Hello,
I am not sure if this is the right subforum to post in but I figured that since my question is related to the Android boot process and signatures, it kind of touches security and this seemed as the best-fitting subforum (my apologies if it is not). Just to begin with, I am no computer noob. I write C code for a living and I know how cryptographic signatures work. However, I am completely unfamiliar with the Android ecosystem, so I may have some noob questions there...
Basically, I would like to know why it is not possible to take a bit-by-bit backup of an official signed ROM from the eMMC of an Android 9+ MediaTek-based device and then restore it later. Could someone please explain or point me to documentation about the technical mechanism that prevents this?
Background:
I bought a Gigaset GS290 smartphone with the intention of installing the /e/ operating system on it. However, since it is currently in mint condition, I was thinking it might be a good idea to first make a backup of the original factory firmware, in case I ever need to go back, especially since there is no official signed ROM available for this device.
I read that since this device has a MediaTek chipset, I can use the SPFlash tool to read/write arbitrary memory off/onto it. Therefore, I would think that I should be able to take a bit-by-bit image of the eMMC in its original factory state and then later take that image and write it back in order to restore the original software, including verified boot. However, according to [1], it is not possible since Android 9. My question is why. How does the operating system come into play?
Also, [2] mentions that the SPFlash tool is only able to create a backup that contains an unsigned image. How is that even possible if whatever is in the eMMC is signed?
I realize that there is a chain of trust originating probably in some TPM on the chipset that verifies the bootloader and the bootloader then verifies the system. I understand that by flashing an unlocked bootloader and modified system I break that chain of trust, BUT by restoring the original contents of the eMMC, I should be able to fully restore that chain, right? I mean the phone is a deterministic device that has a state (== the contents of its memories). Which part of the device's state will I not be able to restore using the aforementioned method? The only mechanism that I can think of is that the TPM would have to erase its keys when it is unable to verify a bootloader, which does not seem probable to me. Could someone please refute or confirm this?
Best Regards
Mike
[1] https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/220584/smart-phone-flash-tool-readback-emmc-user-backup
[2] https://forum.hovatek.com/thread-26015-post-155676.html#pid155676
Related
A friend of mine bought an Alcatel OT895, which is a not so famous phone, and I don't know how can I root it, is it even possible?
And if rooting is possible, can I install a custom ROM (especially CM7.2) on it? I couldn't find anything useful anywhere.
Someone has to find out what hardware it has and what Android version it has. If you have the technical inclination, you could:
* Connect the phone via USB (with debugging enabled on the device) and access the internal filesystem via ADB (a tool from the Android SDK)
* Extract the relevant information, located in files named like 'build.prop', as well read /proc/cpuinfo
But even without those info (they just help in getting to know the hardware), you could jump straight into running an exploit to see if it works. If the Android version the vendor shipped with the device still has the particular vulnerability, the exploit will work.
Else, you need to extract the boot image and edit files, then repack and flash it. This is only possible if you have access to a safe flashing environment, i.e. custom recovery, so that you can first back up the partition.
There may be other ways, but that depends a lot on who else has posted information related to your device on the Internet or elsewhere.
Thanks, but I'm too noob for this, so I rather leave it on stock.
Out of curiosity, someone please explain to me what we are doing at the hardware level when we flash/root etc. I have an excellent understanding of PCs and Windows hard drives, but I don't understand why Android is much more complicated to modify and how the carriers are able to permanently mess up (in our opinion) our phones using OTA updates when there is not a computer virus that exists that can permanently mess up my computer to the point that a wipe and reinstall wont fix it?
My specific questions are as follows:
1. Most thread instructions usually say to root the phone before installing custom recovery (TWRP). If we are doing an ODIN flash, is rooting actually needed to install TWRP? Is root part of the ROM? Or is it a deeper hardware thing unrelated to the ROM?
2. If we are installing a custom rom (cyanogen mod) and we want root, is it necessary to root with a separate method (superuser.zip etc), or does flashing cyanogen mod give us root automatically?
