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I have unlocked my HTC device and installed TWRP and SuperSU. Then I accidentally leaked root access to one of Tencent's apps. The log says that the app has leaked root permission to KingRoot SDK:

It uses root permission to execute something like 'kd -d krsdk.cert'.

Then I removed its root access in SuperSU, however the app is still able to use root access.

I then downloaded KingRoot, and it says that the device has already been rooted. I tried to unroot the device from KingRoot, however I could re-root it again with KingRoot. I tried restoring the device using a complete backup from the TWRP recovery (removing SuperSU and everything else just like factory default), but KingRoot still works.

Is that because my device actually has a bug, or because KingRoot has left a persistent backdoor in my device? If so, how to remove it?

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After testing, I am sure that KingRoot does exploit system bugs and probably does not leave backdoors for rooting. However it does leave imprints in /system partition.

Proof:

  1. KingRoot does not always get root successfully after uninstallation.
  2. I tested on another HTC device with the same OS (Sense 7), factory default lock, but KingRoot worked. (That device is bricked after installing SuperSU and I'm seeking maintainance; it is free of charge)
  3. After rooting and unrooting I found files with the abbreviation "kr" (KingRoot) and "ku" (KingUser) which did not exist before rooting. Furthermore, any attempt to install SuperSU, either by TWRP or by manual installation, failed. Installing through TWRP works, but causes the device to malfunction (Return button and Home button lost, unable to change device's Settings, however apps still work and connect to the network). Installing manually results in SuperSU prompting to update binaries and failing.
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  • In my case I found unnecessary notifications and ads after installing KingRoot. I am hating it and trying to avoid as much as possible.Good thing about this is that it is uninstallable. – Narayanan Aug 29 '16 at 12:57
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Well for me kingroot left ads on my homepage so I would not says it is secure. I had to reset my phone after that... I don't think it leaves any backdoors though.

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If downloaded from official sources, Kingroot is legit and not a virus. However, a lot of Antivirus may flag it as false positive because of the way it works. Kingroot is installing a root certificate and works a bit different to supersu. Check for root certificates as well and remove them in order to get back to stock. However, if you are worried about left open holes, flash a stock ROM and you should be all set.

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  • It's already stock ROM - I restored it from TWRP recovery. I just can't figure out whether KingRoot is using a hidden backdoor or a known security flaw. – He WenYang Aug 28 '16 at 5:14

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