Is it possible to 'Upgrade' to knox disabled firmware?

[Seth Bliss]

I already know its impossible to downgrade from 4.3 to knox disabled firmware like 4.1.2. But my question is, is it possible to upgrade to knox disabled firmware? Android 4.3 comes with a knox secured bootloader and what im really trying to do is upgrade to an unsecured bootloader maybe? Help me. I cant figure it out. I want to install custom firmware but knox ****ed my phone in the ***.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Golfdriver97]

I'm not so sure this is possible. Samsung is starting to shift toward the idea of the only unlockable devices being developer editions or Google Phone editions.

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[UJ95x]

I already know its impossible to downgrade from 4.3 to knox disabled firmware like 4.1.2. But my question is, is it possible to upgrade to knox disabled firmware? Android 4.3 comes with a knox secured bootloader and what im really trying to do is upgrade to an unsecured bootloader maybe? Help me. I cant figure it out. I want to install custom firmware but knox ****ed my phone in the ***.

Posted via Android Central App

All versions of TouchWiz after 4.3 come with Knox enabled, so that's unfortunately not an option either :-\

 

[Seth Bliss]

Im getting kind of desperate to find a way to completely rid my phone of knox. Can anyone help me get started with some research?

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Seth Bliss]

I've heard speculation that you can downgrade SGS3 if you hard brick then use a debrick image and install stock 4.1.2. Is this possible? Thwy say that knox wasn't in development until after the galaxy 3 was released so theres not as good security as the galaxy 4 would because some of the security features aren't implemented in the hardware like it is in the newer devices. Sound plausible?

If it can be done, it can be undone.

 

[UJ95x]

I've heard speculation that you can downgrade SGS3 if you hard brick then use a debrick image and install stock 4.1.2.

I'd highly advise against that. Hard bricks are not always fixable...

 

[Seth Bliss]

But from what I can understand, the galaxy s3 doesnt have any binary that cant be changed that could prevent the phone from booting to recovery. These phones came out of thw factory with 4.1.2, and we all know that's before knox was put in place. That means binary had to be rewritten to include knox in the updates, right? I thought the binary that bricks phones because of knox, can not be rewritten. The phones that come with knox have it written in the binary from the factory and can not be rewritten. So why can we rewrite what was rewritten from the updates? I mean, look at my signature. If it can be put together cant it be taken apart? If it can be stacked, cant it be unpacked? If it can be coded, cant it be uncoded? Thats just my prospective. There has to be a way.

If it can be done, it can be undone.

 

[meyerweb#CB]

I've heard speculation that you can downgrade SGS3 if you hard brick then use a debrick image and install stock 4.1.2. Is this possible?

I'd highly advise against that. Hard bricks are not always fixable...

I think the key word here is "speculation." I've not seen anyone actually try this. One contributor on XDA bricked his phone trying to get ND8 to run on a de-knoxed 4.3 kernel. He sent it off for a JTAG repair, and they've gotten it to boot, but have been unable to get data service to work. I would attempt this ONLY if you're prepared to buy a new phone if it doesn't work.

There are deknoxing tools available that will remove all the Knox applications, and Knox in the bootloader doesn't really interfere in your use of the phone.

But from what I can understand, the galaxy s3 doesnt have any binary that cant be changed that could prevent the phone from booting to recovery. These phones came out of thw factory with 4.1.2, and we all know that's before knox was put in place. That means binary had to be rewritten to include knox in the updates, right?

The binary is written into firmware, is it not? So a GS3 that's been updated to 4.3 has the same binary as one that came from the factory with 4.3. Plenty of people have bricked their phones trying to eliminate Knox. I'm sure everyone would love to find a way to do that, but people a lot smarter and more knowledgeable that I am have tried and failed.