3. If we are flashing images to the phone's hard drive, why does the current operating system on the phone matter? Why is there a different root/TWRP install method (and .tar images?) for android 4.1.1 than there is for 4.1.2 or 3.x.x? Shouldn't the same ODIN images work regardless of what operating system the phone has on it? As in, why do I even need to look at what is currently installed on the phone? If I have a computer and I want to install a new operating system, the current OS doesn't matter, I just wipe the drive and install the new OS. Why are the phones different? Why is it possible to buy a brand new computer, wipe the drive, and install Windows XP, or even DOS, but I can't buy a brand new phone and install Android 1.0.0?
4. How are the carriers able to cause developers so many problems with their OTA updates? If someone upgraded their i747 to 4.3 why can't they just format the phone's drive and reinstall an older operating system like I can on my computer? Even a computer infected with the worst computer virus can still be wiped and reinstalled with any processor compatible operating system, so how do the OTA updates cause irreversible phone problems when nasty computer viruses can't do this?
Basically explain to me what makes the Android phones different from PCs and makes everything so much more complicated than it is to format a Windows drive and install Linux and then format again and install something totally different? I just don't understand what makes them so different? Lastly, if the carriers encrypt a bootloader, like ATT did with the S4, why can't we just erase the bootloader and flash our own not-encrypted bootloader to the phone? Is the bootloader some sort of chip that we would have to physically remove and replace? Or is it 1's and 0's on the drive that we can format and rewrite?
scubapilot said:
Out of curiosity, someone please explain to me what we are doing at the hardware level when we flash/root etc. I have an excellent understanding of PCs and Windows hard drives, but I don't understand why Android is much more complicated to modify and how the carriers are able to permanently mess up (in our opinion) our phones using OTA updates when there is not a computer virus that exists that can permanently mess up my computer to the point that a wipe and reinstall wont fix it?
My specific questions are as follows:
1. Most thread instructions usually say to root the phone before installing custom recovery (TWRP). If we are doing an ODIN flash, is rooting actually needed to install TWRP? Is root part of the ROM? Or is it a deeper hardware thing unrelated to the ROM?
2. If we are installing a custom rom (cyanogen mod) and we want root, is it necessary to root with a separate method (superuser.zip etc), or does flashing cyanogen mod give us root automatically?
3. If we are flashing images to the phone's hard drive, why does the current operating system on the phone matter? Why is there a different root/TWRP install method (and .tar images?) for android 4.1.1 than there is for 4.1.2 or 3.x.x? Shouldn't the same ODIN images work regardless of what operating system the phone has on it? As in, why do I even need to look at what is currently installed on the phone? If I have a computer and I want to install a new operating system, the current OS doesn't matter, I just wipe the drive and install the new OS. Why are the phones different? Why is it possible to buy a brand new computer, wipe the drive, and install Windows XP, or even DOS, but I can't buy a brand new phone and install Android 1.0.0?
4. How are the carriers able to cause developers so many problems with their OTA updates? If someone upgraded their i747 to 4.3 why can't they just format the phone's drive and reinstall an older operating system like I can on my computer? Even a computer infected with the worst computer virus can still be wiped and reinstalled with any processor compatible operating system, so how do the OTA updates cause irreversible phone problems when nasty computer viruses can't do this?
Basically explain to me what makes the Android phones different from PCs and makes everything so much more complicated than it is to format a Windows drive and install Linux and then format again and install something totally different? I just don't understand what makes them so different? Lastly, if the carriers encrypt a bootloader, like ATT did with the S4, why can't we just erase the bootloader and flash our own not-encrypted bootloader to the phone? Is the bootloader some sort of chip that we would have to physically remove and replace? Or is it 1's and 0's on the drive that we can format and rewrite?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Reason being is that the manufacturers have control over everything and completely lock you out.
Its not like you have a bios on these phones or you can install a new hard drive with a different OS on it.
They lock it down so much.
It's also not impossible to root any of the phones.
All you need to do is use uart or jtag to talk to the device straight up.
Rotting is part of the rom.
An odin flash will work great for flashing recovery(For samsung devices only)
And roms.
But odin flashes whole partitions only.
Rotting is not a hardware thing.
Its basically finding a way to place a file on the /system partition in the bin folder.
Then being able to execute that file. (File: su)
The su executable changes your uid(User id) to 0 which indicates the root user giving you full access over the device.
