According to a new report from Zimperium, there are many risks that come with rooted devices and they are vulnerable to a number of threats as well. The report says that rooted devices are 3.5 times more likely to face malware attacks and 12 times more likely to have compromised apps as compared to devices that are not rooted. In rooted filesystem compromise events also increase 3,000 times while system compromises increase by 250 times.
Even though jailbroken and rooted devices have seen some decline, they are still a serious security threat to people who still use them. Businesses that allow their employees to access corporate data and apps are also seriously at risk. The report found that 0.1% of the consumer devices are jailbroken, with Android devices being the most rooted than iOS devices. 0.24% or 1 in 400 Android devices was rooted. On the other hand, 0.04% or 1 in 2,500 iOS devices was rooted. Rooting devices exposes it to threats even though it provides more customization and control over the device as well. Users try to download many unverified apps that bypass security systems like Android’s Play Integrity which can lead to full system compromise.
Users can also bypass manufacturer restrictions, modify system files, and perform actions that are off-limits if they root their Android devices. iOS devices do not allow side loading in the US so people use jailbreaking tools to bypass those restrictions. Some of the popular rooting tools for Android are APatch, Magisk, and KernelSU while iOS users use tools like Checkra1, Dopamine, and Roothide. Attackers use rootkits to gain access for their attack strategy and if devices are endangered or under attack, they can affect entire organizations.
Image: DIW-Aigen
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Even though jailbroken and rooted devices have seen some decline, they are still a serious security threat to people who still use them. Businesses that allow their employees to access corporate data and apps are also seriously at risk. The report found that 0.1% of the consumer devices are jailbroken, with Android devices being the most rooted than iOS devices. 0.24% or 1 in 400 Android devices was rooted. On the other hand, 0.04% or 1 in 2,500 iOS devices was rooted. Rooting devices exposes it to threats even though it provides more customization and control over the device as well. Users try to download many unverified apps that bypass security systems like Android’s Play Integrity which can lead to full system compromise.
Users can also bypass manufacturer restrictions, modify system files, and perform actions that are off-limits if they root their Android devices. iOS devices do not allow side loading in the US so people use jailbreaking tools to bypass those restrictions. Some of the popular rooting tools for Android are APatch, Magisk, and KernelSU while iOS users use tools like Checkra1, Dopamine, and Roothide. Attackers use rootkits to gain access for their attack strategy and if devices are endangered or under attack, they can affect entire organizations.
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