Latest EVO 4G root uses Flash Lite exploit to do its deed
The cat-and-mouse struggle between Android users, carriers, and manufacturers to gain, patch, and re-gain root is one that shows no signs of slowing down, but the EVO 4G's latest recommended root method is particularly creative. Made necessary after the most recent over-the-air firmware update patched the old way of doing it, you've now got to visit a page on Adobe's site for tweaking local Flash settings, at which point a script works some magic and apparently takes advantage of a vulnerability in the EVO's Flash Lite build. Of course, that's just one of twelve harrowing steps in the whole process -- but regardless, it's not often we're thanking our lucky stars for a security issue.
























@sotorious Win
@sotorious LOL I'm normally against random YT links but that was actually very well done. Bravo!
@sotorious
Nice work. All you need now is a random montage of all the tech shows for your video.
what about 2.2?
@techlord Source just got released by HTC a few days ago. With CyanogenMod working on a whole set of devices I'm sure it can't be dreadfully far off from here.
@techlord
Unless said hole is present in 10.1 then I assume Root won't be gained with the same exploit.
@techlord
this just shown how secure Flash is
@ericlin
This article is practically begging all Apple stormtroopers to hop on and start reminding people of what Jobs said about Flash and security
@techlord
2.2 has been available on the Evo for weeks now...
It was nearly perfect cept for a few bugs (namely Camera support), but those will be fixed within the next 48 hours because of the release of the source code.
So yeah, if you can root your Evo, you can have 2.2, no problems...
@ericlin
Yes, because clearly FlashLite and Flash are the EXACT same thing.
Lets pretend we all didn't just come from reading about some industrious Korean stealing peoples iTunes account details to drive his books to the top of the charts. Seems Flash was the least of their worries.
@Tes
I'm pretty sure he's Vietnamese, not Korean.
@CarpeD1em500
I actually want official Sense + Froyo root, to ensure that EVERYTHING is working in tip-top shape, and no bugs. I'm _patiently_ waiting for it to drop sometime this month... I hope. =\
@ericlin anything is hackable with a network connection and motivated hackers...
@Tes The account thefts were less about iTunes than they were about lazy passwords. People need to realize that making their password "password" is not secure.
@Dellibedaboss
I would bet that an AOSP 2.2 froyo would be more stable and quicker than an official rom. Of course youd be missing sense though. I really hope the EVO becomes part of the CyanogenMod releases.
@MayorBloomberg
Dammit how did you guess!?!?
@j3oomerang it will. Cyogen got an Evo.
@techlord I think it's really funny how Android users need to hack their supposedly "OPEN" devices to get capabilities that much cheaper Symbian phones come with as standard.
@MrDiSante The Chinaman is not the issue here, Donnie!
@ericlin yeah but your the one that has to do it to your phone, you need to pull the trigger yourself not someone for you. weak...
Root will never be forgotten.
. . . CHICKEN NUGGETS
Oh flash.
I REALLY want to go back to my HTC EVO! I love my new iPhone 4 but DAMNIT! I can't STAND the service!!! I've had more dropped calls than on my iPhone 3GS. SO sick of it! Very frustrating! nice phone but HORRIBLE SERVICE!!!
@Juggernaut408
Do you have the rubber bumper thing?
@Juggernaut408
You went from an EVO to an iPhone 4? What, do you get a new phone every month?
@Juggernaut408 did you check the coverage map before you get the phone? this is the first time I heard about dropped calls on EVO. Did you hold it correctly? oooops ,that's for Apple............=-DDDDD
@Juggernaut408 I just came from Sprint from AT&T after having a 3G for nearly two years. I cannot get over Sprint's network. Sure, it has some shortcomings, but it is so much better than AT&T. Even the 3G is faster (not to mention the 4G signal I get quite strongly from most places I go in a day).
The iPhone is a pretty ok phone, but the network kills it. I'm pretty happy with Sprint. I think anyone switching will be pleasantly surprised. Not one dropped call yet.
@Juggernaut408
Refund your iPhone 4 and get your Evo back.
I'm sure its still under the 30 days for returns.
Why are you still here complaining?
You, sir, are a TROLL!
@Juggernaut408
Sell your iPhone on ebay for +$1000. Those dumb apple fanboz are welling to pay another for an iPhone 4.
@Juggernaut408
@noneroy
Sorry to hear that, dudes. I suspect the problem you're having is local to the iPhone though. I do a lot of traveling and I've never had a dropped call on ATT with any of the phones I've owned (Motorola MPx220, ATT Tilt, HTC Aria). I've had the data cut out a few times, but the voice service has always been great.
@Juggernaut408
WTF does 3g iphone and apple have to do with Flash on EVO?