To get the su executable on to the device you will have to find exploits in the software to allow you to write to the /system/bin directory.
One such exploit is zergrush which gave you a root shell where you copy the su binary over to the device.
What is rooting?
Pretty much every rom here will be given root access by default.
Some roms(Usually indicated with stock) have no root.
In which case recovery will allow you to flash a zip putting the su files onto your installed rom.
(Recovery is like running a live cd to repair windows.)
A good place to learn is xda-university
What is recovery?
These phones have flash memory.
Not magnetic.
And like I said Odin flashes whole partitions.
So it would completely wipe whatever partition you are flashing to.
/system would contain android.
So an odin package with a system img would wipe the current OS and flash the contents of your odin package to the place where the old OS was.
To summarize, Odin packages are not dependent upon the installed OS at all.
Now that is an interesting question.
The reason that you can't just install any OS is because we don't just have generic drivers built for generic hardware.
We have millions of different phone models.
There really hasn't been any movement for standard compliant hardware in the phone scene.
So building generic stuff for all of the different kinds of phones would be a nightmare.
And the last one.
Its because we rely on software security bugs to break into devices.
Google has made it easy for us to do anything that we want with our devices with a simple command.
samsung's download mode isn't a sure fire way of doing any modding because you would have to build a rom from stock. (Samsung doesn't release their stuff very often. An exception to this is : sammobile )
And again, you could do this with an underlying knowledge of the hardware using Uart or jtag. (Conneting to the board directly and speaking to the processor)
Seriously think about that for a second, how do you install windows. A cd drive.
How do you configure devices. a bios.
In short : These phones aren't made to be messed with for security reasons and because manufacturers are too lazy to make it easy for modders. (Nexus devices are made in mind for modders though)
Need anymore info just ask. :highfive:
Thank you so much Lgrootnoob. A few more questions.
1. When you say
To get the su executable on to the device you will have to find exploits in the software to allow you to write to the /system/bin directory.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do I understand correctly that this is only true when adding root to a stock rom? If I flash cyanogen mod to the system partition, it does not require an exploit because it just erases and overwrites the entire partition? I have been rooting, and then installing TWRP, and then installing Cyanogen Mod. If I understand you correctly, me rooting the stock rom is an unnecessary step, as I am just erasing and overwriting it with Cyanogen Mod later?
Google has made it easy for us to do anything that we want with our devices with a simple command.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2. So modding the Google Nexus does not require that we use the exploits you mentioned are needed to modify the other phone(s)?
3. I understand that Android 4.3 has security features that prevent gaining "true root"? As long as Nexus leaves the "easy access" you mentioned, it will still be possible to flash a custom rom that does allow true root, no matter what security features Google puts into its version of Android?
4. Does the Google Play Edition Galaxy S4 require the exploits? Or do the Google Play edition phones have the same "easy access" you mentioned the Nexus has? Is the "easy access" the fastboot function I've read about?
5. With a carrier that encrypts all of their bootloaders, I will most likely be forced to buy only Nexus products or Google Play edition phones if I want to have Cyanogen Mod with full root? I haven't wanted a Nexus because it doesn't have a removable battery or SD card, but having custom firmware is the most important thing to me.
scubapilot said:
Thank you so much Lgrootnoob. A few more questions.
1. When you say Do I understand correctly that this is only true when adding root to a stock rom? If I flash cyanogen mod to the system partition, it does not require an exploit because it just erases and overwrites the entire partition? I have been rooting, and then installing TWRP, and then installing Cyanogen Mod. If I understand you correctly, me rooting the stock rom is an unnecessary step, as I am just erasing and overwriting it with Cyanogen Mod later?
2. So modding the Google Nexus does not require that we use the exploits you mentioned are needed to modify the other phone(s)?
3. I understand that Android 4.3 has security features that prevent gaining "true root"? As long as Nexus leaves the "easy access" you mentioned, it will still be possible to flash a custom rom that does allow true root, no matter what security features Google puts into its version of Android?
4. Does the Google Play Edition Galaxy S4 require the exploits? Or do the Google Play edition phones have the same "easy access" you mentioned the Nexus has? Is the "easy access" the fastboot function I've read about?
