Since BlackBerry is a relative newcomer to the Android ecosystem with the very expensive BlackBerry Priv device, it has belatedly put out a statement regarding “rooting”. For those new in these parts, rooting refers to the process of gaining elevated permissions to get more out of your Android operating system. Most manufacturers are against it in one way or another, but people still find ways to gain root access anyway. BlackBerry has made its stand on the secure side of the argument.


In a blog post made by BlackBerry Director for Security Alex Manea, the Canadian company has made it sufficiently clear that it will not allow rooting or bootloader unlocking. Manea said that BlackBerry will not accept the fact that rooting “unlocks access to sensitive areas of the device,” which makes it “a huge risk to the privacy and security of the platform.”

Given the fanbase of BlackBerry in the enterprise area, we understand this stand. “A rooted device makes you more susceptible to malware and many enterprises refuse to allow rooted devices on their networks,” Manea stated. Allowing root will defeat any kind of profit in this market for BlackBerry.

This is why there are a number of security features that are built into the BlackBerry Priv so that root access will not be gained. This involves checking the kernel on bootup, mechanisms for checking unauthorized changes to the SELinux policy, monitoring file system mounting permissions, and ensuring unauthorized apps don’t acquire escalated privileges. You can check the original post via the source link below. We also can’t guarantee people will not try to root the Priv. Some people take these kinds of statements as a personal challenge.

SOURCE: BlackBerry

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