Cordova Plugin - RootGuard : cordova-plugin-rootguard

cordova-plugin-rootguard is a security plugin for Cordova that detects:

• ✅ Root access (Magisk, SuperSU, su binaries, system mount modifications) – Android
• ✅ Frida instrumentation (open ports, memory maps, processes) – Android
• ✅ Jailbreak status (Cydia, Sileo, rootless indicators) – iOS
• ✅ Frida runtime detection (dylib injection) – iOS

Changelog

02-10-2025

• Fix(android): prevent plugin timeout on Magisk/RootAVD by adding process timeouts and safe cleanup
  • Moved root and Frida detection checks to Cordova thread pool
  • Added timeouts (500ms) to all shell command executions (su, mount, pidof, getprop)
  • Ensured processes are destroyed and streams closed in finally blocks
  • Fail-safe: assume compromised if detection errors or times out
  • Fixes issue where plugin call timed out on Magisk-enabled emulators (RootAVD)

17-04-2025

• Added iOS support

Features

Android

• Detects common root paths and su binaries
• Executes shell checks (which su, mount)
• Detects Frida server via:
  • Open ports (default: 27042, 27043)
  • Injected memory maps
  • Frida running processes
  • System properties

iOS

• Detects Cydia, Sileo, and rootless jailbreak indicators
• Checks common jailbreak file paths and URL schemes
• Detects Frida dynamic library injections using dyld inspection

---

🚀 Installation

Option 1: Install from GitHub

cordova plugin add cordova-plugin-rootguard

Option 2: Install Locally

1. Download and place the cordova-plugin-rootguard/ folder inside your project.
2. Run:

   cordova plugin add ./cordova-plugin-rootguard

---

📖 Usage

JavaScript API

The plugin provides a single function checkSecurity that checks for both root access and Frida detection.

🔍 Usage

RootGuard.checkSecurity(function(result) {
    if (result === 1) {
        console.log("Security Risk Detected: Root or Frida is present.");
    } else {
        console.log("Device is secure.");
    }
}, function(error) {
    console.error("Error detecting Root/Frida:", error);
});

---

🔧 How It Works

Root Detection

• File Check: Scans for common root-related files (e.g., su, Superuser.apk, .magisk).
• Command Execution: Attempts to execute su to check for root access.
• Mount Check: Verifies if /system is mounted as read-write instead of read-only.

Frida Detection

• Port Scan: Checks for Frida's default listening ports (27042, 27043).
• Memory Scan: Reads /proc/self/maps to detect Frida-related libraries (frida, gum-js, gadget).
• Process Check: Looks for a running frida-server process.
• Property Check: Scans system properties for any Frida-related entries.

---

🛠️ Testing

Testing Root Detection

1. Install Magisk or SuperSU on your Android device.
2. Run your Cordova app. It should detect root and exit.

Android

• Test with rooted devices or emulators with Magisk/SuperSU.
• Attach Frida using: frida -n

iOS

• Test on a jailbroken device (Palera1n, Dopamine).
• Use Frida with tools like frida-trace, frida-server.

Testing Frida Detection

1. Start Frida-server on the device:

   adb push frida-server /data/local/tmp/
   adb shell chmod 755 /data/local/tmp/frida-server
   adb shell /data/local/tmp/frida-server &

2. Run your Cordova app. It should detect Frida and exit.

---

Supported Platforms

• ✅ Android (Minimum SDK: API 21+)
• ✅ iOS

Platform	Root/Jailbreak Detection	rida Detection
Android	✅	✅
iOS	✅ (Cydia, Sileo, Rootless)	✅ (dylib scan)

---

Troubleshooting

Common Issues & Fixes

1. Plugin Not Found After Installation
Run cordova platform remove android && cordova platform add android to refresh plugins.

2. App Crashes on Certain Devices
Ensure the plugin has the required permissions and that your app has minSdkVersion set to 21 or higher in config.xml.

3. False Positives or False Negatives
Root detection can vary across devices. Consider adding additional root detection methods if needed.

---

📜 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

👨‍💻 Contributing

We welcome contributions! Feel free to submit a pull request or report issues on the repository.

🛠 Support

For any issues, please open a GitHub issue in the repository.

---

Author

📌 Binuka Kamesh
📧 Contact: binukakamesh97@gmail.com
🌍 GitHub: binuka97

---

Maintained by Binuka Kamesh