5. With a carrier that encrypts all of their bootloaders, I will most likely be forced to buy only Nexus products or Google Play edition phones if I want to have Cyanogen Mod with full root? I haven't wanted a Nexus because it doesn't have a removable battery or SD card, but having custom firmware is the most important thing to me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Well, devices that have no way of flashing at the bootloader must be rooted on the stock rom to flash other roms. (Exception: Nexus devices that have fastboot flash system.img functions) But custom roms come su in /system/bin all the time. (Unless said otherwise in their thread)
2. Yup, google gives exclusive access on the nexus phones.
However, you have to unlock the bootloader to flash anything.
Unlocking the bootloader will use the command:
Code:
fastboot oem unlock
Unlocking the bootloader wipes all data.(/data partition) but leaves the system partition intact.
Reasone being is when someone flashes a recovery:
Code:
fastboot flash recovery.img
They could use recovery to dump your data partition.
3. The way processes work in android 4.3 and above is different from 4.3's ancestors.
Root can be obtained with Supersu
But exploits to gain root on the android system have been pretty much put out of business.
Most exploits are bootloader exploits these days. (Or oem rom exploitsem's theming makes their devices vulnerable usually.[They have less tested code or just don't care.])
So root is still widely available on just about any rom out there thanks to chainfire!
^He is an awesome developer by the way.
4. I would figure that the google play editions have easy access with fastboot that would normally be stumped by samsung.
Google makes everything awesome.
" Is the "easy access" the fastboot function I've read about?" In short yes.
It allows you to flash recovery which can dump the whole system and allow you to modify the system however you like and put it back on the device.
There is even an app for recovery by the way: Aroma fm
5. The removable battery doesn't matter unless you wan't to swap batts on the fly.
But it does have a function for restarting the phone without pulling the battery. Hold power button + volume up until it restarts.
And even if you wanted to replace the battery you could take the nexus device apart and disconnect the battery and find a replacement. (Maybe ordered from the manufacturer.)
The devs here are awesome and find exploits in almost all of the bootloaders or the oem (skinned) android versions.
So the nexus devices aren't the only option, but they usually get more development unless your device is truly a powerhouse like the gs4 international.
Hey, I have really basic information about computers and OSs so I really need some explanations for the case of android smartphone (qualcomm mainly). So let me tell you first what I know (I hope that this is true): For a computer they use EEPROM and it's a type of ROM which is erasable. The bios is stored there and it's the first thing loaded when starting the computer. (It's is easily updatable as I have already updated my bios). For the case of android smartphones I think that they use NVRAM, but I don't know what is NVRAM physically? is it a build-in memory separated from storage devices like on computers?! or is just a partition of internal storage? (internal storage I mean /dev/block/mmcblk0). I found that NVRAM can only be erased using JTAG on some websites but I found that device cloning is done copying mmcblk0 from one phone to another, so that means that NVRAM is located in mmcblk0. And if NVRAM is just a part of mmcblk0 so why is it a read only memory? we can easily write to other partitions, so why not NVRAM?! I'm really confused...
Please share your knowledge, I really need years of studying electronics and computer science to know all this by myself... Thank you all!!
AmineBY said:
Hey, I have really basic information about computers and OSs so I really need some explanations for the case of android smartphone (qualcomm mainly). So let me tell you first what I know (I hope that this is true): For a computer they use EEPROM and it's a type of ROM which is erasable. The bios is stored there and it's the first thing loaded when starting the computer. (It's is easily updatable as I have already updated my bios). For the case of android smartphones I think that they use NVRAM, but I don't know what is NVRAM physically? is it a build-in memory separated from storage devices like on computers?! or is just a partition of internal storage? (internal storage I mean /dev/block/mmcblk0). I found that NVRAM can only be erased using JTAG on some websites but I found that device cloning is done copying mmcblk0 from one phone to another, so that means that NVRAM is located in mmcblk0. And if NVRAM is just a part of mmcblk0 so why is it a read only memory? we can easily write to other partitions, so why not NVRAM?! I'm really confused...
