Security issues when you root your device, are they really serious?

[WillPower TJ]

I have heard that rooting your device can create some serious security issues and that a malicious attacker can gain access to your device and do some nasty things like control it, or fill it with malware or viruses.
But i want to know how serious are these security "issues ". For example , can such a malicious attacker obtain all the accounts and passwords saved on the device, like banking and email passwords?

I have a device running Android 5.1 and it is one of the most pathetic and frustrating Android OS i have ever seen! Most apps like ES Explorer have no write permissions to the sdcard so nothing can write to the memory card except the default system apps( hate them all :-D ) .
Furthermore, you cannot change the program that picks the files when you are uploading something. Also the battery goes flat very quickly and it gets really really hot during gaming. These among other things are some of the reasons i hate Android Lollipop and i want to "down-grade" to Jelly Bean. Because well, it was perfect.
And the only way for me to get Jelly Bean is to root the device. But before i do i just want to know about the security compromise. It is worth noting that i hardly install apps outside the market. Infact All apps i need i already have them on my local disk on the PC , so i just transfer them to the device and apply updates on Play Store whenever necessary. So i don't usually go around looking for new apps to install.

 

[Piet Le Roux]

Yes Android devices are being targeted by malware, it is the mostly used OS so it's understandable. For trojan malware to obtain control of your device it has to get "super user status" this is easily done when your device is all ready rooted. If you have an older OS these malware can root your device and become a superuser.
The irritating things Google have introduced to Android have been done to make Android safe, not to upset you. One way of achieving this is sandboxing. This gives each app only access to memory and actions that it needs to do its tasks. File management can only be done by one official app, if another app were allowed to do these tasks so can malware.
At this stage Google recommends that security updates should be done on a monthly basis but only Google, Motorola and Cyanogen OS devices are keeping to this protocol. The great Samsung, Sony and the rest cannot even get regular firmware updates out so how will they do security updates! So to keep yourself safe you need the newest OS and the correct type of device that receives regular security updates.

 

[Vis1/0N]

Carry a different device for the tasks that need the security. Otherwise your experience will be compromised having the later versions of Android. I have one device in Jelly bean, one on Kitkat and a third on 5.1.

I hate the 5.1 the most. KK is my daily driver although the 5.0 update has been out for 15 months I refused to update. Material design sucks and ART not really making a difference to having to live with the flat dull design and other devolutions. 4.3 is the most versatile and loved.

 

[bullzeye.za]

Yes Android devices are being targeted by malware, it is the mostly used OS so it's understandable. For trojan malware to obtain control of your device it has to get "super user status" this is easily done when your device is all ready rooted. If you have an older OS these malware can root your device and become a superuser.
The irritating things Google have introduced to Android have been done to make Android safe, not to upset you. One way of achieving this is sandboxing. This gives each app only access to memory and actions that it needs to do its tasks. File management can only be done by one official app, if another app were allowed to do these tasks so can malware.
At this stage Google recommends that security updates should be done on a monthly basis but only Google, Motorola and Cyanogen OS devices are keeping to this protocol. The great Samsung, Sony and the rest cannot even get regular firmware updates out so how will they do security updates! So to keep yourself safe you need the newest OS and the correct type of device that receives regular security updates.

This is completely untrue.

Having your device rooted ( As long as nothing else is left open ) does not inherently increase the risk of malware getting onboard. Yes, if you're not careful about which apps you give root access to, you can have issues. But any reliable rooting method will ask for your permission before elevating an app to SU privelages, and in many ways can increase security. If your phone manufacturer isn't pushing out security updates fast enough, there are xposed modules out there to solve the problem for you.

 

[Piet Le Roux]

What exactly is untrue ?
Because everything I said have been done by hackers and is not debatable. But if you gullible enough to believe that a malicious app will first ask for permission before it sends your information ok I am wrong. But to keep it in perspective only about 10000 Android devices have been hacked out of more than a billion devices : that makes it the safest OS.

 

[bullzeye.za]

What exactly is untrue ?

Specifically this;

For trojan malware to obtain control of your device it has to get "super user status" this is easily done when your device is all ready rooted.

Having your device already rooted can actually block another app from trying to obtain root access.

Being rooted does not automatically make you less secure, it's often the other way around.

 

[biometrics]

But to keep it in perspective only about 10000 Android devices have been hacked out of more than a billion devices : that makes it the safest OS.

Where do you get this info?

 

[backstreetboy]

What exactly is untrue ?
Because everything I said have been done by hackers and is not debatable. But if you gullible enough to believe that a malicious app will first ask for permission before it sends your information ok I am wrong. But to keep it in perspective only about 10000 Android devices have been hacked out of more than a billion devices : that makes it the safest OS.

Superuser (standard on Cyanogenmod) or SuperSU will ask you if you would want to give an app or malware access to SU. To the OP if you don't use ABSA or DSTV AFAIK (that doesn't work on a rooted phone) then go ahead.

 

[Spliffcat]

I have rooted every droid device I have used and never had a problem.
The more you know how the software/firmware works the safer your droid gets. Just don't go loading dodgy apps unless you know exactly what they do.