[Tutorial] How to confirm root access on MTK6589, MTK6592, MTK6589T, MTK6577, MTK6572

[GizBeat]

Seems a few users have recently been wondering how to confirm root access on MTK6589 / MTK6592 / MTK6582 / MTK6589T / MTK6572 / MTK6577 phone, so I decided to write this short tutorial on how to test your root.

The easiest way to test root on MTK6589 / MTK6592 / MTK6582 / MTK6589T / MTK6572 / MTK6577 is to run a 'root checker' from Play. However, there are rare occasions where it may say you're successfully rooted, but it's not the truth. Or perhaps you're just OCD. In that case,

• 1 - Install ES Explorer from Play
• 2 - Open it, you should see SuperSU or SuperUser pop up asking for approval for ES Explorer for root access. Approve it
• 3 - Copy a random small file from your SD. You do this by tapping and holding the file, then selecting 'copy' at the bottom left.
• 4 - Menu button > Tools > Tap the words Root Explorer (NOT on/off button) > Select RW for / and /system > Back button > Make sure 'Root Explorer' is on
• 5 - Tap top bar '/' > Select 'Device'
• 6 - Look for 'System' folder and tap
• 7 - Tap 'paste' in bottom left

If it succeeds, it means you're 100% rooted and /system is mountable as writable.

[aus9]

Hi

Thanks for the easy method. I hope you don't mind me adding some more bits?

If /system is not read writeable but you have the superuser binary installed (su) from within Android try this in an Terminal

Code:

su
mount -o remount,rw /system
mount | /system/xbin/grep /system

Last code line assumes you have busybox installed and will output the current status of /system which should show
rw and not ro.

2) If that fails, you may have a locked bootloader and can bypass it with a google app called abdb insecure

cheers

[Sniper47]

Great tip @aus9 . can sometimes be the case that SU is there and can grant SU rights apps, but can't gain access to writing /system.

[aus9]

Hi Gentlemen

I think I have found one more test on misleading rooted phone = mine= Lenovo A820 chipset MT6589
I have not hidden images as they are small

Firstly both images were taken with /system truly read writeable.
Both were done in a script that issued from a PC this command
--followed by a check of file size and md5 hash value

Code:

adb push nvram.bin /data/nvram.bin

The file name is irrelevant......look at the owner and group permissions pls

BAD IMAGE shows not true root


Good image I achieved with gapp=abdb insecure


altho the top mentioned files are on a Linux computer, the sizes match
The bottom lines are md5 sums

When I attempted a dd command via adb, the bad image produced a zero byte output
----which has a chance of bricking your phone.....but luckily the dd command also had a zero byte input.

I can assure you that the only change between images was enabling the insecure app setting.
I discovered this thru accident and observation and not from great Android skills