@Juggernaut408
Welcome to Sprint. There's a reason they're losing so many customers despite having better prices. I used Sprint for the last 5 years and things got much worse in the last year. I get constant distorted audio on my calls but not all that many call drops. EVDO data performance has been on a downhill slide too.
@Juggernaut408
So in the last 12 months you've bought:
An iPhone 3GS, An EVO 4G, AND an iPhone4?!
Now you're experiencing horrible service on your iPhone4 but for some reason you're whining on Engadget about instead of returning it for a full refund while the return window is still open.
So apparently, not only are you made of money, but you're not very bright either.
@noneroy If Sprint 3G is faster than AT&T 3G you're doing something wrong. I have a Sprint 3G MiFi, and a co-worker here has an Evo. Even on WiMax (we are just outside Philadelphia), my iPhone 4 is less than half a megabit slower than his Evo on WiMax/4G. 3G is a joke. 1.2mbit down and 250kbit up for his Sprint 3G and I can pull 4mbit down and 1.6mbit up on my iPhone 4. Thats not to say the Evo or Sprint suck, as I clearly have them for my MiFi and am happy with them, but yeah... you are incorrect.
@icase81
oh god...seriously you want to go there ATT vs Sprint. You live in Philly of course you are going to get better service. Just like people that live in L.A. get awesome ATT coverage but go to Orange County and ATT sucks BAWLS sir!
@RawlsRorty
Just look at his avatar. He's a double agent!
@Seven2k Ha! this is absolutely true. i have an iphone and i live right by downtown LA. never have reception problems. my gf lives in costa mesa (OC). as soon as i get down there the coverage gets really spotty. apparently upgrades are in place. despite my frustration sometimes with ATT tho my 3g speed has felt snappier lately. dunno if its just me or what...
I like to order the Froyo, for 2 please..............=-)
@Tony Montana
You should also pre-order some Gingerbread too just to be safe.
I thought you could do anything with Android. So why are they blocking root access?
@Tchaikovsky
In a world that doesn't. Droid doesn't....too.
@Tchaikovsky
It's a carrier and OEM thing. Sprint and HTC don't want people frying their perfectly good phones and/or enabling features that they want you to pay for. From those companies' perspectives, it's perfectly sound policy. Unfortunately for them, the internets doesn't care about policy.
@Tchaikovsky because the all "open" and "freedom" BS it's pure marketing to sell phones
@Tchaikovsky
Be realistic. No one said you can do ANYTHING with it. first these are phones being sold to customers by carriers. Obviously they want a level of security on devices accessing their network. Next, these are devices they're selling to their customers...what company wants to be responsible for easily exploitable holes like the one described above?
If you buy a Nexus One which is not tied to a carrier then you have the choice...other manufacturers all have the option to give you this choice but business needs come first.
The facts are that once you have Root access you go into the market and there will be apps that you would never find in the Apple store. Apps that assume you have taken control of the phone, sold by Google in their market. Apps that let me control my torrents on my home computer without preaching to me that I MAY download copyright material that affects the phone manufacturers other interests. Apps that "duplicate" functionality...in fact apps that take over functionality and can be set as the default for any given action.
That's the openness people are talking about.
@Tes
You get the same benefits by jailbreaking your iPhone and it's a much easier process. Usually one or two clicks and you're done.
@Tes I think we have to be fair here, This is what, 1-3 weeks after the official release of flash lite... Where as the Iphone 4.0 was hacked pre-release...
@Tes
How is this different from jailbreaking an iPhone, other than the increased difficulty and tedium of course?
@Tes "Be realistic. No one said you can do ANYTHING with it. first these are phones being sold to customers by carriers. Obviously they want a level of security on devices accessing their network. Next, these are devices they're selling to their customers...what company wants to be responsible for easily exploitable holes like the one described above?"
Are you implying there are benefits to having a walled garden?!
@Tes
The benefits of Jailbreaking an iPhone, up until OS4 was the possibility of multitasking, access to "black-market" apps, sutomisation of the homescreen and more open access to the phone hardware (i.e. workarounds to make Wifi only apps use 3G)
Those benefits are mostly baked into Android as standard. Not many apps are turned away from the Market and those that are can be downloaded from other sources negating the need for a rival market.
The reasons behind Android rooting were for things like apps2SD, which is now standard as of FroYo. Wifi hot spot, standard as of FroYo...and then nitpicky stuff like removing inbuilt apps and changing led light colours.
And yes I see a benefit of a "walled garden" for the consumer who wants a safe environment and the carrier who wants more control...but I also see the benefit of a gate built into that wall that you can choose to open.
And if you go to XDA you'll find rooting almost never voids your warranty. No one has complained about being turned away by HTC as they don't really check.