164 replies to this topic

[marty45714]

4th Update 5/2/2013 - Found a bug... Nothing that would affect the overall functionality, but it could cause some users to think that their phone is successfully connected via USB debugging, when it really isn't.

 

Update 5/2/2013 - Per user requests, adding link to VirtualBox download site on the original post.

 

3rd Update 5/1/2013 - I changed the code that 'finds' the exploit file to make sure it get executed successfully. It's now using the "PATH" environment to do this. This is more reliable than the actual Linux 'find' command I was using before. Also added some additional instructions to clarify some steps based on feedback from users. Finally, added code to detect if the network adapter is not configured correctly. It will alert the user to configure the network adapter properly in the VirtualBox application.

 

2nd Update 5/1/2013 - I added some lines to the script to stress the importance of pressing one of the three hardware buttons on the phone (Volume up, Volume Down, or Power) once the exploit has been executed. After discussing this with the author of the exploit, this is an important step to obtaining root.

 

UPDATE 5/1/2013 - New and improved .ova file. Contains improved logic in the exploit script to help with some of the problems that have been encountered by users.

If you've had trouble rooting, please download the new version and try again!

 

Hey folks, I'm a UNIX admin by profession, so I took the challenge over the weekend to come up with an easy root process for Bionic stock Jelly Bean, specifically for those who aren't familiar with Linux.

 

I decided to build a Linux VM under Oracle VirtualBox on my Windows PC. This seemed like the logical choice since VirtualBox is free, a relatively small download, is easy to install and it's easy to import VMs.

 

My first attempt was using CentOS Linux. It worked, but the file required for users to download was over 450MB... Back to the drawing board!

 

Started looking for very small Linux distros and found Tiny Core Linux. This worked well. The file required for download is 50 MB.

 

Everything you need to root the Bionic is here and it is automatic. The process will walk you through connecting to the Samba file share, connecting the phone in USB debugging mode, and OF COURSE, it will run the process to root the phone.

 

Here are the steps:

 

1) Install Sun VirtualBox on your Windows PC.

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Note: We've had one report that this file also works with VMWare Workstation and VMWare Player. If you don't want to install VirtualBox feel free try the file with VMWare.
 

2) Download the VirtualBox .ova file containing the Linux VM from one of the following links:

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3) Import the .ova file into VirtualBox. (Click "File" then "Import Appliance".)

 

4) Start the imported VM in VirtualBox (Click the big "Start" Button. It has a green arrow icon.)

 

5) Follow the instructions on the Linux console.

 

That should do it. If you need help I will be monitoring this thread.

[Memnoch73]

Nice post man. Moved to Bionic General where it will be more visible... 

[marty45714]

Thanks, Memnoch73. I'm fairly new to the site and didn't realize there was a Bionic section. Thanks again!

[Naughtybutbritt]

oh help me please. After updating and then bricking, finally flashed jb 98.72.22 and using virtual box is the closest to root acess as every other method has failed time and time again. I imported the ovm file. had in debugging and tried both mass storage and media device. Haven't tried camera tho.  Goes smoothly until it reboots and boots into apflash mode and waits to reconize the phone usb but never does .  So get back into menu to regular powerup and reconizes again and starts. Get's as far to install superuser but always doesn't reconize and i end up having to stop vitural box and reboot phone manually.  Where am i going wrong?

 

[marty45714]

If you phone is booting into apflash, it shouldn't. Sounds like you phone is still hosed. My recommendation: Find an SBF file of 98.72.22 and use RSD lite to flash it back to factory settings. Then you can use this process to root.

 

oh help me please. After updating and then bricking, finally flashed jb 98.72.22 and using virtual box is the closest to root acess as every other method has failed time and time again. I imported the ovm file. had in debugging and tried both mass storage and media device. Haven't tried camera tho.  Goes smoothly until it reboots and boots into apflash mode and waits to reconize the phone usb but never does .  So get back into menu to regular powerup and reconizes again and starts. Get's as far to install superuser but always doesn't reconize and i end up having to stop vitural box and reboot phone manually.  Where am i going wrong?

[nesquik]

I am unfamiliar with connecting to SMB share. I downloaded an app "andsmb" and filled in all the information in the terminal but the hostname is blank. I believe this hostname is required. I am on my school network on the laptop and there is a bridged network connection to the vm. Please let me know what I may be missing. I made sure the network adapted that was bridged is correct and connected.

 

Thank you

[JMT_Cam]

Can anyone provide a mirror link to the .ova file? The dropbox account has to much traffic.

[marty45714]

You're making it too difficult. The Linux console tells you exactly what to select, in order to get to where you need to put in this information. You don't need to install an additional app. Please thoroughly read what is on the screen.

 

 

I am unfamiliar with connecting to SMB share. I downloaded an app "andsmb" and filled in all the information in the terminal but the hostname is blank. I believe this hostname is required. I am on my school network on the laptop and there is a bridged network connection to the vm. Please let me know what I may be missing. I made sure the network adapted that was bridged is correct and connected.

 

Thank you

[marty45714]

Unfortunately, I don't have any other shared storage accounts where I can post this. All I can tell you is to keep trying. I really don't want this hosted elsewhere, in case I want to make changes to the program. It might get difficult to manage multiple versions.

