The State Of Root For Verizon and AT&T Note 4

[DroidModderX]

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It is hard to believe that the Galaxy Note 4 has been out for half a year already, and we still do not have root for the Verizon and AT&T variants. Unfortunately this is the case. There was plenty of warning by security experts like JCase who urged would be Note 4 buyers to just buy a Google Play Edition or Developer Edition device instead of relying on a root method to come out. There were still many who ran out and purchased this device on day one hoping that like always there would eventually be a root method. The waiting game commenced. A handful of exploiters took a look at the device and deemed it unrootable early on.

The discussion has pretty much died on the Verizon Note 4 side of things but discussion of root on the AT&T Note 4 is still going strong. If root is achieved on one variant it will likely be the same for the other variant. At any rate there are still people actively looking for exploits. The Bounty continues to grow at an incredibly slow pace. The Knox Free Root method total for both variants of the Note 4 combined has finally reached $14k, but many pledgers are withdrawing their pledges stating that they have just given up on root and traded their devices for more root friendly devices. Who can blame them?!

While there may be an exploit that can be found there will likely never be a bootloader unlock method just like with the Galaxy S5 which means there will not be custom roms. The bootloader is locked down tight and the only way to unlock it is to have the appropriately signed keys. You would think that these keys could just be "leaked", but it has been stated that these keys are autogenerated and stored by a computer and are never seen physically by humans meaning they could never be leaked. While I'm not sure if this is truely the case it seems plausible. Even if we do get root we may not see SafeStrap recovery since Hashcode has stepped away from the Android mod community.

The best recourse we have now is to beg and plead someone who has had prior success with exploiting the unexploitable. If $14k doesn't get the attention of GeoHot I'm not sure what will. It was said that there wouldn't be a way for GeoHot to root the GS5 by some well known security experts. They were all shocked when Towelroot was released. Maybe we can get a trend going on twitter, #GeoHotPleaseRootTheVerizonNote4. Could he ignore that?!

What I am trying to say here is that the state of root for the Verizon and AT&T Galaxy Note 4 is bleak. Is it impossible? I can't say that it is with certainty, all things are possible. Is it likely... not very. Will root come out as soon as this editorial is published... probably. What are your thoughts on this subject? Have you given up on root for your Note 4 and traded it in for something else, or are you still holding out hope? Have you discovered that you don't really need root now that you have been without it for nearly half a year? Lets get this conversation stirring again!

 

[pc747]

And if it is bleak now on kit kat it will be even harder with Lollipop where you have to have an unlocked bootloader to root. And since Google took after Knox for their security Samsung will be at home with lollipop. The line has been pretty much drawn in the sand and Google themselves are drawing the line with the manufacturers. If you want a phone for root the devices you are going to want will be developer devices (ie nexus, one plus, moto x 2 pure, and samsung developer phones).

 

[akhenax]

No phone will look good to me if I can't get root. Not even the spectacular Note 4.

 

[furbearingmammal]

Or not go for flagships. Last I knew, all the Blu phones were rootable.

 

[kinfolk248]

Im still puzzled (years laters) why bootloaders are so hard to unlock. I mean, ppl hack Sony, Target, DoD, Russian martinis, and cucumber mice, alias but the elusive bootloader... I dont get it. I know you need the 'key' but still... Is it 512 bit encrypted or something?

 

[cr6]

I can't tell you how many "crack flashers" I've known who have rooted & flashed roms on every device they've ever owned, who simply aren't interested in modding to the extent they once did. The speed, battery life and ability to customize your device on today's flagship devices has made an unlocked bootloader much less relevant. It's becoming a dying art form imo. It's not due to just a few devices being locked down either. There are still plenty of new devices out there that aren't locked down, but people just don't "feel the need" the way they once did.

S5 tap'n

 

[furbearingmammal]

Im still puzzled (years laters) why bootloaders are so hard to unlock. I mean, ppl hack Sony, Target, DoD, Russian martinis, and cucumber mice, alias but the elusive bootloader... I dont get it. I know you need the 'key' but still... Is it 512 bit encrypted or something?

Well, aside from the fact that a failed crack attempt could render a $600 device worthless except as a paperweight, even 128-bit encryption is fantastically hard to decrypt. Look here.

What does it take to hack AES kotfu.net

TL;DR, using a brute-force attack, a computer capable of 8.2 quadrillion calculations per second would take 1,315,888,179,366,587 (1.3 quadrillion) years to crack a 128-bit encryption scheme.

These hacks you're talking about are fantastically easier to do. They're finding exploits in firewalls, coding, security measures, you name it -- not brute-forcing the passwords. Heck, half the time or greater is sounds like they phish login information from people who should know better.

When it comes to our phones, return on investment just isn't there for the most part. I hack my phone, I make it harder for any future hacks to work, and maybe I get to change the base software, or possibly a job over at Google making it harder for people to hack phones. I hack an insurance company, I get hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of information to the right buyer. I hack a bank, I can make off with tens of thousands if not millions of dollars, if I can transfer it fast and securely enough.

For the most part, the impetus just isn't there.

 

[akhenax]

The speed, battery life and ability to customize your device on today's flagship devices has made an unlocked bootloader much less relevant. It's becoming a dying art form imo. It's not due to just a few devices being locked down either. There are still plenty of new devices out there that aren't locked down, but people just don't "feel the need" the way they once did.

When I can backup my data, reset my device, and restore my data, THEN rooting will be a dying art form.
When I can turn on and off services that make my data vulnerable (contacts, gps location), without root, then rooting will be a dying art form.
When I can do what I want, without barriers, then rooting will be a dying art form.

Until then, I MusT RooT.

 

[DroidModderX]

When I can backup my data, reset my device, and restore my data, THEN rooting will be a dying art form.
When I can turn on and off services that make my data vulnerable (contacts, gps location), without root, then rooting will be a dying art form.
When I can do what I want, without barriers, then rooting will be a dying art form.

Until then, I MusT RooT.

Well said.

 

[Tonik]

I've mentioned this before, I know one of the lead guys locking down sammy phones. The 4 was the first one he worked on before release. You ain't getting root let alone the bootloader.

Don't buy sammy if you want that stuff.

 

[DroidModderX]

I've been told by security experts that if an exploit were to be found the current bounty would be nothing compared to the value that certain security firms would place on it.

 

[Narsil]

This Note 4 in my back pocket is the last Samsung phone/tablet that I'll ever purchase until they back off this crap. I didn't pay much attention prior to purchase, assumed a quick root, and am paying for my foolishness now.

Never again.

I'm so pissed with Samsung and Google (can't even delete audiobooks off my SD card with my phone due to "security"), I may go Windows phone. Maybe not.

 

[DroidModderX]

Ewww Windows phone? I wouldn't go that far. HTC and LG devices have remained pretty hackable. Although it looks like LP may change that.

 

[furbearingmammal]

When someone can point to me the value in paying extra to get a crappy Samsung radio, inferior interface, and (okay, I'm still bitter over the crapfest that was both of my S3s) unbelievably fragile construction when you could get something built like a tank, I'll listen. Until then, I suggest everyone stay away from Samsung phones unless you're in an enterprise situation (think Blackberry territory).

 

[akhenax]

Just to clarify, I am not against Locked Bootloaders, so as long as I was the one who locked it in the first place. Having an unlocked bootloader on my phone is a security risk, and I understand the risk (I think), but I would like it to be that I can lock my own bootloader after I've finished making the changes that I want to MY device. This would be the ideal situation.