Is z4Root infected?

Question

I downloaded One Click Lag Fix and it requested z4Root, I also downloaded from the computer, because it was not on the market and installed, but AVG reported me that is infected.

I downloaded with multiple sites including xda-developers, and all were infected.

Should I proceed with installation?

Answer 1

Antivirus applications use special algorithms to scan, take apart and analyze files on your computer and network. If they are certain chunks in the files that it finds suspicious, then it gets flagged as malware.

Now, certain applications like one click root applications use hacks similar to the ones that some malware do. This causes the antiviruses to wrongly flag such software.

Most likely, z4root isnt infected but you can always use a secondary anti virus app to check or go on the xda forum thread and look for comments on infected files.

Answer 2

z4root is in fact infected.

It is infected with an often used root exploit for Android 2.2 Froyo which allows you (or any malicious app) to gain root rights by executing it on a vulnerable phone. z4root is neutral if you have the original benign one however: It's only used to gain root. It does nothing else on its own.

AVG (and other antivirus vendors) flag this because it is a root exploit. They don't care if you like it or not and if you want to use it in a benign way (to install lag fix). It bypasses Android's security by exploiting a known vulnerability and this is enough to label it as infected.

To give an example:
Let's assume some app piggypacks this exploit to gain root to be able to start wreaking havoc on your phone (or with your data by formatting/wiping it. whatever).