administrative access to a targeted phone and could potentially steal sensible data and install malware.
Just for information XDA members launched a Crowd funded Bounty program, actually valued at over $18,000, for “rooting” of Verizon and AT&T Samsung Galaxy S5 devices.
Probably both George Hotz, to have developed the Towelroot, and Pinkie Pie who has discovered the vulnerability deceive the reward.
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(Security Affairs – George Hotz, Towelroot)