Please share your knowledge, I really need years of studying electronics and computer science to know all this by myself... Thank you all!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I didn't understand a damn thing you just just said, but I can tell you this:
ROM, in the Android world, means the OS or firmware the device runs on. Like Windows or Linux. You can have the stock ROM, which is what the device ships with. Or, if the device allows it, you can install a custom ROM, such as Cyanogenmod.
"ROM" can mean other things in different contexts. You can find these out for yourself by using this thing called "google". But in the Android world, it simply means the operating system.
Planterz said:
Well, I didn't understand a damn thing you just just said, but I can tell you this:
ROM, in the Android world, means the OS or firmware the device runs on. Like Windows or Linux. You can have the stock ROM, which is what the device ships with. Or, if the device allows it, you can install a custom ROM, such as Cyanogenmod.
"ROM" can mean other things in different contexts. You can find these out for yourself by using this thing called "google". But in the Android world, it simply means the operating system.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the quick reply! but I'm not talking about ROM files. I'm asking about this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Read-only_memory
Of course I already tried googling it but it's just general information, I'm searching for information about android hardware (qualcomm mainly).
Any idea about android devices ROM (Read Only Memory) please?!
I'm not sure about low-level stuff (like the actual bootloader, which probably is isolated on different ROM chips on various devices), but most of what we normally consider the "ROM" -- i.e. the Android system software discussed above -- and even a sort of miniature OS for performing updates called the recovery -- is stored on a flash memory chip (sometimes eMMC) within the phone. Definitely not NVRAM/EEPROM, though the bootloader could be on one of those.
maclynb said:
I'm not sure about low-level stuff (like the actual bootloader, which probably is isolated on different ROM chips on various devices), but most of what we normally consider the "ROM" -- i.e. the Android system software discussed above -- and even a sort of miniature OS for performing updates called the recovery -- is stored on a flash memory chip (sometimes eMMC) within the phone. Definitely not NVRAM/EEPROM, though the bootloader could be on one of those.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! I think some information should be on NVRAM, if not why do people use JTAG to unlock devices?! Flash memory can be edited easily using usb cable only...
AmineBY said:
Thanks! I think some information should be on NVRAM, if not why do people use JTAG to unlock devices?! Flash memory can be edited easily using usb cable only...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think it's possible to edit flash memory with USB cables alone on most devices; that's actually rather tough and requires a phone that's had its bootloader unlocked (even then, official bootloader unlocks -- like HTC's -- don't always let you write over certain bits of it). Not quite sure about the JTAG stuff -- that reaches the limits of my knowledge.
Hello guys/girls,
After using the official "Unlock Device App" to unlock the bootloader on any of the ROG/Zen Phones (and of course, get your phone blacklisted from future OTAs and warranty), is it possible to save the key so that I can unlock the device in the future again after relocking offline so that I don't rely on the server's key generator? This would allow your phone to be unlocked indefinitely even after having the signing server going offline (let's hope this won't happen).
I am asking for this because so far I have seen two companies that probably destroyed their fanbase by shutting down their keygen servers, such as Huawei and LG, and more companies may do that in the near or far future. I hope ASUS does not go on the same path in the future.
In theory, can't you just make a full backup of all of your partitions? Worst case scenario, you would use your own images in place of any generic ones using the EDL restore software.
The only reason an EDL restore requires you to unlock again after is that you are using generic images for a stock (locked) phone.
This is, of course, theoretical. I haven't looked into the images enough to know if there is more to them than simply being stock images (with a few extras not part of regular firmware) wrapped in a low-level flash process.
twistedumbrella said:
In theory, can't you just make a full backup of all of your partitions? Worst case scenario, you would use your own images in place of any generic ones using the EDL restore software.
The only reason an EDL restore requires you to unlock again after is that you are using generic images for a stock (locked) phone.
This is, of course, theoretical. I haven't looked into the images enough to know if there is more to them than simply being stock images (with a few extras not part of regular firmware) wrapped in a low-level flash process.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@twistedumbrella I haven't done EDL back/restore before, but I did Clonezilla backup/restore on PC/laptop. Let's say I bought 512GB version ASUS ROG Phone 5S, wouldn't EDL backup have to backup the entire 512GB because it is encrypted (encrypted partitions are just one complete block, even if it is barely used)? Can you backup only what you used, including the unlock key, with EDL?
falhumai96 said:
@twistedumbrella I haven't done EDL back/restore before, but I did Clonezilla backup/restore on PC/laptop. Let's say I bought 512GB version ASUS ROG Phone 5S, wouldn't EDL backup have to backup the entire 512GB because it is encrypted (encrypted partitions are just one complete block, even if it is barely used)? Can you backup only what you used, including the unlock key, with EDL?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I probably should have been a bit more specific. I didn't mean backing up your system, boot, and data images. I meant the stuff that makes your phone your specific phone, such as your radio, bootloader, and vendor.