 

Can anyone provide a mirror link to the .ova file? The dropbox account has to much traffic.

[Underwater Mike]

Unfortunately, I don't have any other shared storage accounts where I can post this. All I can tell you is to keep trying. I really don't want this hosted elsewhere, in case I want to make changes to the program. It might get difficult to manage multiple versions.

 

PM me with the file and I'll host it someplace.

[marty45714]

New download link. See original post. Hosting the file on MediaFire as well as DropBox.

[JMT_Cam]

Took me a few runs, but I now have root access via this method.

 

Some observed notes:

• Absolutely follow all of the directions as they are written.
• Make sure you do not start this with your phone connected via USB. Wait until it prompts you to connect it.
• If the VM program gives you network errors on startup, then fix them appropriately. For some reason it thought my nVidia card was a network card...
• Don't be discouraged if this doesn't work the first time. It took me 3 runs to get everything right. The nice thing about this is if you mess up, just delete the remote storage credentials you created and then start the whole process over.
• Not sure if it matters, but when my phone started vibrating, I let it vibrate until it stopped, which was well into the first reboot.

I did all of this on a Windows 7 (64bit) machine with completely updated Motorola drivers. Also before running this exploit I uninstalled Safe Strap and used HoB 10.1 to do a full factory wipe (including user data) and FXZ to JB 98.72.22.

 

Thank you marty45714 for putting this together.

[marty45714]

Actually @djrbliss gets all of the credit for coming up with the exploit, otherwise none of us would be rooted after flashing the stock JB. I actually enjoyed spending the weekend figuring this out. My wife is probably the one you should thank! I'm really happy that this method worked for you!

 

Took me a few runs, but I now have root access via this method.

 

Some observed notes:

• Absolutely follow all of the directions as they are written.
• Make sure you do not start this with your phone connected via USB. Wait until it prompts you to connect it.
• If the VM program gives you network errors on startup, then fix them appropriately. For some reason it thought my nVidia card was a network card...
• Don't be discouraged if this doesn't work the first time. It took me 3 runs to get everything right. The nice thing about this is if you mess up, just delete the remote storage credentials you created and then start the whole process over.
• Not sure if it matters, but when my phone started vibrating, I let it vibrate until it stopped, which was well into the first reboot.

I did all of this on a Windows 7 (64bit) machine with completely updated Motorola drivers. Also before running this exploit I uninstalled Safe Strap and used HoB 10.1 to do a full factory wipe (including user data) and FXZ to JB 98.72.22.

 

Thank you marty45714 for putting this together.

[marty45714]

Posting this for anyone that's having issues getting rooted. This may help discover what is happening:

 

Here are some tips that I posted for someone over on Droid Forums. Hopefully some of this will help us figure out what is going on:

Need you to do some investigation. Run the exploit again. Once your phone is connected to the SMB share and the Linux script verifies the connectivity, press Ctrl-C to break out of the script and return to the Linux command prompt. Make sure your phone is connected to USB. From there execute the following commands and share the output with me:

sudo ash

cd /home/guest/share

./adb.linux shell

(if you execute the above command and DO NOT see this prompt: shell@cdma_targa/ $
then you have USB connectivity issues and need to make sure you get your phone successfully connected
to VirtualBox and the Linux VM)

ls -l /storage/rfs0

I want to see the output of the "ls" command to verify that the SMB share is being mounted to /storage/rfs0
This can cause the exploit to fail is it's not.

If you see no output from that command, run this command:
find /storage -name pwn

If you get that far and this looks good. Can you type:
su -

and see if you get a root prompt? A root prompt means your prompt will end with '#' instead of '$' before the cursor.

If you do get this, it could be that your Superuser app is simply broken and need re-installed.

The command that the exploit runs to root the phone, once you get this far is:
/storage/rfso/pwn 1

You can try running that manually and see what happens.

[marty45714]

UPDATE 5/1/2013 - New and improved .ova file. Contains improved logic in the exploit script to help with some of the problems that have been encountered by users.
If you've had trouble rooting, please download the new version and try again!

[x-lr8]

works perfectly thank you

[Timmmmah]

Rock on Marty... I'm back to crack flashing thanks to you!!! 

[marty45714]

Thanks everyone for the compliments! Don't forget to read the original thread and thank member djrbliss for creating the exploit which allows us to root stock JB:

 

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[baguba]

Hi, I seem to be having some network problems as well.  Under host ip address, it is completely blank.  If use the ipconfig command on my windows machine, I can get ethernet adapter virualbox host-only network, but that doesn't work at well (due to me being wireless not eth?).  What can I do to get that host ip address on the virtual machine?

[marty45714]

You need to go into the settings of VirtualBox itself, and check the Network adapter settings. It's probably assigned to the wrong network adapter. For example, it's assigned to your wireless adapter, when it should be assigned to your wired adapter, or vice versa.

 

Hi, I seem to be having some network problems as well.  Under host ip address, it is completely blank.  If use the ipconfig command on my windows machine, I can get ethernet adapter virualbox host-only network, but that doesn't work at well (due to me being wireless not eth?).  What can I do to get that host ip address on the virtual machine?