Practical Mobile Forensics - Fourth Edition

What is rooting?

The default administrative account in Unix-like operating systems is called root. In Linux, the root user has the power to start/stop any system service, edit/delete any file, change the privileges of other users, and so on. We have already learned that Android uses the Linux kernel, and so most Linux concepts are applicable to Android as well; however, most Android phones do not let you log in as a root user by default.

Rooting an Android phone is all about gaining access to the device to perform actions that are not normally allowed on the device. Manufacturers want devices to function in a certain manner for normal users. Rooting a device may void a warranty, since using root opens the system to vulnerabilities and provides ...