Anything that can be restored with an install should be left as the default to minimize the number of variables being thrown into it. Again, this is all theory. I haven't tried it with this phone, but cloning the image for a blind write is more or less the premise of a "full backup" that has been done in recovery images for years.
twistedumbrella said:
I probably should have been a bit more specific. I didn't mean backing up your system, boot, and data images. I meant the stuff that makes your phone your specific phone, such as your radio, bootloader, and vendor.
Anything that can be restored with an install should be left as the default to minimize the number of variables being thrown into it. Again, this is all theory. I haven't tried it with this phone, but cloning the image for a blind write is more or less the premise of a "full backup" that has been done in recovery images for years.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@twistedumbrella Can we use QFIL tool (https://qfiltool.com/), for example, to backup/restore partitions? Also, do we have the firehouse programmer for the ASUS ROG Phone 5S?
Hi there,
As the title suggests, I would like to acquire a physical disk image of my Samsung Galaxy A01 which I will be using Autopsy to analyze. My research has lead me to believe that in order to do so one must first root the device. So my questions are:
1. If I root the device will all the data I am attempting to analyze be deleted/erased in the process?
2. Does anyone know of a good guide for Android disk image acquisition?
I have been following the DFIRScience channel on youtube but in his video on disk image acquisition he uses KingoRoot which according to this rooting guide (last section at bottom of article) by XDA is bad practice.
This rooting guide from guidetoroot.com mentions that during the rooting process all the data will be erased, and this is where my confusion has come from. If that is true it would seem counter productive to the purpose of acquiring a disk image. My operating system is Win 8.1 Pro by the way.
I would very much appreciate it if someone could help me out with this.
Dune_Rat said:
Hi there,
As the title suggests, I would like to acquire a physical disk image of my Samsung Galaxy A01 which I will be using Autopsy to analyze. My research has lead me to believe that in order to do so one must first root the device. So my questions are:
1. If I root the device will all the data I am attempting to analyze be deleted/erased in the process?
2. Does anyone know of a good guide for Android disk image acquisition?
I have been following the DFIRScience channel on youtube but in his video on disk image acquisition he uses KingoRoot which according to this rooting guide (last section at bottom of article) by XDA is bad practice.
This rooting guide from guidetoroot.com mentions that during the rooting process all the data will be erased, and this is where my confusion has come from. If that is true it would seem counter productive to the purpose of acquiring a disk image. My operating system is Win 8.1 Pro by the way.
I would very much appreciate it if someone could help me out with this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The guides that discuss the device being wiped during the root process only applies to devices that have locked bootloader. These devices have to unlock the bootloader before they can modify the device, the device gets wiped by default as part of the process of unlocking the bootloader.
Droidriven said:
The guides that discuss the device being wiped during the root process only applies to devices that have locked bootloader. These devices have to unlock the bootloader before they can modify the device, the device gets wiped by default as part of the process of unlocking the bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah I see, thanks very much, Droidriven. Do you perhaps know of any good recent guides for android disk image acquisition?
Dune_Rat said:
Ah I see, thanks very much, Droidriven. Do you perhaps know of any good recent guides for android disk image acquisition?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The term "disk image" does not apply to android. What do you mean by "disk image"?
If you are asking if there is a way to backup the operating system on your device and all other data on your device before you attempt to root your device, there is no way to do that without either root or TWRP custom recovery. You don't need both, but, you do need at least one of them. There are ways to backup user data using adb without root but you can't backup the operating system or anything else in the system partition.
Without root, you, as the user, can only backup user installed apps and their corresponding app data/settings, user data stored in internal storage and device settings.
If the operating system gets corrupted during your rooting attempt, you will have to flash your device's stock firmware via Odin then restore any data that you backed up.
Droidriven said:
The term "disk image" does not apply to android. What do you mean by "disk image"?
If you are asking if there is a way to backup the operating system on your device and all other data on your device before you attempt to root your device, there is no way to do that without either root or TWRP custom recovery. You don't need both, but, you do need at least one of them. There are ways to backup user data using adb without root but you can't backup the operating system or anything else in the system partition.
Without root, you, as the user, can only backup user installed apps and their corresponding app data/settings, user data stored in internal storage and device settings.
If the operating system gets corrupted during your rooting attempt, you will have to flash your device's stock firmware via Odin then restore any data that you backed up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the info. By "disk image" I was referring to the "cloning" of the device once rooted. I would like to test out some digital forensic software like Autopsy with a real world device like my A01 by acquiring/making a physical disk image of it.
That's the term they use in digital forensics...there's physical and then there's logical disk images. Logical disk images are used more for surface analysis and has limitations on what can be done with it and does not appear to need rooting. Physical disk images on the other hand provide full unrestricted access to all files. Well, that's my understanding of it, anyway.
I would like to try using FTK Imager for this purpose (acquiring a disk image) but it's not detecting the device so I'm also hoping that will be sorted out once the phone has been rooted.
Dune_Rat said:
Thanks for the info. By "disk image" I was referring to the "cloning" of the device once rooted. I would like to test out some digital forensic software like Autopsy with a real world device like my A01 by acquiring/making a physical disk image of it.
That's the term they use in digital forensics...there's physical and then there's logical disk images. Logical disk images are used more for surface analysis and has limitations on what can be done with it and does not appear to need rooting. Physical disk images on the other hand provide full unrestricted access to all files. Well, that's my understanding of it, anyway.
I would like to try using FTK Imager for this purpose (acquiring a disk image) but it's not detecting the device so I'm also hoping that will be sorted out once the phone has been rooted.
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You're looking for what we call a "nandroid backup", a copy of all data that is stored on the device. Typically, creating a nandroid backup requires either rooting the device then using adb commands to pull a nandroid backup or it requires installing a custom recovery such as TWRP that has an option to create a nandroid backup from within recovery mode.
Your device probably doesn't have a custom recovery/TWRP. Custom recoveries are built specific to the model number that they are to be installed on, there is no such thing as a universal custom recovery that can be used on all android devices. If no developer has chosen to build a version of TWRP for your specific model number then your device can't use TWRP unless you manage to build it for yourself.
These days, most Samsung devices cannot be rooted because they have bootloaders that cannot be unlocked. The only hope of rooting a Samsung device that has a locked bootloader that cannot be unlocked is to find an android app or PC program that has an exploit that your device is vulnerable to. But, these kinds of apps and programs have not been able to root devices since somewhere around the time that android Lollipop or Marshmallow was released, they are no longer able to root today's devices.
You may have to choose another device to experiment with. Preferably one that already has a custom recovery available for that specific model number or has known working root method for that specific model number.
What is your A01's specific model number? That is what will determine wgat is or isn't available for your device and what you can and can't do with it.
Thanks so much for the thorough responses, Droidriven. This has cleared everything up for me. The specific model number of my phone is SM-A015F/DS.
Dune_Rat said:
Thanks so much for the thorough responses, Droidriven. This has cleared everything up for me. The specific model number of my phone is SM-A015F/DS.
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Apparently, there is a version of TWRP for your model number, but, from what I've been reading, you need to be on android 11 in order to unlock your bootloader then install TWRP. Once you have TWRP installed, you can use it to create a nandroid backup by using the Backup option in TWRP. In your case, you probably want to backup absolutely everything that can be backed up, therefore, when you choose the Backup option in TWRP, on the next screen you'll see a list of partitions to backup, select the partitions you want to backup then initiate the backup by sliding the slider at the bottom. Then you'll have to find the correct tools to extract the data from the backup, it can be tricky because of the type of file that TWRP creates.
unofficial twrp 3.5.2 Root Samsung Galaxy A01 SM-A015F
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Awesome, this looks promising...I'll take a look at it. Thanks again for all the info, Droidriven, you've been a star.